CEBUANO LANGUAGE LESSON #09 Enjoy Nature in Cebuano! A Guide to Common Animal Names You See Often

Hi everyone! Welcome to today’s video! Have you ever noticed how many different animals you can see just by walking around town? From birds chirping in the trees to cats lounging on the streets and even dogs happily walking with their owners, there’s so much to discover! Today, we’re going to explore the various animals you might spot in the city and learn their names together.

*This learning material is designed with the assumption that you will be having lessons with Filipino wife, husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, friends, or language teachers.

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Vocabulary

1. mananap / hayop (noun) – animal
   • This word refers to animals in general.
   • Example sentences:
     1. Daghang mananap ang nagpuyo sa kagubatan. (Many animals live in the forest.)
     2. Ang hayop kinahanglan og maayong pag-atiman. (Animals need proper care.)
     3. Gipalit niya ang usa ka hayop sa merkado. (He bought an animal at the market.)
2. magbuhi (verb) – to raise, to breed, to take care of
   • This verb is used when talking about raising animals or taking care of something.
   • Example sentences:
     1. Nagbuhi siya og daghang manok sa ilang balay. (He raises many chickens at home.)
     2. Gusto kong magbuhi og iring. (I want to raise a cat.)
     3. Siya ang nagbuhi sa ilang kabaw. (He is the one taking care of their carabao.)
3. diri (adverb) – here
   • Used to indicate a location near the speaker.
   • Example sentences:
     1. Diri ko magpuyo. (I live here.)
     2. Diri lang ta maghulat. (Let’s just wait here.)
     3. Asa ka? Diri ra ko. (Where are you? I’m just here.)
4. kang kinsa (interrogative phrase) – whose
   • Used to ask about possession.
   • Example sentences:
     1. Kang kinsa ning libro? (Whose book is this?)
     2. Kang kinsa ning balay? (Whose house is this?)
     3. Kang kinsa ning iro? (Whose dog is this?)
5. daghana (expression) – so many, a lot
   • Used to emphasize a large number of things.
   • Example sentences:
     1. Daghanag tao sa merkado karon! (There are so many people in the market today!)
     2. Daghanag bulak sa iyang garden. (There are so many flowers in her garden.)
     3. Daghanag trabahuon nga akong buhaton. (I have a lot of work to do.)
6. lapad (adjective) – wide, broad
   • Describes something that is broad or wide in size.
   • Example sentences:
     1. Lapad kaayo ang ilang yuta. (Their land is very wide.)
     2. Lapad ang ilang balay. (Their house is spacious.)
     3. Lapad ang kalsada sa syudad. (The road in the city is wide.)
7. yuta (noun) – land, soil
   • Refers to land or ground.
   • Example sentences:
     1. Ang ilang pamilya adunay daghang yuta. (Their family owns a lot of land.)
     2. Nag-uma siya sa yuta sa iyang lolo. (He farms on his grandfather’s land.)
     3. Gahig yuta diri. (The soil here is hard.)
8. didto (adverb) – there
   • Used to indicate a place far from the speaker.
   • Example sentences:
     1. Didto siya nagtrabaho. (He works there.)
     2. Adto ta didto sa bukid. (Let’s go there to the mountain.)
     3. Didto mi nagdula og basketbol. (We played basketball there.)
9. unya (adverb) – later
   • Used to indicate a later time.
   • Example sentences:
     1. Moadto ko unya. (I will go later.)
     2. Unya na lang ta magkaon. (Let’s eat later.)
     3. Makita tika unya. (I will see you later.)

Animals:

