Noun + sa + Possessor

Possession with Sa

Level 1

[Possessed Noun] + sa + [Possessor Noun]
Example: balay sa maestra (the teacher's house).

How It Works

The marker sa is a versatile tool in Cebuano, but one of its most frequent roles is showing possession. When the owner is a common noun (not a specific person's name), you place sa between the object and the owner.

Key characteristics of this pattern:

  • Definiteness: Using sa usually implies a specific owner. Ang awto sa lalaki means 'The car of the man.'
  • Word Order: Unlike English, where we often say 'the man's car,' Cebuano almost always puts the possessed item first.
  • Common Nouns Only: This pattern is strictly for common nouns. If you want to talk about a specific person's name (like Maria), you must use ni instead.
  • Universal Use: This is used in every register of the language, from formal writing to daily street talk.

Examples (4)

  1. Ang atop sa balay.

    The roof of the house.

    Word by Word: The roof of-the house.

    Here, 'atop' (roof) is the possessed item and 'balay' (house) is the owner/source.

  2. Nindot ang kolor sa awto.

    The color of the car is beautiful.

    Word by Word: Beautiful the color of-the car.

    This shows a characteristic (color) belonging to an object (car).

  3. Gikuha niya ang libro sa bata.

    He took the child's book.

    Word by Word: Took by-him the book of-the child.

    In this sentence, 'libro' (book) belongs to 'bata' (child).

  4. Kini ang pultahan sa eskwelahan.

    This is the door of the school.

    Word by Word: This the door of-the school.

    A simple identification of a part belonging to a whole.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'sa' for personal names.

    ang libro sa Maria
    ang libro ni Maria

    'Sa' is only for common nouns. For specific people's names, you must use 'ni'.

  • Reversing the word order (English style).

    Different Meaningang maestra sa balay
    ang balay sa maestra

    In Cebuano, the item being owned comes first. 'Ang maestra sa balay' means 'the teacher of the house,' not 'the teacher's house'.

How It Connects

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

Noun + sa + PossessorLevel 1Possession with Sa

Learn This First

To understand how to express possession using 'sa', a learner must first be familiar with the 'sa' marker itself and its general function as a definite or oblique marker in the Cebuano phrase marking system.

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