a. Past Tense
In Chavacano, the past tense is generally indicated by the particle ya (Spanish for „already‟).
Ya puede sila comprá manga na Cebu.
PTcan 3-PLbuymanggo LOC Cebu 'They could buy mangoes in Cebu.'
Ya usá le escribí el lápiz di mío.
PT use 3-SG write DET pencil 1-POS 'He used my pencil to write.'
Ya dale le conmigo arroz.
Since Chavacano lacks a copula verb, adjective and locative sentences do not take the particle ya to indicate the past tense.
El casa daan y cochinadas.
DET house old and dirty 'The house is/was old and dirty.'
El camino resbaloso y delicado para maga viajero.
DET road slippery and dangerous for PLU traveller.
'The road was slippery and dangerous for travellers. '
El hija di suyo na Zamboanga durante el vacación.
DET daughter 3-POS LOC Zamboanga during DET vacation 'Her daughter was in Zamboanga during the vacation. '
Locative sentences with taquí´to be here´ and tallá ´to be there´, despite having copulas do not take ya to convey the past.
Tallá yo na America cuando ya vené si Carlos.
to be there 1-SIG LOC America when PT come NOM Carlos 'I was in America when Carlos came. '
b. Present Tense
If the verb is not accompanied by any time marker in Chavacano, it usually denotes a present or non-past action. Ta can be used to express the present action but it connotes more of a habitual or progressive action than a plain simple present one.
Andá yo na pueblo todo el día para ta comprá maga comestibles.
go I LOC town everday to PROG buy PLU food.
„I go to town every day to buy groceries.‟
c. Progressive Aspect
Chavacano uses the particle ta (derived from the Spanish estar) to indicate the progressive aspect.
Ta-n historia el bata con el dalaga.
PROG to chat DET child DAT DET maiden 'The child is chatting with the maiden. '
Ta compra el bata candy para el dalaga.
PROG to buy DET child candy for DET maiden.
'The child is buying candy for the maiden. '
d. Habitual Aspect
Chavacano uses ta (the progressive marker) to indicate the habitual action along with the necessary time expressions.
El maestro di mío todo el año ta andá na Manila.
DET teacher-M 1-POS all DET year PROG go LOC Manila.
'My teacher goes to Manila every year. '
Cada vez andá silá na Zamboanga, el familia ta visitá La Fuerza.
Everytime go they LOC Zamboanga, DET family PROG visit The Fort Everytime they go to Zamboanga, the family visits The Fort.
e. Completive Aspect
Chavacano uses ya VERB ya to express the idea that the action is completed.
Ya aprende ya ele chavacano por eso bien facíl ya lang el español.
PT study PT 3-SG chavacano very easy DET Spanish He had learned Chavacano that is why Spanish is very easy (for him) .
Ya subí ya sila na monte cuando ya principiá man ulan.
PT go up PT 3-PL LOC mountain when PT start VERB rain
„They have climbed the mountain when it began to rain.´
Usually, the first ya is omitted if the context is understood.
Leé ya yo este libro por eso puede yo ayudá contigo.
read PT 1-SIG this book can 1-SIG help DAT 2
„I have already read this book so I can help you.‟
f. Future
Chavacano uses hay (archaic hey, el; di among Manila Bay Chavacano dialects) to indicate future, conjuncture or hypothesis. However, the use of the progressive marker ta is more common.
Ta tumbá el bata.
PROG stumble DET child
„The child will stumble.‟
El bata el ta dale comé con el perro.
DET child DET PROG give eat DAT DET dog
„It is the child who will feed the dog.‟
Modals, verb derivations formed by man-, and reciprocal action man-Verb-(j)an do not take any particle to mark the future
Necesitá silá bien manada sen para viajá na Europa.
need they very much money PURPOSIVE to travel LOC Europe
„They will need a lot of money to travel to Europe.‟
Man peleájan el dos bata.
RECIP fight RECIP DET two kid
„Both kids will fight.‟
Man historia kita mañana.
VERB to talk 3-PL tomorrow
„We will talk tomorrow.‟
g. Imperfect Aspect
Imperfect aspect in Chavacano is expressed by pa and the corresponding time markers ta, ya, orhay.
Ta come pa yo.
PROG eat IMPERF 1-SIG
„I am still eating.‟
Ta viví pa kamé na Iligan cuando ya empezá el guerra.
