Cebuano Word Focus: kay
1 Part of Speech, Meaning, and Example Sentences
- Part of speech: Conjunction (causal)
- Core meaning: “because / since” – introduces the reason for something.
Example sentences
- Dili ko mouban kay gikapoy ko. – “I will not come because I am tired.”
- Nianhi siya sayo kay adunay miting. – “He arrived early because he had a meeting.”
- Mag-uwan tingali kay dagom ang langit. – “It might rain because the sky is cloudy.”
2 Points to Keep in Mind When Learning Conjunctions like kay
- Clause order: The main clause normally comes first (… kay [reason]). Placing the kay-clause first is rare and stylistically marked.
- No comma needed in everyday writing; rely on spacing.
- One cause per sentence: Avoid chaining several kay clauses; split long justifications into separate sentences.
- Contrast with tungod kay: tungod kay means “because” too but is heavier; kay is shorter and more conversational.
- Pronunciation: short /kai/; do not soften the final consonant.
3 Common Collocations with kay
- dili … kay … – “(I) will not … because …”
- wala … kay … – “there is/are no … because …”
- mag-/mo-/ma- verb … kay … – any verb phrase followed by the reason
- kay basin … – “because maybe …” (giving a tentative reason)
- kay lagi … – “because, you see …” (adding emphasis)
4 Typical Position in a Sentence
Kay sits at the start of the reason clause, almost always after the main statement:
Main clause kay reason clause.
Gigutom ko kay wala koʼy pamahaw. – “I am hungry because I had no breakfast.”
5 Five Conversational Phrases with kay
- Dili ko makalakaw karon kay uwanon. – “I cannot go out now because it is rainy.”
- Pasensya kay na-late ko. – “Sorry because I am late.”
- Basin mahal ni kay bag-o pa. – “This might be expensive because it is new.”
- Ayaw kabalaka kay maayo ra ang tanan. – “Do not worry because everything is fine.”
- Magdali ta kay hapit na ang oras. – “Let us hurry because time is almost up.”
6 Five Simple Conversation Exchanges Using kay
- A: Nganong wala ka miadto sa klase?
B: Wala ko miadto kay nagsakit akong ulo.
– “Why didn’t you go to class?” / “I didn’t go because I had a headache.” - A: Ngano nag-coat man ka?
B: Nag-coat ko kay tugnaw kaayo.
– “Why are you wearing a coat?” / “I’m wearing it because it’s very cold.” - A: Ngano nagdali man ka molakaw?
B: Nagdali ko kay naa koy appointment.
– “Why are you in a hurry to leave?” / “I’m hurrying because I have an appointment.” - A: Wala bay internet diri?
B: Wala kay nag-maintenance sila.
– “Is there no internet here?” / “None because they’re doing maintenance.” - A: Nganong nalipay ka kaayo?
B: Nalipay ko kay nakapasar ko sa exam.
– “Why are you so happy?” / “I’m happy because I passed the exam.”
7 Multiple-Choice Dialogue Questions
Q1. Naa ba kay payong kay mag-uwan unya?
A. Naa ko payong unya kay mag-uwan.
B. Naa koʼy payong kay mag-uwan unya.
C. Payong naa ko kay unya mag-uwan.
Q2. Dili ka mokaon sa gawas kay mahal ba?
A. Dili ko mokaon sa gawas kay mahal.
B. Gawas sa mokaon dili ko mahal kay.
C. Mahal sa gawas mokaon ko kay dili.
Q3. Moadto ba ta sayo kay layo ang lugar?
A. Moadto ta sayo kay layo ang lugar.
B. Layo kay sayo moadto ta ang lugar.
C. Ta moadto layo sayo ang lugar kay.
Q4. Nagpalit ba ka og bag-o nga telepono kay nadaot ang daan?
A. Nagpalit ko og bag-o nga telepono kay nadaot ang daan.
B. Telepono bag-o ko nadaot kay nagpalit ang daan.
C. Nadaot nga telepono kay nagpalit ang daan ko bag-o.
Q5. Nagtulog na siya sayo kay kapoy gikan sa trabaho?
A. Sayo gikan sa trabaho nagtulog siya kay kapoy.
B. Nagtulog siya sayo kay kapoy gikan sa trabaho.
C. Kapoy gikan sa trabaho sayo nagtulog siya kay.
Answer Key
- Q1 → B – correct order: statement first, then kay-reason.
- Q2 → A – proper declarative clause followed by reason; other choices scramble words.
- Q3 → A – maintains “Moadto ta … kay …” pattern.
- Q4 → A – verb phrase + object, then kay-clause; other options mis-place subject/object.
- Q5 → B – subject-verb first, reason after kay; others break syntax.
