dos syentos

1. Part of Speech, Meaning, and Example Sentences

• Part of Speech: numeral (cardinal)
• Meaning: “dos syentos” means two hundred (200).
• Example sentences
  • Naay dos syentos ka tawo sa pista. — There are two hundred people at the festival.
  • Nag-order siya ug dos syentos ka pan. — She ordered two hundred pieces of bread.
  • Ang bayad kay dos syentos pesos. — The fee is two hundred pesos.

2. Number Origin

• Spanish-based compound (from Spanish doscientos).
• Native Bisaya equivalent: duha ka gatos (used mainly in highly formal or traditional speech).

3. Cebuano vs Spanish Number Series

• Native series (e.g., duha ka gatos = 200; duha ka gatos ug usa = 201) shows up in folk songs, rituals, and some rural counting.
• Spanish series (dos syentos, dos syentos uno, dos syentos dos …) is standard for prices, dates, pagination, time references, and everyday urban speech.
• Never mix the two systems inside a single number: ✓ dos syentos lima (205); ✗ duha ka gatos ug singko (mixed).

4. Detailed Usage Notes

• Formal spelling: dos syentos; colloquial speech may drop the second s (do’ syentos).
• Always insert classifier ka when you count nouns: dos syentos ka lapis.
• In playful “clock” jokes: alas nueve ug dos syentos (9:200 ≈ 12:20).
• Can stand alone as a concise answer: “Dos syentos.”

5. Five Common Pitfalls

1. Writing the pure-Spanish form doscientos in Cebuano texts.
2. Mixing native and Spanish roots (duha ka gatos ug singko ✗).
3. Stressing the wrong syllable (correct dós syén-tos, not dos syen-tós).
4. Dropping ka before nouns (dos syentos libro ✗ → dos syentos ka libro ✓).
5. Forgetting the unit when quoting prices (dos syentos ✗ → dos syentos pesos ✓).

6. Common Collocations

• dos syentos pesos — two hundred pesos
• dos syentos ka minuto — two hundred minutes
• dos syentos ka adlaw — two hundred days
• dos syentos anyos — two hundred years old (hyperbolic)
• dos syentos ka piraso — two hundred pieces

7. Common Mistakes to Watch For

• Misspelling (dociyentos, dos syentus).
• Adding mga before the numeral (mga dos syentos ka …).
• Forgetting ug in playful time expressions (alas sais dos syentos ✗).
• Saying syentos dos for 200 (you must say dos syentos).
• Using “200 ka …” in formal writing without the word form.

8. Five Frequent Conversational Phrases

• Dos syentos tanan. — The total is two hundred.
• Na-late ko ug dos syentos ka minuto. — I was 200 minutes late.
• Dos syentos ra gyod! — Make it just 200!
• Dos syentos ang budget. — The budget is 200.
• Quota kay dos syentos ka buok. — The quota is 200 pieces.

9. Five Simple Conversation Exchanges

1. A: Pila ang pamasahe? — How much is the fare?
   B: Dos syentos pesos ra. — Only 200 pesos.
2. A: Tag-pila ning mangga? — How much are these mangoes?
   B: Dos syentos pesos ang kilo. — 200 pesos per kilo.
3. A: Unsa kadugay ang klase? — How long is the class?
   B: Mga dos syentos ka minuto. — About 200 minutes.
4. A: Pila kabuok bisita? — How many guests?
   B: Naay dos syentos ka bisita. — There are 200 guests.
5. A: Unsang oras nagsugod ang salida? — What time did the show start?
   B: Alas otso ug dos syentos (joking). — At 8:200 ≈ 11:20 (humorously).

10. Multiple-Choice Dialogue Questions

Q1. Pila ang imong allowance karon? — How much is your allowance now?

A. Allowance akong dos syentos pesos.
B. Dos syentos pesos akong allowance.
C. Pesos allowance dos syentos akong.

Q2. Pila ka adlaw ang workshop? — How many days is the workshop?

A. Dos syentos ka adlaw.
B. Ka adlaw dos syentos.
C. Dos syentos adlaw ka.

Q3. Unsa kadugay ang biyahe? — How long is the trip?

A. Ka minuto dos syentos ang biyahe.
B. Dos syentos ka minuto ang biyahe.
C. Ang biyahe dos syentos ka minuto ang.

Q4. Pila kabuok estudyante sa klase? — How many students are in the class?

A. Estudyante dos syentos ka naa.
B. Naa dos syentos ka estudyante ka.
C. Dos syentos ka estudyante naa.

Q5. Unsang oras ka miabot? — What time did you arrive?

A. Ko miabot dos syentos ug alas dos.
B. Miabot ko dos syentos alas dos ug.
C. Alas dos ug dos syentos ko miabot.

Answer Key