Learn Cebuano 1
1. General everyday expressions
a)
| Kumusta (man ka)? | How are you? |
| Maayo man. | I'm fine. |
| Salamat (kaayo). | Thank you (very much). |
| Balik-balik./Walay (=way) sapayan. | You're welcome. |
| Paagi-a ko./ Tabi. | Excuse me. |
| Pasayloa ko. | I am sorry. |
| Okey ra./Way problema. | That's ok./ It doesn't matter. |
| Oo. | Yes. |
| Dili. | No. |
| Kadiyot lang. | Just a moment. |
| Wa ko kahibaw. | I don't know. |
| Wa ko kasabot. | I don't understand. |
| Maayong buntag. | Good morning. |
| Maayong udto. | Good day. |
| Maayong hapon. | Good afternoon. |
| Maayong gabi-i. | Good evening. |
| Maayong gabi-i. | Good night. |
| Nalipay ko nga nagkaila ta. | Nice to meet you. |
| Magkita ta ugma. | See you tomorrow. |
| Babay. | Good-bye. |
b)
| Dali diri! | Come here! |
| Tan-awa! | Look! |
| Paminaw! | Listen! |
| Huwat!/Hulat! | Wait! |
| Hunong! | Stop! |
| Para. | Stop! (to a taxi driver etc.) |
| Tabang! | Help! |
| Pagdali! | Hurry! |
| Hilom, palihug. | Quiet, please. |
| Tana! | Let's go! |
Photo by Philipp Rault.
Usa sa tulo ka Lapu-lapu monumento sa Lapu-lapu City sa probinsiya sa Cebu.Gipatay ni Chief Lapu-lapu ang Portuguese explorer Magellan sa 1521. /
One of the three Lapu-Lapu monuments in Lapu-Lapu City in the province of Cebu. Chief Lapu-Lapu defeated the Portuguese explorer Magellan in 1521.
2. Personal pronouns
| Nominative | Objective | Possessive | |||
| ako | I | nako | me | ako | my |
| ikaw | you | nimo | you | imo | your |
| siya | he | niya | him | iya | his |
| siya | she | niya | her | iya | her |
| kita | we (you and I) | nato | us | ato | our |
| kami | we (they and I; excluding the addressee) | namo | us | amo | our |
| kamo | you (plural) | ninyo | you | inyo | your |
| sila | they | nila | them | ila | their |
Examples:
He knows you. -> Kaila siya nimo.
We like them. -> Ganahan mi nila.
I am from the Philippines. -> Taga Pilipinas ko.
They can't find your home. -> Di sila katultol sa imong balay.
Note that if the personal pronoun follows the verb (or any other part of the sentence, as in 'Taga Pilipinas ko'), the personal pronoun can have a shorter form than when it precedes the verb. This applies to ako (-> ko), ikaw (-> ka), kami (-> mi), kita (-> ta), and kamo (-> mo).
Photo by Eduard Stirnimann.
Ang sa tiil sa usa ka misteryosong Chocolate Hills./ At the foot of one of the mysterious Chocolate Hills.
3. Expressions of time
a) days of the week
| Lunes | Monday |
| Martes | Tuesday |
| Myerkoles | Wednesday |
| Hwebes | Thursday |
| Byernes | Friday |
| Sabado |
Saturday |
| Dominggo | Sunday |
on Monday, on Tuesday... -> sa Lunes, sa Martes etc.
next Monday, next Tuesday... -> sunod Lunes, sunod Martes etc.
last Monday, last Tuesday... -> niaging Lunes, niaging Martes etc.
b) months
| Enero | January |
| Pebrero | February |
| Marso | March |
| Abril | April |
| Mayo | May |
| Hunyo | June |
| Hulyo | July |
| Agosto | August |
| Setyembre | September |
| Oktubre | October |
| Nobyembre | November |
| Disyembre | December |
in January, February ... -> sa Enero, sa Pebrero etc.
next January, next February... -> sunod Enero, sunod Pebrero etc.
last January, last February... -> niaging Enero, niaging Pebrero etc.
Photo by Jeroen Hellingman.
