miingon nga
Said That
miingon nga = [Speaker] said that [Statement]
How It Works
The pattern miingon nga is the standard way to attribute a specific past statement to a speaker in Cebuano.
- The Verb: The root is ingon (to say/tell). The prefix mi- indicates that the action is in the started aspect (completed/past) and that the actor (the speaker) is the focus of the sentence.
- The Linker: The particle nga acts as a bridge between the act of speaking and the content of what was said. Unlike in English, where 'that' is often optional (e.g., 'He said he was tired'), in Cebuano, nga is grammatically required.
- Word Order: The speaker usually follows the verb directly: Miingon si Maria nga... (Maria said that...).
- Variants: In everyday conversation, you will frequently hear niingon nga. Both mi- and ni- are correct, though mi- is more common in formal writing and literature.
Examples (4)
- Miingon siya nga moabot siya ugma.
He said that he will arrive tomorrow.
Word by Word: Said he that will-arrive he tomorrow.
Here, 'siya' is the actor who performed the act of saying.
- Ang dentist miingon nga kinahanglan og bunot ang akong ngipon.
The dentist said that my tooth needs an extraction.
Word by Word: The dentist said that need [marker] pull the my tooth.
This shows the pattern used in a professional context. Note the use of 'og' for the indefinite object 'extraction'.
- Daghan ang miingon nga nindot kaayo ang maong salida.
Many said that the said movie was very beautiful.
Word by Word: Many the said that beautiful very the said movie.
This uses a plural actor ('daghan') to report a general opinion.
- Miingon si Pedro nga dili siya makakuyog.
Pedro said that he cannot come along.
Word by Word: Said [name marker] Pedro that not he can-accompany.
When using a name, the marker 'si' must be placed before the name and after the verb.
Common Mistakes
Omitting the linker 'nga'.
Miingon siya dili siya moadto.Miingon siya nga dili siya moadto.English speakers often drop 'that', but in Cebuano, 'nga' is necessary to connect the speech verb to the statement.
Confusing 'miingon' with 'matod'.
Miingon niya nga...Matod niya nga...'Miingon' is a verb and requires an actor focus pronoun (siya), while 'matod' is a pseudo-verb meaning 'according to' and uses genitive pronouns (niya).
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand 'miingon nga', you need to be familiar with the 'mi-' prefix for started actions, the use of 'nga' as a linker for subordinate clauses, and the basic root 'ingon' used for reporting speech.
- mi- / ni-Mi- Started Actor Focus
The verb 'miingon' uses the 'mi-' prefix to indicate a completed or started action in the actor focus.
Level 2 - ingon + ni/si + Speaker + ClauseSomeone Said
Understanding the root 'ingon' and its use in reporting speech is fundamental to using its conjugated form 'miingon'.
Level 3
Related Patterns
- ngaThat
The linker used to connect the verb 'miingon' to the reported clause.
Level 2 - matod pa niAs Said by
An alternative way to attribute speech, meaning 'according to'.
Level 5 - kunoReportedly
A particle used to indicate hearsay or that the information was reported by someone else.
Level 3 - gi-ingnanWas Told
The patient-focus version, meaning 'was told', focusing on the person receiving the information.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
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