# sunog



## Qcumber

I puzzled by the verb *sumúnog* "to burn, to arson". In its many occurrences on the web, I noticed some use *ng* [nang] and others use *sa* before the object.

1) *Sumúnog siyá ng báhay nilá.*
= He burnt their house.

2) *Sumúnog siyá sa báhay nilá.*
= He burnt their house.

Is there a difference?


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## epistolario

Qcumber said:


> I puzzled by the verb *sumúnog* "to burn, to arson". In its many occurrences on the web, I noticed some use *ng* [nang] and others use *sa* before the object.
> 
> 1) *Sumúnog siyá ng báhay nilá.*
> = He burnt their house.
> 
> 2) *Sumúnog siyá sa báhay nilá.*
> = He burnt their house.
> 
> Is there a difference?


 
I'm not sure if 1 & 2 are correct. But we would say: 

1. Sinunog niya ang bahay nila. (emphasis is on the act of burning) 

2. Siya ang sumunog sa bahay nila. (emphasis is on the one who burned)


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## Qcumber

ffrancis said:


> I'm not sure if 1 & 2 are correct. But we would say: 1. Sinunog niya ang bahay nila. (emphasis is on the act of burning)
> 2. Siya ang sumunog sa bahay nila. (emphasis is on the one who burned)


Sure, but sentences in which _sumúnog_ is followed by now a _ng [nang]_ phrase, now a _sa_ phrase are plenty. If you launch a Google search for "sumunog", you'll see both structures are common. I took down a full page of them. Unfortunately, the copy and paste functions are disabled in this forum, so I can't show them here.


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## Cracker Jack

Qcumber said:


> Sure, but sentences in which _sumúnog_ is followed by now a _ng [nang]_ phrase, now a _sa_ phrase are plenty. If you launch a Google search for "sumunog", you'll see both structures are common. I took down a full page of them. Unfortunately, the copy and paste functions are disabled in this forum, so I can't show them here.


 
Even if it appears in Google, sumunog is not the way it is expressed.  Yes, you will be understood if you say, siya ay sumunog ng bahay.  However, it is very awkward to use it in conversations.  I concur with what ffrancis say.


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## Qcumber

Cracker Jack said:


> Even if it appears in Google, sumunog is not the way it is expressed. Yes, you will be understood if you say, siya ay sumunog ng bahay. However, it is very awkward to use it in conversations. I concur with what ffrancis say.


The point is that if you use the _sunúgin _verbal forms, you can't see what the reference construction is.


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