1 . Part of Speech, Meaning, and Example Sentences
- Part of speech: numeral (cardinal)
- Meaning: “dos mil kinyentos” = two thousand five hundred (2 500)
| Cebuano sentence | English translation |
|---|---|
| Naay dos mil kinyentos ka tawo sa convention hall. | There are 2 500 people in the convention hall. |
| Mopalit sila ug dos mil kinyentos ka itlog ugma. | They will buy 2 500 eggs tomorrow. |
| Ang deposito kay dos mil kinyentos pesos. | The deposit is ₂ 500 pesos. |
2 . Cebuano or Spanish?
3 . Cebuano- vs Spanish-Based Numbers
| Feature | Native series (e.g., duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos) | Spanish series (e.g., dos mil kinyentos) |
|---|---|---|
| Typical use | Ritual, folk, very formal | Prices, dates, everyday counts |
| Word order | digit + ka libo + linker | dos mil + hundreds |
| Mixing rule | Keep native parts together | Keep Spanish chain intact |
4 . How the Word Is Used
- Pronunciation: /ˈdos mil kiˈɲentos/ (stress on dos and nyén).
- With nouns: add classifier ka → dos mil kinyentos ka libro.
- Clock humour: alas otso ug dos mil kinyentos (8 : 2 500 → clearly a joke).
- Works as a stand-alone reply: “Dos mil kinyentos.”
5 . Five Common Pitfalls
| Pitfall | Fix |
|---|---|
| Writing 2500 ka … in formal text | Spell out dos mil kinyentos |
| Mixing native+Spanish (duha ka libo kinyentos) | Pick one system only |
| Dropping ka (dos mil kinyentos tao) | dos mil kinyentos ka tao |
| Missing the peso/unit word | dos mil kinyentos pesos |
| Stressing the wrong syllable | DÓS mil ki-NYÉN-tos |
6 . Common Collocations
- dos mil kinyentos pesos – ₱2 500
- dos mil kinyentos ka minuto – 2 500 minutes
- dos mil kinyentos ka adlaw – 2 500 days
- dos mil kinyentos anyos – 2 500 years old (hyperbole)
- dos mil kinyentos ka piraso – 2 500 pieces
7 . Common Mistakes & Warnings
- Misspelling (dos mil quinientos, kinyentus).
- Adding mga before the numeral (mga dos mil kinyentos ka …).
- Mixing comma-style English digits with Cebuano grammar in formal writing.
- Forgetting ug if you switch to the native pattern.
- Saying mil dos kinyentos (reversed order).
8 . Five Frequent Conversational Phrases
- Dos mil kinyentos tanan. – The total is 2 500.
- Na-late ko ug dos mil kinyentos ka minuto. – I was 2 500 minutes late.
- Dos mil kinyentos ra gyod! – Make it just 2 500!
- Dos mil kinyentos ang budget. – The budget is 2 500.
- Quota kay dos mil kinyentos ka buok. – The quota is 2 500 pieces.
9 . Five Mini-Dialogues
| # | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A: Pila ang pamasahe? B: Dos mil kinyentos pesos ra. | Only ₱2 500. |
| 2 | A: Tag-pila ning mansanas? B: Dos mil kinyentos pesos ang kilo. | ₱2 500 per kilo. |
| 3 | A: Unsa kadugay ang klase? B: Mga dos mil kinyentos ka minuto. | ~2 500 minutes. |
| 4 | A: Pila kabuok bisita? B: Naay dos mil kinyentos ka bisita. | There are 2 500 guests. |
| 5 | A: Unsang oras nagsugod ang salida? B: Alas siyete ug dos mil kinyentos (joke). | 7 : 2 500 (joking). |
10 . Multiple-Choice Dialogue Questions
Q1. Pila ang imong allowance?
A. Allowance akong dos mil kinyentos pesos.
B. Dos mil kinyentos pesos akong allowance.
C. Pesos allowance dos mil kinyentos akong.
Q2. Pila ka adlaw ang retreat?
A. Dos mil kinyentos adlaw ka.
B. Ka adlaw dos mil kinyentos.
C. Dos mil kinyentos ka adlaw.
Q3. Unsa kadugay ang biyahe?
A. Dos mil kinyentos ka minuto ang biyahe.
B. Ka minuto dos mil kinyentos ang biyahe.
C. Ang biyahe dos mil kinyentos ka minuto ang.
Q4. Pila kabuok estudyante sa klase?
A. Estudyante dos mil kinyentos ka naa.
B. Naa dos mil kinyentos ka estudyante ka.
C. Dos mil kinyentos ka estudyante naa.
Q5. Unsang oras ka miabot?
A. Miabot ko dos mil kinyentos alas dos ug.
B. Ko miabot dos mil kinyentos ug alas dos.
C. Alas dos ug dos mil kinyentos ko miabot.
Answer Key
| Q | Correct | Why it’s correct |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | numeral + pesos + “akong allowance”. |
| 2 | C | counting rule: numeral + ka + noun. |
| 3 | A | numeral + ka + minutes + topic noun. |
| 4 | C | numeral phrase placed before naa. |
| 5 | C | time pattern “Alas [h] ug [min]”. |
