Negation

'Dili' negates present states, future actions, adjectives, and nouns — things that are not yet done or that are untrue in general. 'Dili ko mokaon' (I will not eat), 'Dili maayo' (Not good). 'Wala' negates completed past actions and existence/possession — things that did not happen or that are absent. 'Wala ko kakaon' (I didn't eat), 'Wala siya diri' (She is not here). The rule: dili for future/state, wala for past/absence.

Use 'Wala' + clitic pronoun + 'y' + noun. 'Wala koy kwarta' (I don't have money), 'Wala koy oras' (I don't have time), 'Wala siyay trabaho' (He/she doesn't have a job). The 'y' is a linker that joins the pronoun to the noun. This construction is extremely common and one of the most practical patterns to memorize. Notice: 'koy' = ko + y, 'niyay' = niya + y.

'Ayaw' is used exclusively for negative commands — telling someone NOT to do something. 'Ayaw kaon!' (Don't eat!), 'Ayaw kalimot!' (Don't forget!), 'Ayaw hilak' (Don't cry). It takes the verb root (not the full verb form). Adding 'ug' before a noun: 'Ayaw ug lakaw dinha' (Don't walk there). 'Ayaw' is always a command and cannot be used to negate statements about the past or present — that's what 'wala' and 'dili' are for.

Use 'dili' before the noun: 'Dili ko estudyante' (I am not a student). This is because identity statements — saying what someone is or isn't — use 'dili.' Similarly: 'Dili ko Pilipino' (I am not Filipino), 'Dili ko ang imong amigo' (I am not your friend). Notice: no verb needed — just 'dili + pronoun + noun/adjective'.

In some contexts speakers use them loosely, but there is a clear rule: 'wala' is for completed actions and existence ('didn't happen,' 'isn't there'), while 'dili' is for identity, state, and future ('is not,' 'will not'). Saying 'Dili ko miadto' (I didn't go) uses 'dili' with a completed-aspect verb — this sounds unnatural; 'Wala ko miadto' is correct. For learners, sticking to the rule prevents common errors.