tanan

All

Level 2

Tanan is the standard Cebuano word for 'all'. It can modify nouns (all the people), follow pronouns (we all), or stand alone as a pronoun (everyone/everything).

How It Works

In Cebuano, tanan (pronounced ta-NÁN) is used to describe a complete set or the whole of something. Unlike English, which distinguishes between 'everyone' and 'everything', tanan covers both depending on the context.

1. Modifying Nouns
When tanan comes before a noun, it must be linked using nga or -ng. The most common form is the contraction tanang.

  • tanang bata (all the children)
  • tanan nga pagkaon (all the food)

2. With Pronouns
To say 'all of us' or 'all of them', place tanan after the pronoun. No linker is needed here.

  • kita tanan (all of us - inclusive)
  • sila tanan (all of them)

3. Pronominal Use
It can stand alone as the subject or object of a sentence.

  • Nahibalo ang tanan. (Everyone knows.)
  • Gikaon niya ang tanan. (He/she ate everything.)

4. Superlatives
Tanan is frequently used with the preposition sa to create superlative expressions like kinadak-an sa tanan (biggest of all).

Examples (5)

  1. Hapa tanang tawo!

    Everyone get down!

    Word by Word: Get-down all-linker people!

    Here, 'tanan' is linked to 'tawo' (people) using the -ng ligature to mean 'everyone' or 'all people'.

  2. Gihigugma ko kamo tanan.

    I love you all.

    Word by Word: Loved by-me you-all all.

    When used with the pronoun 'kamo' (you all), 'tanan' follows the pronoun directly without a linker.

  3. Nahurot na ang tanan.

    Everything is all gone.

    Word by Word: Depleted already the all.

    In this sentence, 'tanan' acts as a noun/pronoun meaning 'everything'.

  4. Kinahanglan natong tabangan ang tanan.

    We need to help everyone.

    Word by Word: Need by-us-linker to-help the all.

    Using 'ang tanan' as the object of the verb 'tabangan' (to help).

  5. Limpyo na ang tanang lawak.

    All the rooms are clean now.

    Word by Word: Clean already the all-linker room.

    Demonstrates 'tanan' modifying a plural set of objects (rooms).

Common Mistakes

  • Omitting the linker when modifying a noun.

    tanan bata
    tanang bata

    In Cebuano, quantifiers like 'tanan' require a linker (nga/-ng) to connect to the noun they modify.

  • Confusing 'tanan' with 'hurot'.

    Tanan na ang bugas.
    Hurot na ang bugas.

    'Tanan' refers to the quantity (all of it), while 'hurot' refers to the state of being finished or depleted. If the rice is gone, use 'hurot'.

  • Starting with a short pronoun.

    Nako gikaon ang tanan.
    Gikaon nako ang tanan.

    A short pronoun like 'nako' does not start the clause. It usually follows the verb: 'Gikaon nako ang tanan.'

How It Connects

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

tananLevel 2All

Learn This First

To use 'tanan' (all/every) correctly, you need to understand how to link it to nouns using the ligature 'nga' and how it interacts with Cebuano's pronoun system and word order rules.

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