PROG live IMPERF we-excl. LOC Iligan when PT start DET war
„We were still in Iligan when the war started.‟
h. Change in state
In Chavacano, the construction ta…..ya is also used to express a change in state similar to the use of na in Tagalog and Cebuano.
Ta aprendé ya yo Chavacano.
PR study already 1-SIG Chavacano
„I am already studying Chavacano.‟ (before I wasn‟t)
Ta-n ulan ya.
PR to rain already
„It is already raining.‟ (before it wasn‟t)
Chavacano has a relatively easier tense-aspect system than its parent languages. Chavacano also prefers economy of words so that it is no longer necessary to use time markers or particles to indicate time and aspect if there are
time expressions present or if it is obvious from context. Time markers cannot combine to form one meaningful and grammatically correct utterance.
III.B.2 VOICE
Chavacano traditionally on had one voice, the causative. In the past, whenever necessary, the ancient Chavacanos expressed the passive voice using the Spanish language of which they were conversant (Camins, 1999). However, since modern Chavacanos no longer are conversant in Spanish, there have been new structures to express passivity although its use remain relatively limited and most speakers still prefer the causative over passive.
a. Causative
Causative construction is a grammatical construction that increases transitivity by adding a controlling participant to the scene embodied by a verb (Payne, 2006). Causative construction in Chavacano usually involves the use of the verbs mandá, hacé and dale. Chavacano therefore expresses causatives lexically as opposed to most Philippine languages which express it morphologically.
Binasag ni Anthony ang baso.
break-PT-CAUSE NOM Anthony DET glass
„Anthony broke the glass.‟
Gibuak ni Anthony ang baso.
PT-break NOM Anthony DET glass
„Anthony broke the glass.‟
Ya hacé quebrá si Antonio el vaso.
PAT CAUSE breakNOM Antonio DET glass
„Anthony broke the glass.‟
‘Hacé´, ´mandá´, and ´dale´ are the three most common causative verbs in Chavacano representing a wide range of causative meanings. ‘Hacé’, meaning „to make‟ or „to do‟, conveys the idea that someone is made to do something while
‘mandá’ conveys the meaning of being ordered to do something and is more emphatic.‘Dale’ means „to give‟ and conveys the sense of giving someone to do something. The causative pattern in Chavacano is thereby given as:
ta/ya/hay+ hacé/mandá/dale + VERB + (si/el)+ AGENT + con el/un + RECIPIENT +rest of the sentence
Hay dale comé con el mío perro el dalaga.
FUT CAUSE eat DAT DET 1-POS dog DET maiden
„The maiden will feed my dog.‟
The Causative Construction in Chavacano begins with the verb phrase bearing the time markers ta/ya/hay followed by the causative verbs hacé/mandá/dale. It is then followed by the nominative case markers si/el which introduces the next element which is the agent. However, if the agent of the sentences is introduced by a pronoun, they are never used. Following the agent are the definite and indefinite markers with the dative marker con which introduces the recipient and is followed by the remaining parts of the sentence.
Ta hacé llorá el soltero con el dalaga.
PR CAUSE cry DET bachelor DAT DET maiden
„The bachelor makes the maiden cry.‟
Ya hacé guapa el dalaga con el di suyo cuerpo.
PAT CAUSE beautiful DET maiden DAT DET 3-POS 3-REFL
„The maiden beautified herself.‟
The position of the agent and the recipient can be interchanged. However, there is a noticeable change in emphasis:
Ta hacé llorá con el dalaga el soltero.
PR CAUSE cry DAT DET maiden DET bachelor
„The bachelor makes the maiden cry.‟
The meaning of both sentences is essentially the same but the latter emphasizes more on the agent and the former emphasizes the recipient.
‘Mandá’ can also imply „to tell/get someone to do something‟, „to want/require someone to do something‟, „to urge‟, „to order‟, „to permit/allow‟
El maestra ta mandá con el maga estudiante someté el maga proyecto antes el vacación.
DET teacher-FEM PR CAUSE DAT DET PL student submit DET PL projectbefore DET vacation
„The teacher required the students to submit the projects before vacation.‟
Ta mandá ba el nana con el bata despertá temprano?
PR CAUSE INT DET mother DAT DET child wake up early Did the mother urge the child to wake up early?
El gobierno ya mandá pará todo´l ofensiva contra el maga rebelde.