10. iro (noun) – dog
    • Example sentences:
      1. Ang akong iro kay buotan. (My dog is well-behaved.)
      2. Naay iro sa among balay. (There is a dog in our house.)
      3. Nagduwa ang iro sa garden. (The dog is playing in the garden.)
11. manok (noun) – chicken
    • Example sentences:
      1. Nagbuhi siya og daghang manok. (He raises many chickens.)
      2. Lami ang adobo nga manok. (Chicken adobo is delicious.)
      3. Napusa na ang itlog sa manok. (pisa is also a Bisaya word for hatch but we usually say pusa)
12. pabo (noun) – turkey
    • Example sentences:
      1. Nagpista sila og pabo sa Pasko. (They feast on turkey during Christmas.)
      2. Dako kaayo ang among pabo. (Our turkey is very big.)
      3. Napusa na ang itlog sa pabo. (The turkey’s eggs have hatched.)
13. langgam (noun) – bird
    • Example sentences:
      1. Nindot kaayo ang tingog sa langgam. (The bird’s sound is beautiful.)
      2. Naay langgam sa akong bintana. (There is a bird on my window.)
      3. Naglupad ang langgam sa langit. (The bird is flying in the sky.)
14. iring (noun) – cat
    • Example sentences:
      1. Ang akong iring kay puti. (My cat is white.)
      2. Nagduwa ang iring sa sala. (The cat is playing in the living room.)
      3. Gipalit niya ang usa ka iring. (He bought a cat.)
15. baboy (noun) – pig
    • Example sentences:
      1. Nagbuhi sila og daghang baboy. (They raise many pigs.)
      2. Lami ang lechon nga baboy. (Roast pig is delicious.)
      3. Dakong baboy ang ilang gipalit. (They bought a big pig.)
16. itik (noun) – duck
    • Example sentences:
      1. Naa sila’y daghang itik sa farm. (They have many ducks on the farm.)
      2. Naglangoy ang itik sa pond. (The duck is swimming in the pond.)
      3. Ang itlog sa itik kay dako. (The duck’s egg is big.)
17. lamok (noun) – mosquito
    • Example sentences:
      1. Daghang lamok sa gabii. (There are many mosquitoes at night.)
      2. Nagpalit siya og insect repellent batok sa lamok. (He bought insect repellent against mosquitoes.)
      3. Gikalot nako ang pinaakan sa lamok. (I scratched the mosquito bite.)
18. kabaw (noun) – carabao
    • Example sentences:
      1. Nagtrabaho ang kabaw sa uma. (The carabao works on the farm.)
      2. Dako kaayo ang kabaw. (The carabao is very big.)
      3. Gamit ang kabaw sa pag-araru/pagdaro. (The carabao is used for plowing.)
19. kanding (noun) – goat
    • Example sentences:
      1. Nagbuhi siya og kanding sa ilang uma. (He raises goats on their farm.)
      2. Gusto ko mokaon og kanding. (I want to eat goat meat.)
      3. Nagduwa ang kanding sa bukid. (The goat is playing on the mountain.)

Flashcards

Dialogue Practice

Directions: Listen and repeat after your teacher.

Leah: Daghana og mananap ninyo, Emmy oi.
Emmy: O. Ganahan kaayo ko magbuhi og mananap diri. Mao kato ang akong mga iro.
Leah: Kang kinsa man sad kining mga manok?
Emmy: Kang kuya nako.
Leah: Daghana oi. Unya katong mga kanding didto?
Emmy: Sa akong tiyo na.
Leah: Maayo kay naa mo’y lapad nga yuta.
Emmy: Lagi. Nindot jud magbuhi og mga hayop diri.
Leah: O. Ganahan ko magbuhi og baka diri. Naa mo’y baka?
Emmy: O. Naa didto ang baka. Usa ra kabuok.
Leah: Maayo jud magbuhi og mga mananap.

Key Note

Singular and Plural Forms in Cebuano

In Cebuano, we use “ang” for singular nouns and “ang mga” or “mga” for plural nouns.

Key Points:

1. “Ang” is used for singular nouns.
2. “Ang mga” is used for plural nouns when referring to specific things.
3. “Mga” alone can also indicate plural, often in general statements.

More Examples

Sentences Using Plural Form

1. Mao ni ang mga pabo. – These are the turkeys.
2. Mao kini ang mga manok. – These are chickens.
3. Mga iro. – These are the dogs.
4. Mga langgam. – These are the birds.
5. Mga iring. – These are the cats.
6. Mga lamok. – Mosquitoes.

Why doesn’t “baboy” have “ang” in the example?

You can add “ang” to “baboy,” but in Cebuano, when referring to a general or unspecified singular noun (like “a pig”), the “ang” can be omitted.

Rules for Using “ang” and “mga”

1. When referring to a specific noun → Use “ang” + noun
   • Ang baboy. (The pig.) → Refers to a specific pig.
   • Ang itik. (The duck.) → Refers to a particular duck.
   • Ang kabaw. (The carabao.) → Refers to a particular carabao.
2. When referring to a general noun (unspecified) → The noun can be used without “ang”
   • Baboy. (A pig.) → Refers to pigs in general, not a specific one.
   • Itik. (A duck.) → Any duck, not a specific one.
   • Kabaw. (A carabao.) → Refers to carabaos in general.
3. When referring to plural nouns → Use “mga” + noun (or “ang mga” for specific ones)
   • Mga baboy. (Pigs.) → General plural form of “pigs.”
   • Ang mga baboy. (The pigs.) → Refers to a specific group of pigs.
   • Mga kabaw. (Carabaos.) → General “carabaos.”
   • Ang mga kabaw. (The carabaos.) → Refers to specific carabaos.

