matod pa ni

As Said by

Level 5

Matod pa ni is the standard way to say 'According to [Name]' or 'As said by [Name]' in formal Cebuano. It is used to cite specific individuals, such as officials, authors, or family members.

How It Works

In Cebuano, attributing information requires specific markers depending on the source. Matod pa ni is the formal standard for attributing spoken or written opinions to people, whereas sumala sa is a versatile alternative. Note that matod sa is also widely used for inanimate sources, documents, and institutions (e.g., Matod sa balita, Matod sa balaod).

1. The Components:

  • Matod: A pseudo-verb or prepositional particle meaning 'according to.' Note that the standard Cebuano noun for 'statement' is pamahayag.
  • Pa: An optional but common enclitic particle that frames the report. While often included idiomatically, it is not strictly required, and the phrase works perfectly well as just matod ni.
  • Ni: The genitive personal marker, indicating that the following word is a proper name.

2. Using Pronouns:
If the source is a pronoun, the marker ni is replaced by the genitive (n-set) pronoun.

  • Matod pa nako (I said / As I said)
  • Matod pa niya (He/she said / According to him/her)
  • Matod pa nila (They said / According to them)

3. Variations by Source:

  • Personal Name (Singular): Matod pa ni Juan (According to Juan).
  • Personal Names (Plural): Matod pa nila ni Juan ug Maria (According to Juan and Maria).
  • Common Nouns: Use sa instead of ni. Example: Matod pa sa mga eksperto (According to the experts).

4. Dialogue Tags:
This phrase is the standard way to tag direct quotes in Cebuano literature and journalism, functioning exactly like the English 'said [Name]'. For example: "Dili tinuod," matod ni Juan ("It is not true," said Juan).

5. Register and Spelling:
This phrase is highly frequent in journalism. While casual conversation often uses the enclitic kuno for hearsay, matod pa ni is preferred for explicit attribution. Both matod and matud are accepted spellings, with matud frequently appearing in classic literature and dictionaries.

Examples (4)

  1. "Dili na siya mobalik sa politika," matod pa ni Mayor.

    "He will not return to politics anymore," as said by the Mayor.

    Word by Word: "Not anymore he return to politics," statement still of Mayor.

    Here, 'ni Mayor' treats the title as a proper name. The phrase attributes the quote directly to the official.

  2. Matod pa ni San Pablo, ang gugma mao ang labing mahinungdanon.

    According to Saint Paul, love is the most important.

    Word by Word: Statement still of Saint Paul, the love is the most important.

    This demonstrates the use of the pattern at the beginning of a sentence to introduce a famous teaching or quote.

  3. Matod pa niya, dili na madayon ang meeting karong hapon.

    According to him, the meeting this afternoon will no longer push through.

    Word by Word: Statement still of-him, not anymore push-through the meeting this afternoon.

    When using pronouns, the marker 'ni' is dropped and the third-person genitive pronoun is used directly after 'pa'.

  4. Matod pa nila ni Maria ug Jose, nindot kaayo ang maong dapit.

    According to Maria and Jose, that place is very beautiful.

    Word by Word: Statement still of-them of Maria and Jose, beautiful very the said place.

    This shows the plural form nila ni used when attributing a statement to more than one specific person.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'sa' for personal names.

    matod pa sa Juan
    matod pa ni Juan

    In Cebuano, personal names must be preceded by personal markers like 'ni'. 'Sa' is reserved for common nouns (e.g., 'matod pa sa tawo').

  • Redundant use of 'kuno' with 'matod pa ni'.

    Different MeaningMatod pa ni Juan, mobalik kuno siya.
    Matod pa ni Juan, mobalik siya.

    'Matod pa ni Juan, mobalik kuno siya' is not forbidden, but 'kuno' repeats what 'matod pa ni' already says, because both mark reported speech.

How It Connects

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

matod pa niLevel 5As Said by

Learn This First

The pattern 'matod pa ni' is a formal or written way to attribute a statement to a speaker. To understand it, you need to know how the genitive personal marker 'ni' identifies a person, how the particle 'pa' functions in set phrases, and the general concept of reporting speech in Cebuano.

Words in This Pattern

matodne