DET government PT CAUSE stop alloffensive against DET PL rebel The government ordered to halt all offensive measures against the rebels.
If there is an indirect object the pattern becomes:
ta/ya/hay+ hacé/mandá/dale + VERB1 + (el/un) + AGENT + con el/un + RECIPIENT + VERB2 + (el/un) + DIRECT OBJECT
Ya mandá yo con ele comé pan.
PT CAUSE 1-S DAT 3-S eat bread
„I asked him to eat bread.‟
Ya mandá yo con ele cortá el arból usando el bolo.
PT CAUSE 1-S DAT 3-S cut DET tree use-GER DET bolo
„I asked him to cut the tree using the bolo.‟
Causativity is also achieved by the use of other causative verbs such as pedí
„to ask‟, fuerza mandá „to force‟, etc.
a. Passive
The passive construction is a grammatical construction that upgrades a recipient to the subject position and either omits or denotes the agent to an oblique role (Payne, 2006). Traditionally Chavacano de Zamboanga did not have a passive structure. Whenever necessary, the Chavacanos of the olden days expressed themselves in the Spanish language of which they were conversant (Camins, 1999)
or just by converting the passive structure into causative. As language evolved, Chavacano developed its own passive structure. The Chavacano of Zamboanga expresses the passive voice using arbitrary null subjects in combination with time markers. The pattern is hereby defined as:
ta/hay/ya VERB con el/un RECIPIENT si/el AGENT
Ya quebrá con el vaso si Antonio.
PT break DAT DET glass NOM Antonio
„The glass was broken by Pedro.‟
Ya matá con el criminal el maga polis.
PT kill DAT DET criminal DET PLU police
„The criminal was killed by the police.‟
The pattern above can only be used if there is an agent. The agent is must never be omitted in such sentences. When the agent is not mentioned, the causative voice is the only construction used:
However, despite having a passive structure, most Chavacano speakers prefer to express themselves only using the causative voice as evident in the questionnaire given to the informants and people interviewed.
III.B.3. MODALITY
Modals in Chavacano include:
a. would is expressed by the particle man
Man vené le si jendeh ya ele ocupado.
She would come if she is not busy anymore.
b. should, must, has to, and ought to are expressed by the verbs necesitá and debé.
Necesitá yo pagá con el propietariomás temprano.
MOD 1-sing pay DAT DET landlord more early I ought to pay the landlord as soon as possible.
c. might, may, and could are expressed by puede Ara, puede ya vos entrá
now-inf. MOD already 2-SIG-inf. enter You may enter now.
III.B.4. NEGATION
a. Negation of Verbs
In Chavacano, verbs that are marked with ya are negated using no hay (lit.
There was none). The marker ya become redundant and thus is omitted.
No hay ele usá escribí el lapiz di mío.
NEG-Past 3-SG use write DET pencil 1-POS He didn‟t use my pencil to write.
No hay ele dale conmigo arroz.
NEG-Past 3-SG give 1-DAT rice He didn‟t give me rice.
No hay ele mirá el aeropuerto.
NEG-Past 3-SG see DET airport She didn‟t see the airport.
Notice that the subject/agent of the sentence is place between the verb and no hay.
In the affirmative structure, agents/subject follow the verb:
Ya mirá le el aeropuerto.
PT see 3-SG DET airport She saw the airport.
Verbs that are marked with ta and hay are negated by jendeh. However, unlike ya, ta and hay must never be omitted.
Cada vez andá silá na Zamboanga, jendeh sila ta visitá La Fuerza.
Everytime go they LOC Zamboanga, Neg-PR 3PL DET family PROG visit The Fort
Everytime they go to Zamboanga, they don‟t visit The Fort.
Jendeh ta comprá el bata candy para el dalaga.
Neg-PR PROG to buy DET child candy for DET maiden.
The child is not buying candy for the maiden.
Ya hablá le jendeh ele hay vené mientras tanto tiene guerra.
PT speak 3SG NEG-FUT 3SIG FUT come while there is war She said she is not coming while there is war.
b. Jendeh
Jendeh is used to negative adjectives and also negates sentences that are normally rendered with copula verb which absent in Chavacano.
El camino jendeh malandúg.
DET road NEG slippery The road is not slippery.
Jendeh abogáo el tata di Juan.
