inig-

When in the Future

Level 4

Use inig- to describe an action that will happen 'when' or 'as soon as' a future event occurs. It is the standard way to set a time frame for things that haven't happened yet.

How It Works

The prefix inig- is a combination of the temporal marker in- and the future/potential marker ig-. It functions as a subordinating conjunction that transforms a verb into a time-setting phrase.

Key Rules for Usage:

Root and Stative Forms: Attach inig- directly to the verb root. While it does not use focus markers like mo-, it very frequently combines with the stative prefix ka- (e.g., inigkahuman, inigkaugma) to indicate the point at which a state is reached.
Hyphenation: A hyphen is required if the verb root starts with a vowel (e.g., inig-abot) to indicate a glottal stop. If the root starts with a consonant, no hyphen is used (e.g., inigpalit).
Genitive Actor: In an inig- clause, the person performing the action is usually in the genitive case (nako, nimo, niya, etc.) rather than the nominative (ako, ka, siya).
Future Focus: This pattern is only for events that are expected or planned. For past events, use sa dihang or pag- temporal.

Examples (5)

Inig-abot ni Papa, mangaon na ta.
When Dad arrives, we will eat.
Word by Word: When-arrive [personal marker] Papa, eat already we.
The arrival hasn't happened yet; it is an anticipated future event that triggers the main action (eating).
Tawgi ko inigkahuman nimo og trabaho.
Call me when you are finished with work.
Word by Word: Call me when-state-of-finish you [object marker] work.
This uses the common 'inigka-' variant, where 'ka-' indicates the completion of a state.
Inigpalit nimo sa bugas, ayaw kalimot sa sukli.
When you buy the rice, don't forget the change.
Word by Word: When-buy you [marker] rice, do-not forget [marker] change.
This sets a condition for a future instruction.
Inig-uli nako, matulog dayon ko.
When I get home, I will sleep right away.
Word by Word: When-return-home I, sleep right-away I.
The speaker uses 'nako' (genitive) inside the temporal clause and 'ko' (nominative) for the main action.
Inigkaugma, molakaw na mi.
When tomorrow comes, we will leave.
Word by Word: When-become-tomorrow, go already we.
The 'ka-' prefix is often used with time words like 'ugma' (tomorrow) to mean 'when it becomes' that time.

Common Mistakes

Using inig- for past events.
Inig-abot nako gahapon, nikaon ko.
Pag-abot nako gahapon, nikaon ko.
Inig- is strictly for the future. For 'when' in the past, use pag- or sa dihang.
Double conjugation (adding inig- to a focused verb).
Inig-moabot siya, sultihi ko.
Inig-abot niya, sultihi ko.
Inig- replaces the focus marker. You should attach it to the root 'abot', not the conjugated form 'moabot'. Additionally, the actor must be in the genitive form (niya) rather than the focused form (siya).

How It Connects

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inig-Level 4When in the Future

Learn This First

The 'inig-' prefix is used to indicate a specific point in time when a future event occurs (e.g., 'when you arrive'). To use it correctly, learners need to understand how Cebuano handles future/not-started aspect and how temporal clauses function compared to general conditional 'if/when' statements.

Words in This Pattern