Past & Present Actions in Siargaonon
8 words and phrases, recorded by a native speaker of Siargaonon (Surigaonon), the language of Siargao Island in the Philippines. Part of Grammar & Mastery.
| Siargaonon | English | Notes on usage |
|---|---|---|
| Kagan-o sila nangaon? | When did they eat? | Past tense, plural subject |
| Kagan-o man kaw nu abot? | When did you arrive? | Past tense question |
| Kagan-o man kaw natawo? | When were you born? | |
| Kagan-o man kaw tag-anak? | When is your birth date? | Alternative form |
| Naghuya ako sa | I am staying at | Expressing current residence |
| Jari ako sa bayay | I am here at the house | |
| Jadto sija sa iskuylahan | He is there at school | |
| Jaon sija sa bayay | He is in the house |
Hearing it spoken
Written Siargaonon can only take you so far — the sounds are what give a speaker away. Two rules matter more than any other: the letter J is always hard, as in the English "jump" (never softened to a "y"), and many words that use an L in neighbouring languages use a Y here — ulo becomes uyo, balay becomes bayay. The pronunciation guide covers both in detail.
Every phrase on this page can be heard aloud, drilled with flashcards and quizzes, and scheduled for review in the free app.
Two Different Words for When
This is the page's most useful lesson, and English gives no hint of it.
Kagan-o man kaw natawo? asks when you were born. Kagan-o sila nangaon? asks when they ate. Kagan-o man kaw nu abot? asks when you arrived. Every one of them looks backwards, and every one uses kagan-o.
For something still to come, the word changes. Kun-o is the one you want — as in when will you leave. English uses when for both and lets the verb carry the timing. Siargaonon puts it in the question word itself, so you have to choose before you have finished asking.
The Prefix Is the Tense
Look at the verbs in those questions: natawo, nangaon, nu abot, tag-anak. Four different prefixes, all pointing at something already done.
The root sits underneath unchanged, and the prefix does the work. This is why learning roots is worth more than learning conjugations — one root plus the prefix set gives you the whole timeline, and the grammar page lists them.
Saying Where You Live
Naghuya ako sa is I am staying at, and you finish it with a place. The nag- marks an ongoing state rather than a one-off action, which is exactly right for where you are living at the moment.
Beside it sit Jari ako sa bayay, Jaon sija sa bayay and Jadto sija sa iskuylahan — the three-way here, there and over there explained on the location words page.
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Is a word missing, or is something here wrong? This record is incomplete by definition — a living language is bigger than any one speaker. Tell us and it will be reviewed and added.