ganahan

Like

Level 2

Use ganahan to say you like something. It is the most common way to express general preference or pleasure in Cebuano.

How It Works

In Cebuano, ganahan is the standard word for 'like.' It is derived from the Spanish word gana (appetite/desire).

1. Sentence Structure with Nouns
The marker you use depends on the type of object you like:
• Use og for indefinite objects: Ganahan ko og kape. (I like coffee.)
• Use sa for definite or specific objects: Ganahan ko sa kape. (I like the coffee.)
• Use ni for personal names: Ganahan ko ni Maria. (I like Maria.)

2. Sentence Structure with Verbs
When you like doing an activity, use the ligature to connect the preference to the action:
Ganahan + [Actor] + -ng + [Verb]
Example: Ganahan kong mosayaw. (I like to dance.)

3. The Actor Case
The person who 'likes' must be in the absolutive case (e.g., ko, ka, siya). Even though ko sounds like the genitive short form, the long form Ganahan ako confirms it is absolutive.

4. Negation
To say you 'don't like' something, always use dili before the word ganahan.
Example: Dili ko ganahan og sili. (I don't like chili.)

Examples (5)

  1. Ganahan ko og mangga.

    I like mangoes.

    Word by Word: Like I (marker) mango.

    Uses the marker 'og' because 'mangga' is a noun object.

  2. Ganahan ka ba og gatas?

    Do you like milk?

    Word by Word: Like you (question) (marker) milk?

    The question particle 'ba' follows the actor 'ka'.

  3. Ganahan siyang matulog.

    He/She likes to sleep.

    Word by Word: Like he/she-ligature to-sleep.

    The ligature '-ng' attaches to 'siya' to link it to the verb 'matulog'.

  4. Dili ko ganahan nimo.

    I don't like you.

    Word by Word: Not I like you-oblique.

    When the object is a specific person, the oblique pronoun (nimo) is used instead of 'og'.

  5. Ganahan kaayo ko sa salida.

    I really like the movie.

    Word by Word: Like very I (marker) movie.

    The intensifier 'kaayo' is placed immediately after 'ganahan'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'nako' (genitive) instead of 'ko' (absolutive).

    Ganahan nako og kape.
    Ganahan ko og kape.

    Learners familiar with Tagalog often use the genitive case because Tagalog's 'gusto' requires it. In Cebuano, 'ganahan' requires the absolutive case (ko/ako).

  • Negating with 'wala' instead of 'dili'.

    Wala ko ganahan og sili.
    Dili ko ganahan og sili.

    'Wala' is used for past actions or non-existence. Preferences and states like 'liking' are negated with 'dili'.

  • Omitting the 'og' marker before a noun.

    Ganahan ko mangga.
    Ganahan ko og mangga.

    In Cebuano, you must use the marker 'og' to link the preference to the object noun.

How It Connects

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

ganahanLevel 2Like

Learn This First

To use 'ganahan' (like), you need to understand how to express the person doing the liking using genitive pronouns, how to mark the object being liked with 'og', and how to link the expression to a verb using the ligature.

Words in This Pattern

ganahan