kanus-a

When

Level 1

Kanus-a is the primary way to ask 'When?' in Cebuano. It usually appears at the very beginning of a sentence.

How It Works

In Cebuano, kanus-a serves as the interrogative adverb of time. Unlike English, where 'when' can be a question or a connector, kanus-a is strictly for asking questions.

1. Sentence Position
Cebuano follows a predicate-first structure. Therefore, kanus-a almost always starts the sentence. Placing it at the end is considered unnatural.

2. Timeframes
Technically, kanus-a was originally the 'factual' form (past/present), while anus-a was the 'non-factual' form (future). However, in contemporary speech, kanus-a has become the universal default. You will hear it used with both started aspect (past) and not started aspect (future) verbs.

3. Common Enclitics
To sound like a native speaker, kanus-a is frequently followed by second-position particles:

  • Kanus-a man...: The most common way to ask, where 'man' softens the question.
  • Kanus-a pa...: Used to ask 'When still?' or 'How much longer?'
  • Kanus-a kaha...: Used to express 'I wonder when...'

Examples (4)

  1. Kanus-a ang imong adlawng natawhan?

    When is your birthday?

    Word by Word: When the your day-of birth?

    A standard way to ask for a date. Note that 'ang' marks the subject of the question.

  2. Kanus-a man ka niabot gikan sa Sugbo?

    When did you arrive from Cebu?

    Word by Word: When [particle] you arrived from Cebu?

    Uses the started aspect verb 'niabot' to ask about a past event.

  3. Kanus-a magsugod ang klase?

    When will the class start?

    Word by Word: When will-start the class?

    Uses the not-started aspect 'mag-' to ask about a future event.

  4. Kanus-a kaha siya mobisita kanato?

    I wonder when he/she will visit us?

    Word by Word: When I-wonder he/she will-visit to-us?

    The particle 'kaha' adds the nuance of 'I wonder' or uncertainty.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding 'sa' before kanus-a.

    Sa kanus-a ang party?
    Kanus-a ang party?

    Learners often try to translate 'At what time' or 'On when' literally. In Cebuano, the interrogative stands alone without a preposition.

  • Placing kanus-a at the end of the sentence.

    Different MeaningAng kasal kanus-a?
    Kanus-a ang kasal?

    'Ang kasal kanus-a?' is understood and heard, with the question word stressed. The neutral, most common order puts the question word first: 'Kanus-a ang kasal?'.

How It Connects

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kanus-aLevel 1When

Learn This First

To use 'kanus-a' (when), you need to understand how Cebuano forms simple non-verbal sentences using the zero-copula structure and how to mark the subject of the question with 'ang'.

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kanus-a