The conditional marker mohon

The conditional mohon serves as a marker indicating that the proposed condition is more favorable than the current one.

Example 1:

Juan:                Un chuli’i yo’ Pepsi? Coke mohon.
                           You got me a Pepsi? It should’ve been Coke.

Example 2:

Maria:              Mana’i si Tito ni scholarship. Guahu mohon.
                          Tito was given the scholarship. It should’ve been me.

Mohon is also used to indicate hypothetical situations or situations that are now too late for their condition and their result to exist.

Examples:

Chumochochu yo’ mohon yanggen mamahan hao nengkanno’.
I’d be eating if you had bought food.

Mafatto yo’ mohon Guam yanggen ti pumakyu.
I’d be arriving in Guam, if it didn’t storm.

Humugando yo’ mohon, lao gof malangu yo’.
I would’ve played, but I’m very sick.

Masisinek yo’ mohon yanggen guaha påpet kommon.
I would be taking a dump right now if there was toilet paper.

With yanggen

Because it is a conditional marker mohon is often used in conjunction with yanggen in the expression yanggen mohon.

Examples:

Yanggen mohon humanao hao para i tenda, esta mama’titinas yo’ titiyas.
If you had gone to the store, I would be making titiyas right now.

Yanggen mohon hu tungo’ na gaige hao gi espitat, bai hu bisita hao.
If I had known you were in the hospital, I would’ve visited you.

With Question Words

When used in a question, mohon acts as a marker requesting an opinion. Again, mohon suggests a preferred alternative, so when used with questions, we are asking what (or who, where, etc.)  someone would do.

Manu mohon na manggaigi?
Where do you think they are?

Ngai’an mohon na ta fanali’i?
When do you think we all should meet?

Håyi mohon manggana gi ileksion?
Who do you think won in the election?

When used in conjunction with who, what, when, where, why and how questions, mohon usually follows the question word.

Other related expressions

Other expressions commonly used with mohon:

Ohala mohon…

In rapid speech ohala is often pronounced as “ola”. It is used to say that we wish something would happen.

Examples:

Ohala mohon uchan.               I wish it would rain. Or If only it would rain.