Conclusion

• “ang baboy” → The pig (a specific pig)
• “baboy” → A pig (in general, an unspecified pig)
• “mga baboy” → Pigs (plural, general)
• “ang mga baboy” → The pigs (specific group of pigs)

Since “baboy” in the example refers to pigs in general, “ang” is not necessary. However, if you want to talk about a specific pig, you can say “ang baboy.”

Why is “Mga iro” translated as “These are the dogs”?

In Cebuano, “Mga” functions as a plural marker, and the way it is used in sentences can sometimes imply “These are” in English. However, there is a slight difference between “Mao kini ang mga manok” and “Mga iro” in terms of sentence structure.

1. “Mao kini ang mga manok.” → “These are chickens.”

• Breakdown of Cebuano Sentence:
  • Mao = This is / These are (used to point out something)
  • Kini = This / These
  • Ang mga = The (plural marker)
  • Manok = Chickens
• Why is it translated as “These are chickens”?
  • Mao kini acts as a phrase that explicitly introduces something (like “This is” or “These are”).
  • Ang mga manok clarifies that the subject is chickens.
  • This sentence follows a complete structure, explicitly stating “These are the chickens.”

2. “Mga iro.” → “These are the dogs.”

• Breakdown of Cebuano Sentence:
  • Mga = Plural marker (indicating multiple dogs)
  • Iro = Dog
• Why is it translated as “These are the dogs” instead of just “Dogs”?
  • In Cebuano, when a noun appears alone with “mga”, it often functions like a shortened way of saying “These are…”
  • It is an implied subject, meaning the sentence assumes the listener understands that you are referring to something present.
  • In English, just saying “Dogs.” sounds incomplete in the same context, so “These are the dogs.” makes the most natural translation.

Comparison

Conclusion

• “Mao kini ang mga manok” is a full sentence that explicitly states “These are chickens.”
• “Mga iro” is a shortened phrase, but in context, it is understood as “These are the dogs.” because Cebuano often drops words that are implied in speech.
• In English, we need “These are” to make the sentence sound complete.

So, even though “Mga iro” looks like just “Dogs,” it is commonly translated as “These are the dogs” for natural English flow.

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Comprehension Quiz

Directions: Choose the correct answer.

1. How do we say ‘whose’ in Cebuano?
   a. kanus-a
   b. kang kinsa
   c. unsa
   d. ngano
2. What is the Cebuano of pig?
   a. manok
   b. itik
   c. iro
   d. baboy
3. What is the plural form of kabaw?
   a. kabaws
   b. ang kabaw
   c. ang mga kabaw
   d. ang mga kabaws
4. What is the singular form of manok?
   a. ang manok
   b. a manok
   c. manoks
   d. mga manok
5. How do we say ‘to keep’ in Cebuano?
   a. magbuhi
   b. daghana
   c. yuta
   d. unya

Word Order Exercise

Rearrange the words to form a correct sentence:

1. iro / mga / mao / kini / ang

2. pabo / mao / mga / ang / kini

3. ang / manok / mao / mga / kini

4. langgam / mga

5. kabaw / ang

6. baboy / mga

7. mao / kini / mga / ang / kanding

8. baboy / ang

9. lamok / mga

10. itik / ang

Cebuano-English Phrase Matching Exercise

Match the Cebuano phrases with their correct English translations.

Fill-in-the-Blank Exercise

Fill in the blanks with the correct words.

Review

Directions: Make some sentences using the singular and plural
forms of nouns.
For example:
Nindot jud magbuhi og mga hayop diri.
It’s really nice to keep animals here.

1. –
2. –
3. –

Answer

Comprehension Quiz

1. b. kang kinsa (Whose)
2. d. baboy (Pig)
3. c. ang mga kabaw (The carabaos – correct plural form)
4. a. ang manok (The chicken – correct singular form)
5. a. magbuhi (To keep or raise animals)

Word Order Exercise

1. Mao kini ang mga iro. (These are the dogs.)

2. Mao kini ang mga pabo. (These are the turkeys.)

3. Mao kini ang mga manok. (These are the chickens.)

4. Mga langgam. (These are the birds.)

5. Ang kabaw. (The carabao.)

6. Mga baboy. (Pigs.)

7. Mao kini ang mga kanding. (These are the goats.)

8. Ang baboy. (The pig.)

9. Mga lamok. (Mosquitoes.)

10. Ang itik. (The duck.)

Cebuano-English Phrase Matching Exercise

Fill-in-the-Blank Exercise

Cebuano Sentence Breakdown with Usage, Examples, and Conversation Examples

Leah: Daghana og mananap ninyo, Emmy oi.

(You have so many animals, Emmy.)

Emmy: O. Ganahan kaayo ko magbuhi og mananap diri. Mao kato ang akong mga iro.

(Yes. I really like to raise animals here. Those were my dogs.)