nila

Third-Person Plural Genitive

Level 1

Nila is the Cebuano word for 'their' or 'by them'. It is used to show ownership after a noun or to identify who did an action in non-actor focus sentences.

How It Works

Nila is a versatile pronoun with four primary functions:

1. Possession ('Their'): When placed after a noun, it indicates ownership. Unlike the pre-posed form ilang, nila does not use a ligature.
Example: balay nila (their house).

2. The Actor in Non-Actor Focus ('By them'): When a verb uses a prefix like gi-, nila identifies 'them' as the ones performing the action.
Example: Gikaon nila ang saging. (They ate the banana).

3. Part of the Plural Personal Marker ('And company'): When referring to a specific person and their group (family, friends, or companions), nila is used as part of the marker sila ni (specifically the genitive form nila ni). While the ni is sometimes dropped in very casual conversation, nila ni is the standard grammatical form.
Example: balay nila ni Maria (Maria and her family's house).

4. Object of the Verb or Preposition: In conversational Cebuano, nila often serves as the object of actor-focus verbs or follows prepositions like para. Note that in formal writing, the oblique form kanila is preferred for these roles.

Word Order Note: Nila follows the enclitic rule. Because it has two syllables, it must follow monosyllabic particles like na or pa and monosyllabic pronouns like ko.

Examples (6)

  1. Nindot ang balay nila.

    Their house is beautiful.

    Word by Word: Beautiful the house of-them.

    Here, 'nila' follows the noun 'balay' to show possession ('their').

  2. Gipalit nila ang awto.

    They bought the car.

    Word by Word: Was-bought by-them the car.

    In this patient-focus sentence, 'nila' is the actor performing the action ('by them').

  3. Adto ta sa balay nila ni Maria.

    Let's go to Maria and her family's house.

    Word by Word: Go we to house of-them (personal) Maria.

    When referring to a person and their group, the marker 'nila ni' is used. In very casual speech, the 'ni' is sometimes dropped, but 'nila ni' is the standard form.

  4. Gihatag na nila ang libro.

    They already gave the book.

    Word by Word: Was-given already by-them the book.

    As a two-syllable pronoun, 'nila' follows one-syllable particles like 'na' according to the enclitic order.

  5. Nakakita ko nila sa mall.

    I saw them at the mall.

    Word by Word: Saw I them at-the mall.

    In conversational speech, 'nila' often acts as the object of an actor-focus verb, though 'kanila' is the formal oblique form.

  6. Kini nga mga bulak para nila.

    These flowers are for them.

    Word by Word: This (linker) plural flower for them.

    In modern speech, 'nila' is commonly used after prepositions like 'para', replacing the formal 'kanila'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'sila' as the actor with a 'gi-' verb.

    Gibuhat sila ang trabaho.
    Gibuhat nila ang trabaho.

    When using patient-focus verbs (like those starting with gi-), the actor must be in the genitive case (nila), not the absolutive/subject case (sila).

  • Placing 'nila' before the noun for possession.

    nila balay
    balay nila

    Nila is a post-posed pronoun. If you want to put the possessive pronoun before the noun, you must use 'ilang' (e.g., ilang balay).

How It Connects

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

nilaLevel 1Third-Person Plural Genitive

Learn This First

To understand 'nila', you need to be familiar with the Cebuano pronoun system, specifically how the third-person plural is formed and how the Genitive (n-set) pronouns function as possessors or non-focused actors.

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