Cebuano Personal Pronouns: A Quick Intro + Key Differences.

Personal pronouns are words like I, you, he, she — words that stand for people. In Cebuano, there are four special things to know:

1. Long vs. short forms
   Some pronouns have a long form and a short form, like ako / ko.

• At the start of a sentence, use the long form: Ako si Sven.

• After the verb (in the middle of the sentence), use the short form: Moadto ko sa merkado.

2. He and she are the same
   Cebuano uses siya for both he and she.

3. No “it”
   Cebuano has no personal pronoun like English it. People usually use the noun or rely on context.

4. Two kinds of “we” in Cebuano

Cebuano is very precise when it comes to “we”. It always shows whether the listener is included or not.

• • kita = we (inclusive)
    This includes the person you are talking to.
    It means “you and I” or “all of us together.”

    Example:
    Moadto kita sa merkado.
    You and I will go to the market.

  • kami = we (exclusive)
    This does not include the person you are talking to.
    It means “we, but not you.”

    Example:
    Moadto kami sa merkado.
    We will go to the market (but not you).

English uses only one word, we, but Cebuano always makes this difference clear.

Take, care. Kita ta!