NEG lawyer DET father POS Juan Juan‟s father is not a lawyer.
Jendeh ya estudiante si Pedro.
NEG already student NOM Pedro Pedro is no longer a student.
Jendeh yo doctor.
NEG 1-SIG doctor I am not a doctor.
c. No hay
No hay does not only negate past action but also existential structures and the locative copulas taquí, tallí, and tallá
Taquí si María.
to be here NOM María Maria is/was here.
No hay si María aquí.
NEG NOM Maria here Maria is/was not here.
In this situation we notice some etymological irregularity. The copulas taquí and tallá are contracted forms of the Spanish está aquí ,está allí and está allá. When negating the two negative copulas, the inherent t- is removed and aquí, allí, and allá are placed at the end of the utterance although at times may already be omitted when clear from context.
The Existence Copula tiene „to have‟, mucho „to have much‟
Tiene yo sen para viajar na Europa.
to have 1-SIG money in order to travel LOC Europe I have money to travel to Europe.
No hay yo sen para viajar na Europa.
NEG 1-SIG money in order to travel LOC Europe I don‟t have money to travel to Europe.
d. No
Of Spanish origin, no is used to negative imperative sentences, verbs not marked with time markers as well as modals which do not have time markers.
No vos andá na casa di Abdul!
NEG-IMP 2-SG-inf go LOC house POS Abdul Don‟t go to Abdul‟s house!
No quiere yo andá na Basilan.
NEG MOD-want 1-SIG go LOC Basilan I don‟t want to go to Basilan.
No sabé si tiene ele sen para viajá.
NEG know COND have 3-SG money in order to travel.
I don‟t know if he has money to travel.
No puede kitá entrá na clase no hay saludá con el maestra.
NEG MOD-can 1-PL-incl. enter LOC class without greet LOC-DET teacher-FEM
We cannot enter the class without greeting the teacher.
e. No mas
No mas, sometimes just shortened to nomá colloquially, is used to mean an imperative or suggestive negation on something that one is no longer required to do. It is similar to Tagalog huwag na and Cebuano ayaw na. It is usually accompanied by ya
No mas ya vos andá kay ta anochecé ya.
NEG already 2SG-inf. go because PROG to get dark already Don‟t go out anymore because it‟s getting late.
f. Double Negation
Chavacano, being of Spanish superstrate possesses double negative construction of the negative concord. In double negation, indefinite subjects and verb phrases are to be negated with the subject.
No hay nada aquí.
There is nothing here.
No andá ninguno na Basilan durante el encuentro.
Nobody went to Basilan during the conflict.
III.B.5. COPULA
a. Chavacano does not have a copula verb as in English to be. For predicative sentences, it is usually expressed as Topic-comment
El camino malandúg.
DET road slippery
The road is slippery. (road=topic, slippery=comment)
However, if the comment includes a noun or a noun phrase, the structure become comment-topic. The noun or noun phrase comes first and the rest to the sentence last.
Abogáo el tata di Juan.
lawyer DET father POS Juan
Juan‟s father is a lawyer. (lawyer=comment, Juan‟s father=topic)
Estudiante si Pedro.
student NOM Pedro
Pedro is a student. (estudiante=comment, si Pedro=topic)
Doctor yo.
doctor1-SIG
I am a doctor. (doctor=comment, yo=topic)
b. Locative copulas include taquí „to be here‟, tallá „to be there over there Maria is here with Juan and Pedro.
Tallá na Zamboanga el entero familia.
to be there LOC Zamboanga DET entire family The entire family is there in Zamboanga.
Tallí ba vos na escuela ahora?
Are you in school right now?
c. Ser and Estar
In Chavacano, the third person present conjugated form of the Spanish verbs ser and estar occasionally appear. In Chavacano, está means „to stay‟. Both copulas are in common use in the written language as well as on formal speech.
However, it occasionally is used even in informal speech by many speakers. There is no rule on which situation the use of ser and estar should be used.
El camino es resbaloso.
Where are you? (cf. Ónde usted?)
Está aquí si María.
COP here NOM Maria
Maria is here. (cf. taquí si María.)
Among older texts, Spanish conjugation is applied to both verbs. However, nowadays only es and esta as well as estaba are used. Estaba is used as the English
“was” to convey a state in the past.
Estaba gayot el ulan duro duro.
COP INT DET rain hard hard It was raining very hard.