human sa

After

Level 2

Use human sa to say 'after [a noun/event]'. It is the standard way to sequence events in Cebuano.

How It Works

The phrase human sa is a fundamental building block for expressing time in Cebuano. It is composed of the root human (finished/after) and the oblique marker sa.

1. Usage with Nouns and Events
It is most commonly used with common nouns that represent events or timeframes:

  • human sa klase (after class)
  • human sa trabaho (after work)
  • human sa duha ka oras (after two hours)

2. Usage with People
If you are referring to a specific person (e.g., 'after John'), the marker changes from sa to the personal marker ni:

  • human ni Juan (after Juan)

3. Human sa vs. Human og
This is a critical distinction for learners. Use sa for nouns/events, but use og when the following word is a verb (action):

  • human sa pagkaon (after the meal/eating - noun form)
  • human og kaon (after eating - verb form)

4. Sentence Placement
The phrase can appear at the beginning of a sentence (followed by a comma) or at the end. When it starts a sentence, it sets the temporal context for the entire statement.

Examples (4)

  1. Human sa klase, mangadto ta sa mall.

    After class, let's go to the mall.

    Word by Word: After the class, will-go we to-the mall.

    Here, 'human sa' links the event (class) to the intended action of going to the mall.

  2. Mobalik siya human sa tulo ka adlaw.

    He will return after three days.

    Word by Word: Will-return he after of three (unit) day.

    This shows 'human sa' used with a time duration using counting with ka.

  3. Human sa ulan, presko kaayo ang hangin.

    After the rain, the air is very fresh.

    Word by Word: After the rain, fresh very the air.

    A common descriptive sentence using 'human sa' to establish a condition following an event.

  4. Human sa trabaho, natulog dayon siya.

    After work, he went to sleep right away.

    Word by Word: After the work, slept right-away he.

    Uses dayon to emphasize that the action happened immediately after the event.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'sa' directly before a bare verb.

    human sa kaon
    human og kaon / human sa pagkaon

    In Cebuano, 'sa' marks a definite noun. If you want to follow 'after' with an action, you must use 'og' or turn the verb into a noun (gerund) using the pag- prefix.

  • Using 'humana' as a preposition.

    humana sa klase
    human sa klase

    'Humana' is a different word: it is the command 'Finish it!' (human + -a), not a word for 'after'. Use 'human sa' before a noun.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

human saLevel 2After

Learn This First

To understand 'human sa' (after), you need to be familiar with the marker 'sa', which is used here to connect the concept of 'after' to a specific noun or event. Knowledge of how 'sa' functions as a general marker for objects and locations provides the necessary grammatical foundation.

Words in This Pattern

humanhuman