1 Part of speech, core meaning, sentence position, and example sentences
- Part of speech
- Sentence-position rule
A conjugated tubag form usually starts the predicate and any clitic actor-pronoun follows: Mo-tubag ko sa imong pangutana karon.
I will answer your question now. - Example sentences Cebuano sentence English translation Mo-tubag ko sa email ugma buntag. I will reply to the email tomorrow morning. Nag-tubag sila sa mga tawag sa hotline karon. They are answering calls on the hotline right now. Gi-tubag sa maestra ang reklamo sa ginikanan. The complaint was answered by the teacher.
2 Verb derivations of tubag
| Form | Voice & aspect | Typical translation | Sample sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| mag-tubag | Actor focus, habitual / future | “will regularly answer / usually answer” | Mag-tubag sila sa chat inquiries kada adlaw. — They answer chat inquiries every day. |
| mo-tubag | Actor focus, non-past / imperative | “will answer; answer!” | Mo-tubag ta karon, ha. — Let’s answer now, okay. |
| nag-tubag | Actor focus, progressive / recent past | “is / was answering” | Nag-tubag ko pag-abot nimo. — I was replying when you arrived. |
| ni-tubag / mi-tubag | Actor focus, completed past | “answered” | Ni-tubag siya sa interview kagahapon. — She answered in the interview yesterday. |
| gi-tubag | Patient focus, completed past | “was answered (by …)” | Gi-tubag sa opisina ang among sulat. — Our letter was answered by the office. |
| tubagon (-on) | Patient focus, future / imperative | “to be answered / answer it” | Tubagon nato ang tanan pangutana sa Q&A. — We will answer all the questions in the Q&A. |
| tubagan (-an) | Beneficiary / locative focus | “to answer someone / answer at” | Tubagi ko palihog sa telepono. — Please answer the phone for me. |
3 Common phrases
- tubag sa pangutana — answer the question
- mag-tubag og tawag — take (answer) calls
- walay tubag — no answer
- gi-tubag sa Diyos — answered by God
- tubagon ang email — reply to the email
4 Detailed usage notes
- Actor-focus forms (mo-, nag-, ni-) put the responder as the subject.
- Object marker — Use sa before definite thing answered (mo-tubag ko sa imong text), og/ug for indefinite or generic (nag-tubag siya og tawag).
- Patient focus (gi-tubag, tubagon) emphasizes the message or query being answered.
- Beneficiary focus (tubagan, tubagi) targets the person/device you answer for: tubagi ko sa messenger.
- Noun use — tubag as “answer”: klaro ang iyang tubag — “his answer is clear.”
- Reduplication — tubag-tubag can suggest back-and-forth answers or quick replies.
5 Common mistakes & tips
| Mistake | Issue | Correct form |
|---|---|---|
| Mo-tubag ako sa tawag. | Actor clitic misplaced. | Mo-tubag ko sa tawag. |
| Gi-tubag ko ang email. | With gi-, actor must be genitive (ni / sa). | Gi-tubag ni ko ang email. |
| Tubagon ta siya! | Beneficiary command needs tubagi. | Tubagi siya! |
| Wala koy tubag og imong pangutana. | Use sa for definite object. | Wala koy tubag sa imong pangutana. |
6 Short everyday conversations
- A: Nakakuha ka ug tubag sa HR? — Did you get an answer from HR?
B: Oo, ni-tubag sila nga approved na. — Yes, they replied that it’s approved. - A: Kinsay nag-tubag sa landline ganina? — Who answered the landline earlier?
B: Ako, nag-tubag ko kay nag-ring dugay. — Me, I answered because it rang for a long time. - A: Tubagi palihog ang email sa customer. — Please answer the customer’s email.
B: Sige, tubagon nako karon dayon. — Sure, I’ll answer it right away. - A: Nganong wala ka mo-tubag sa chat? — Why didn’t you reply to the chat?
B: Na-busy ko, karon pa ko kita. — I got busy; I just saw it now. - A: Mag-tubag ta sa Q&A segment ugma? — Shall we answer in the Q&A segment tomorrow?
B: Oo, andam na ko sa mga posible nga pangutana. — Yes, I’m ready for the possible questions.
