Cebuano Grammar - Interrogatives

Interrogatives

• Unsa? What?
• Asa? Where? (for a place or person)
• Diin?, Dis-a? Where?
• Hain?, Saa/Asa? Where? (for an object)
• Kinsa? Who?
• Ngano? Why?
• Kang'kinsa? To whom?
• Giunsa? How? (past)
• Unsaon? How? (future)
• Kanus-a? When?
• Pila ka buok?, Pila? How many?
• Tagpila? How much?
• Diay ba? Really?

The word asa and hain:

Asa and hain—both mean where—have distinct uses in formal Cebuano usage.

Asa is used when asking about a place.

• Asa ka padulong? (Where are you going?)
• Asa ta molarga? (Where are we traveling to?)

Hain is used when asking about a food or thing.

• Hain na ang gunting? (Where is the pair of scissors?)
• Hain na ang pagkaon sa piyasta/pista? (Where is the food for the festival)

In spoken Cebuano, however, asa is commonly used to replace hain. You rarely hear hain being used, except by older generations of Cebuano-speakers.