Cebuano word: “sayó”
(sa-YÓ – rising stress on the second syllable)
1. Part of speech, meaning, and example sentences
- Part of speech: adverb of time
- Meaning:early / earlier than usual — describes an action done before the expected or regular time.
- Synonyms: agsayo (older spelling, more formal), sa iyo (Mindanao variant), una pa (“ahead of time”).
Example sentences
- Molarga ta sayó ugma aron malikayan ang traffic. – “We will leave early tomorrow to avoid the traffic.”
- Na-human niya ang report sayó kagabii. – “She finished the report early last night.”
- Mga bata pa, matulog sila sayó kada gabii. – “When they were children, they went to bed early every night.”
2. Points to keep in mind (time-related vocabulary)
- Specificity: sayó pairs naturally with parts of the day (sayó sa buntag – “early in the morning”).
- Comparison marker: Combine with kay for contrasts: Mas sayó ko ni-mata kay nimo.
- Negation: dili sayó means “not early,” while ulahi means “late.”
- Fixed dates: For events on certain weekdays, use sayó with the day: sayó sa Lunes buntag.
- Aspect harmony: Perfective verbs (na-, mi-) often accompany sayó to show completion ahead of time.
3. Common collocations
- sayó sa buntag – early in the morning
- sayó pa kaayo – very early
- sayó nga + verb – early-doing action (e.g., sayó nga mi-mata)
- mas sayó – earlier / much earlier
- sayó pa lang – still early
4. Typical position in a sentence
- After the subject (neutral): Si Ana sayó mi-mata.
- Just before the verb (colloquial): Mi-mata sayó si Ana.
- Sentence-final (contrast): Mi-mata si Ana sayó.
5. Five handy conversational phrases
- Sayó ta mag-kita ugma, ha? – “Let’s meet early tomorrow, okay?”
- Pasensya, na-abot ko dili sayó. – “Sorry, I didn’t arrive early.”
- Ganahan ko mo-trabaho kung sayó pa ang adlaw. – “I like to work when the day is still early.”
- Mas sayó nimo humanon para walay hasol. – “Finish it earlier so there’s no hassle.”
- Sayó pa kaayo; pwede pa ta mokaon ug breakfast. – “It’s still very early; we can still eat breakfast.”
6. Five short dialogue exchanges (Cebuano → English)
- A: Nailhan ka ba nga sayó motindog?
B: Oo, alas-cinco pa lang sayó na ko nga nag-mata.
– “A: Are you known for waking up early? B: Yes, as early as five o’clock I’m already up.” - A: Sayó ka ba ni-abot sa opisina karon?
B: Oo, sayó ko ni-sulod aron mahuman ang tasks.
– “A: Did you arrive early at the office today? B: Yes, I came early to finish the tasks.” - A: Ngano man nga sayó ka ning hawa?
B: Naay appointment ko sayó sa hospital.
– “A: Why did you leave early? B: I have an early appointment at the hospital.” - A: Sayó pa kaayo para mag-dula, no?
B: Dili, nindot mag-dula sayó aron dili init.
– “A: Isn’t it too early to play? B: No, it’s nice to play early so it’s not hot.” - A: Kanus-a ka makabalik?
B: Tingali sayó ra ko makahuman, mga alas-diyes.
– “A: When will you be back? B: I might finish early, around ten.”
7. Multiple-choice dialogue questions
(Exactly one option per set is correct; the correct letter changes each time. All choices contain sayó.)
Q1. Unsa’y imong buhaton sayó sa buntag?
A. Sayó sa buntag mag-jogging ko.
B. Mag-jogging sayó ko sa buntag.
C. Sa buntag mag-jogging ko sayó.
Q2. Sayó ba siya mo-mata kada adlaw?
A. Siya mo-mata sayó kada adlaw.
B. Mo-mata siya sayó kada adlaw.
C. Kada adlaw sayó siya mo-mata.
Q3. Asa ka sayó mo-adto ugma?
A. Sayó mo-adto ko ugma sa merkado.
B. Mo-adto ko sayó ugma sa merkado.
C. Sa merkado ugma sayó ko mo-adto.
Q4. Giunsa nimo pag-human sayó sa project?
A. Sayó ko gi-human ang project kagabii.
B. Gi-human ko sayó kagabii ang project.
C. Kagabii sayó gi-human ko ang project.
Q5. Ganahan ba ka mo-kaon sayó sa gabi-i?
A. Sayó ganahan ko mo-kaon sa gabi-i.
B. Ganahan ko mo-kaon sayó sa gabi-i.
C. Sa gabi-i mo-kaon ko ganahan sayó.
Answer key and simple explanations
- Q1 → A – Adverbial time phrase first (sayó sa buntag), then verb + subject; others break natural flow.
- Q2 → B – Verb (mo-mata) + subject + adverb + frequency phrase is smooth; A/C misplace adverb or subject.
- Q3 → B – Verb + subject + adverb + day + place keeps clarity; alternatives scramble order.
- Q4 → A – Adverb before verb + actor + object + time phrase fits storytelling; B/C split actor-verb.
- Q5 → B – Predicate ganahan + subject + infinitive + adverb + time phrase is natural; others awkward.
