ang tawo nga

The phrase ang tawo nga is the foundation for complex descriptions in Cebuano. While nga is often translated as 'who' or 'that', it is technically a The Ligature (a bridge) rather than a pronoun.

1. Phonological Rules:
The linker nga changes based on the sound ending the previous word:

• If the word ends in a vowel or a glottal stop (like bata), it usually becomes -ng and attaches to the word (e.g., bata nga becomes batang).
• If the word ends in -n, the -n is replaced by -ng (e.g., dahon nga becomes dahong).
• If the word ends in a consonant (except -n), it remains a separate word nga.

Note: While tawo ends in a vowel sound, it is often written as tawo nga for clarity, though tawong is also correct.

2. Adjective and Plural Interaction:
This same ligature is used to link nouns to adjectives. Cebuano allows flexible word order here. You can use Modifier Before A Noun where the ligature attaches to the adjective (e.g., ang mga maayong tawo - the good people), or Linked Noun And Modifier where it attaches to the noun (e.g., ang mga tawong maayo). The plural marker Plural Marker precedes the entire linked phrase.

3. The Number Linker Distinction:
A common point of confusion is the difference between nga and ka. While nga links descriptions, you must use Counting With Ka for cardinal numbers. You say duha ka tawo (two people), not duha nga tawo. However, for Ordinal Numbers, you usually use nga (e.g., ang ikaduha nga tawo - the second person).

4. The Focus System Interaction:
Cebuano uses a Focus And Participant Roles. When you say 'the person who...', that person MUST be the subject of the following verb.

• Actor Focus: If the person did the action, use Mo- Actor Focus or Mi- Started Actor Focus. (e.g., Ang tawo nga nikaon... - The person who ate...).
• Patient Focus: If the action was done TO the person, you must use Patient Focus With -On or Gi- Started Patient Focus. (e.g., Ang tawo nga gitan-aw nako... - The person who was looked at by me).

5. Demonstrative Linking:
The nga ligature is also the mandatory bridge for demonstratives. When pointing out a specific person, you use Demonstratives Before A Noun (e.g., kini nga tawo or kining tawo - this person).

6. Register:
This is the universal standard. Avoid using Who to link clauses; kinsa is primarily for questions. Using kinsa as a relative pronoun is often considered 'translationese' influenced by English.