kadi

Asking a Yes-or-No Question

Level 1

Dakkel ti balay. becomes Dakkel kadi ti balay?, “Is the house big?”

How It Works

Constantino places kadi after the center of the first clause constituent. In an adjective-first question it follows the adjective; in a presence question it can follow adda. It does not require English auxiliary inversion.

Medina/Pawley also documents the sequence verb + short subject pronoun + kadi. With modern attachment, this gives frames such as mapankayo kadi. Consequently, kadi is not invariably the second written word. The pronoun's role and position remain part of the construction.

Compare Adda kadi libro ditoy?, “Is there a book here?”, with Ania ti adda ditoy?, “What is here?” One asks whether; the other asks what. A separate tag frame places saan kadi after a statement and a pause. The references also document intonation questions, so kadi is not obligatory in every question. It has no person or number agreement.

Examples (3)

  1. Nangina kadi ti asin?

    Is the salt expensive?

    Kadi follows the early adjective predicate.

  2. Mapankayo kadi idiay eskwela?

    Are you going to school?

    Kayo precedes kadi and can address a group or one person respectfully.

  3. Dakkel ti balay, saan kadi?

    The house is big, isn't it?

    The tag follows a pause.

How It Connects

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

kadiLevel 1Asking a Yes-or-No Question

Learn This First

Put kadi early in a clause to ask whether its claim is true.