unya

Cebuano Word: “unya”

1 Part of Speech, Meaning, and Example Sentences

• Part of speech: temporal adverb (sometimes a conjunctive adverb)
• Core meaning: “later / afterwards / after a while” — an unspecified future time that is still on the same day or soon after the reference point

Example sentences

• Mobalik ko unya pagkahuman sa miting. – “I will return later after the meeting.”
• Kuyog ta unya sa panihapon. – “Let us go together later for dinner.”
• Ayaw lang karon; buhata na lang unya. – “Not now; just do it later.”

2 Key Points When Studying Time Expressions

• Flexibility: unya can refer to minutes, hours, or even “later today,” so add a clock-time (alas dos unya) for clarity.
• Placement: Usually comes after the verb group or at clause-end; sentence-initial use signals emphasis or a casual narrative sequence.
• Contrast with ugma: unya = later today; ugma = tomorrow.
• Conjunctive use: In storytelling, unya can introduce the next action (“then”): Nitalikod siya, unya misinggit ang bata.
• Stress pattern: ÚN-ya (stress on the first syllable).

3 Common Collocations

• unya ra (ko/ka/siya) – later on (only later)
• unya pa – much later / not yet
• alas… unya – at … later (e.g., alas tres unya)
• karon ug unya – now and later
• unta unya – hopefully later

4 Typical Position in a Sentence

• Mid-clause (very common): Tawagan tika unya pagkahuman sa klase.
• Sentence-final: Mag-shopping ta unya.
• Sentence-initial (emphatic or narrative): Unya, mitawag siya pag-usab.

5 Frequently Used Conversational Phrases

• Libre ka ba unya? – “Will you be free later?”
• Magkita ta unya sa kapehan. – “Let us meet at the café later.”
• Palihug himoa kini unya. – “Please do this later.”
• Unsa may imong buhaton unya? – “What will you do later?”
• Balika ko unya ha. – “Please come back to me later, okay?”

6 Short Dialogue Exchanges (Cebuano → English)

1. A: Unsa imong plano unya sa hapon?
   B: Mag-review ko sa library unya.
   – “A: What is your plan later this afternoon? B: I will review at the library later.”
2. A: Tawagan tika unya, pwede?
   B: Pwede ra, basin humana ko sa trabaho unya.
   – “A: May I call you later? B: Sure, I might be done with work by then.”
3. A: Adto ta mall unya?
   B: Sige, kuyog ko nimo unya.
   – “A: Shall we go to the mall later? B: All right, I will join you later.”
4. A: Mahuman nimo ang report karon?
   B: Dili pa; tiwason ko unya.
   – “A: Can you finish the report now? B: Not yet; I will finish it later.”
5. A: Mokuyog ba si Ana unya?
   B: Murag oo, pero manawag pa siya unya.
   – “A: Will Ana come along later? B: It seems yes, but she will call later.”

7 Multiple-Choice Dialogue Questions

(Each question is interrogative; answer choices are declarative. One option is correct; the correct letter varies.)

Q1. Asa ka moadto unya?
A. Moadto ko sa merkado unya.
B. Unya moadto ko sa merkado.
C. Sa merkado moadto ko unya.

Q2. Unsa imong buhaton unya?
A. Buhaton unya nako ang report.
B. Nako buhaton ang report unya.
C. Buhaton nako ang report unya.

Q3. Kinsa imong tawagan unya?
A. Unya tawagan nako si Pedro.
B. Tawagan nako unya si Pedro.
C. Si Pedro tawagan unya nako.

Q4. Mahuman ba nimo ang trabaho unya?
A. Mahuman nako ang trabaho unya.
B. Unya mahuman nako ang trabaho.
C. Nako mahuman unya ang trabaho.

Q5. Ganahan ba siya mogawas unya?
A. Ganahan siya unya mogawas.
B. Ganahan siya mogawas unya.
C. Unya ganahan siya mogawas.

Answer Key (with Brief Explanations)