ipa-

Have Something Sent or Made

Level 3

Use ipa- when you want to focus on the thing that you are causing someone else to handle, send, or make. It translates to 'to have [something] [verb-ed].'

How It Works

In Cebuano, the ipa- prefix allows you to delegate a task while keeping the focus on the item involved.

1. Aspectual Forms:

  • Ipa- (Not Started): Used for future actions or commands. Ipaluto kini. (Have this cooked.)
  • Gipa- (Started): Used for completed or ongoing actions. Gipaluto nako kini. (I had this cooked.)

2. Sentence Structure and Participants:
Because this is a non-actor focus, the person who 'causes' the action (the causer) is in the genitive case (nako, nimo, niya, etc.), and the object being acted upon is marked by ang.

Crucially, the person actually performing the task (the causee) is marked by sa for common nouns or kang for personal names. For example: Ipadala ang sulat kang Juan. (Have the letter sent by Juan.)

3. Plurality:
If you are having multiple items handled, the prefix often changes to ipan- or ipang- to indicate a distributive or plural action.

4. Comparison with pa-...-on:
It is vital to distinguish ipa- from pa-...-on.

  • Use ipa- if the object is the focus: Ipadala ang sulat. (Have the letter sent.)
  • Use pa-...-on if the person being told to do it is the focus: Padad-on nako siya. (I will have him send [it]./I will make him send [it].)

Examples (4)

  1. Ipadala nako ang pasalubong sa probinsya.

    I will have the gift sent to the province.

    Word by Word: Will-cause-to-be-sent by-me the gift to-the province.

    Here, 'ipa-' focuses on 'ang pasalubong' (the gift). The speaker is causing the gift to be sent by someone else.

  2. Gipahimo ni Maria ang iyang sinina sa mananahi.

    Maria had her dress made by the seamstress.

    Word by Word: Was-caused-to-be-made by Maria the her dress by-the seamstress.

    The 'gipa-' form indicates the action is finished. The focus is on 'ang iyang sinina' (her dress).

  3. Ipaputol palihog ang kuko sa bata.

    Please have the child's nails cut.

    Word by Word: Cause-to-be-cut please the nail of-the child.

    This is a polite command using 'ipa-' to focus on the nails being cut.

  4. Ipanhatag kini nga mga pagkaon sa mga silingan.

    Have these foods given away to the neighbors.

    Word by Word: Cause-to-be-given-plural these linker plural food to-the plural neighbor.

    The use of 'ipan-' (from ipa- + mang-) indicates that there are multiple items (foods) being distributed.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the wrong marker for the object.

    Ipadala nako si sulat.
    Ipadala nako ang sulat.

    Because 'ipa-' is an object-focus marker, the object must be marked with 'ang'. Using 'si' or 'og' here is grammatically incorrect for the focused item.

  • Confusing ipa- with pa-...-on.

    Ipaluto nako siya.
    Palutoon nako siya.

    If you want to focus on the person ('siya') you are making cook, you must use 'pa-...-on'. Using 'ipa-' implies you are trying to have the person themselves 'cooked' or 'sent' like an object.

How It Connects

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

ipa-Level 3Have Something Sent or Made

Learn This First

The 'ipa-' prefix is a combination of the causative 'pa-' and the 'i-' focus (often used for objects that are moved or transferred). To understand 'ipa-', you need to be familiar with how 'pa-' changes a verb to mean 'to cause/have someone do something' and how the 'i-' focus identifies the object being sent or handled.

Words in This Pattern

i-pa-