atong / among / inyong / ilang
Preposed Possessive Plural
Use atong, among, inyong, and ilang before a noun to show ownership by a group. These are formed by adding the -ng linker to the plural possessive roots.
How It Works
These forms are essential for building natural Cebuano sentences. They are created by taking the possessive roots (ato, amo, inyo, ila) and attaching the linker -ng because all these roots end in a vowel.
1. Inclusive vs. Exclusive 'Our'
This is a critical distinction in Cebuano. Use atong when you are talking to someone and including them in the 'our' (e.g., 'our house' that we share). Use among when you are telling someone about something belonging to you and others, but not them (e.g., 'our house' that you are just visiting).
2. Word Order
These always appear before the noun. If you have an adjective, the possessive usually comes first: atong dako nga balay (our big house).
3. Register and Usage
While postposed forms (like balay nila) are very common in casual speech, the preposed forms (ilang balay) are preferred in formal writing, at the start of sentences, or when you want to be very clear about who owns what.
Examples (5)
- Atong lungsod kini.
This is our town.
Word by Word: Our town this.
Uses 'atong' (inclusive) because the town belongs to both the speaker and the listener.
- Asa man ang inyong order?
Where is your (plural) order?
Word by Word: Where [particle] the your order?
Uses 'inyong' to address a group of people at a restaurant.
- Gikuha nila ang ilang anak.
They fetched their child.
Word by Word: Fetched by-them the their child.
Uses 'ilang' to refer to the child belonging to 'them'.
- Kini ang among balay.
This is our house (but not yours).
Word by Word: This the our house.
Uses 'among' (exclusive) to show the house belongs to the speaker's family, excluding the person being spoken to.
- Nindot ang inyong kanta.
Your song is beautiful.
Word by Word: Beautiful the your song.
A common way to compliment a group's performance using the preposed possessive.
Common Mistakes
Omitting the mandatory -ng linker.
ato balayatong balayBecause the roots (ato, amo, inyo, ila) end in vowels, you must attach the -ng linker to connect them to the noun.
Using inclusive 'atong' when talking to someone outside the family.
Different MeaningAtong pamilyaAmong pamilya'Atong pamilya' is a good phrase when the listener belongs to the family. If you tell a stranger 'atong pamilya', you are accidentally including them. Use 'among' for a group that leaves the listener out.
Using 'kami' (we) to mean 'our'.
kami balayamong balay'Kami' is for 'we' as the subject. To say 'our house' before the noun, use 'among' (not including you) or 'atong' (including you).
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand preposed plural possessives, you need to know the plural pronoun roots, how the ligature (-ng) connects modifiers to nouns, and the distinction between inclusive and exclusive 'we' in Cebuano.
- akong / imong / iyangPreposed Possessive Singular
This pattern follows the same preposed possessive structure as the singular forms, applying it to plural pronouns.
Level 1 - Two Kinds Of We
Understanding the distinction between 'atong' (inclusive) and 'among' (exclusive) is necessary to use the first-person plural possessives correctly.
Foundations
Related Patterns
- nga / -ngThe Ligature
The grammatical connector used to join these possessive roots to the nouns they modify.
Foundations - nato / taInclusive Genitive
The postposed (after the noun) version of the inclusive 'our'.
Level 1 - nilaThird-Person Plural Genitive
The postposed (after the noun) version of 'their'.
Level 1 - kining / kanang / kadtongDemonstratives Before a Noun
Other determiners that use the same linker system to modify nouns from a preposed position.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice atong / among / inyong / ilang in Bubblegum
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