bisan unsa / bisan kinsa / bisan asa

Anything Anyone Anywhere

Level 3

Use bisan + unsa (what), kinsa (who), or asa (where) to talk about non-specific things, people, or places.

How It Works

By itself, the word bisan means 'even', 'even if', or 'although'. When paired with question words, it creates indefinite pronouns (literally 'even if what' = 'whatever'), indicating that the specific identity of the object, person, or place is not important or is unknown.

The Spoken Form 'Bisag':
In everyday spoken Cebuano, native speakers very often use the contracted form bisag. While commonly derived from bisan og in modern spelling, it traditionally comes from bisan ug. You will frequently hear bisag unsa, bisag kinsa, and bisag asa instead of the full forms.

Common combinations include:

  • Bisan unsa / Bisag unsa: Anything / Whatever
  • Bisan kinsa / Bisag kinsa: Anyone / Whoever
  • Bisan asa / Bisag asa: Anywhere / Wherever
  • Bisan diin / Bisag diin: Anywhere / Wherever (past/origin). Note: In casual modern Cebuano, the strict tense distinction between asa and diin is often blurred, and they are frequently used interchangeably to mean 'anywhere'.
  • Bisan hain / Bisag hain: Whichever / Either
  • Bisan kanus-a / Bisag kanus-a: Anytime / Whenever
  • Bisan pila / Bisag pila: Any amount / However much
  • Bisan unsaon / Bisag unsaon: Any way / No matter how

Negative Forms:
To form negative indefinite pronouns like 'nothing', 'nobody', or 'nowhere', pair the negative word walay with these phrases. For example: walay bisan unsa (nothing), walay bisan kinsa (nobody), and walay bisan asa (nowhere).

Using Case Markers:
Because these phrases act like nouns, they must be used with the correct case markers depending on their role in the sentence. Since kinsa refers to a person, it takes personal markers like kang (to/for) or ni (by/of). You can place the marker either before the entire phrase or between bisan and the question word. For example, 'to anyone' can be kang bisan kinsa or bisan kang kinsa, and 'by anyone' can be ni bisan kinsa or bisan ni kinsa. Similarly, unsa and asa take the general marker sa when acting as objects or locations, such as sa bisan unsa or bisan sa unsa (to/for anything).

Modifying Nouns:
To say 'any [noun]', attach the -ng or nga linker to the phrase. For example, bisag unsang orasa (any time) or bisag unsa nga butang (any thing).

Nuance with 'ra' or 'lang':
Adding the particles ra or lang after the phrase (e.g., bisag unsa ra) adds a nuance of indifference, implying 'just anything' or 'it doesn't matter which one.'

Concessive Use:
This pattern can also mean 'no matter [question word].' For example, Bisag unsaon nimo... means 'No matter how you do it...' or 'Regardless of how you do it.'

Examples (5)

  1. Bisan kinsa mahimong moapil sa indigay.

    Anyone can join the competition.

    Word by Word: Even who can-become to-join in-the competition.

    Here, 'bisan kinsa' functions as 'anyone,' referring to any person regardless of identity.

  2. Bisan asa ka moadto, uban ko nimo.

    Wherever you go, I will go with you.

    Word by Word: Even where you will-go, accompany I with-you.

    'Bisan asa' creates the indefinite adverb 'wherever' or 'anywhere'.

  3. Ayaw og kaon og bisan unsa ra diha sa dalan.

    Don't just eat anything there on the street.

    Word by Word: Do-not [marker] eat [marker] even what just there on-the street.

    The addition of 'ra' emphasizes the lack of selection or pickiness (just anything).

  4. Bisan kanus-a, pwede ka motawag nako.

    Anytime, you can call me.

    Word by Word: Even when, possible you to-call to-me.

    'Bisan kanus-a' translates to 'anytime' or 'whenever'.

  5. Bisan unsaon nimo, dili na maabli.

    No matter how you do it, that won't open.

    Word by Word: Even how-do-it by-you, not already that-be-opened.

    Using 'bisan' with the verb form of 'how' (unsaon) creates a 'no matter how' meaning.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'bisan' to mean 'every'.

    Bisan adlaw siya magtuon.
    Kada adlaw siya magtuon.

    Learners often confuse 'any' with 'every'. To say 'every day', use kada. 'Bisan adlaw' would mean 'any day' or 'even [a] day'.

  • Putting 'og' before 'bisan'.

    Mokaon ko og bisan og unsa.
    Mokaon ko bisag unsa.

    The extra 'og' before 'bisan' is not needed. 'Bisan unsa' stands on its own, and the short 'bisag unsa' is common in everyday speech.

  • Confusing 'bisan unsa' (anything) with 'tanan' (everything).

    Gikaon niya ang bisan unsa.
    Gikaon niya ang tanan.

    Use tanan when you mean the entire set (everything). Use 'bisan unsa' or 'bisag unsa' when the specific choice doesn't matter (anything).

How It Connects

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

bisan unsa / bisan kinsa / bisan asaLevel 3Anything Anyone Anywhere

Learn This First

To understand these indefinite pronouns, you must first be familiar with the basic interrogative words (unsa, kinsa, and asa) that they are derived from. The word 'bisan' acts as a modifier to transform these specific questions into indefinite concepts like 'anything', 'anyone', and 'anywhere'.

Words in This Pattern

bisan unsabisan unsabisan kinsabisan asaunsa