Ang karaang Espanyol watchtower duol sa Loay, Bohol./ An old Spanish watchtower near Loay, Bohol.
c) clock
| Unsang orasa? | What time is it? |
| Ala una (sa hapon). | It is one (p.m.). |
| Alas dose (sa udto). | It is twelve (p.m.). |
| Alas siete (sa gabi-i). | It is seven (p.m.). |
| Alas dose (sa gabi-i). | It is twelve (a.m.). |
| Alas otso (sa buntag). | It is eight (a.m.). |
| Alas nuybe i medya (sa buntag.) | It is 9.30 (a.m.). |
| Alas dies kinse (sa buntag). | It is 10.15 (a.m.). |
| Alas dos kwarenta-i-singko (sa hapon). | It is 2.45 (p.m.) |
| Alas kwatro baynte (sa hapon). | It is 4.20 (p.m.) |
| human sa baynte minutos | after 20 minutes |
| ensakto alas onse | at 11 o'clock sharp |
Photo courtesy of DOT, Philippines
Cebu ang sikat nga mangbuhat ug gitara./ Cebu is known for its guitar-making industry.
d) some other expressions of time
| karon | today; now |
| ugma | tomorrow |
| gahapon | yesterday |
| lima ka adlaw ang nilabay | five days ago |
| human sa tulo ka semana | after three weeks |
| karon dayon | right now |
| sunod | soon |
| sa buntag | in the morning |
| sa hapon | in the afternoon |
| sa gabi-i | in the evening; in the night |
4. Numerals
a) cardinal numbers
| usa, uno | 1 |
| duha, dos | 2 |
| tulo, tres | 3 |
| upat, kwatro | 4 |
| lima, singko | 5 |
| unom, says | 6 |
| pito, syete | 7 |
| walo, otso | 8 |
| siyam, nuebe | 9 |
| napulo, dies | 10 |
| onse | 11 |
| dose | 12 |
| trese | 13 |
| katorse | 14 |
| kinse | 15 |
| disisays | 16 |
| disisyete | 17 |
| disi-otso | 18 |
| disinuybe | 19 |
| baynte | 20 |
| baynte-uno | 21 |
| baynte-dos | 22 |
| traynta, kwarenta, singkwenta, saysenta, setenta, otsenta, nubenta | 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 |
| traynta-i-tres | 33 |
| singkwenta-i-otso | 58 |
| gatos | 100 |
| libo (mil), milyon, bilyon |
thousand, million, billion |
Examples:
Duha ka tasa kapi, palihug. (= Two cups of coffee, please.)
Traynta ka estudyantes sa klase. (= There were thirty students in the classroom.)
Note 1: a linker word ka is placed between the numeral and the following noun.
Note 2: makausa, nakausa once
makaduha, nakaduha twice
makatulo, nakatulo three times, etc.
Photo by T. Taksdal
Ang gamay baranggay sa southern Bohol./ A small village in southern Bohol.
b) ordinal numbers
| una | first |
| ika-duha | second |
| ika-tulo | third |
| ika-upat | fourth |
| ika-lima | fifth |
| ika-unom | sixth |
| ika-pito | seventh |
| ika-walo | eighth |
| ika-siyam | ninth |
| ika-napulo | tenth |
The same pattern applies to the rest of the numbers.
N.B. in dates:
August 4th = Agosto kwatro (or: August four)
(NOT: Agosto upat)
October 25th = Oktubre baynte-singko (or: October twenty-five)
in years:
2004 = two thousand and four (the English form is widely used)
also: dos mil kwatro (rarer)
1975 = nineteen seventy-five
etc.
Photo by T. Taksdal
Ang San Juanico bridge nga nagsumpay sa isla sa Samar ug Leyte, gitawag nga kinanindotan nga taytayan sa southeast Asia./
The San Juanico Bridge, which connects the islands of Samar and Leyte, has been called the most beautiful bridge in southeast Asia.
5. Interrogative pronouns
| unsa | what |
| kinsa | who |
| kanus-a | when |
| unsa-on | how |
| ngano | why |
| asa, hain | where |
Examples:
What is your name? -> Unsa imong ngalan?
When are you coming? -> Kanus-a man ka moari?
Why are they here? -> Ngano nga naa sila diri?
Where is our hotel? -> Asa atong hotel?