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.

SiargaononEnglishNotes 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 saI am staying atExpressing current residence
Jari ako sa bayayI am here at the house
Jadto sija sa iskuylahanHe is there at school
Jaon sija sa bayayHe 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.

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