duha

Cebuano Word: duha — “two”

1 · Part of Speech, Meaning, and Example Sentences

• Part of speech: numeral / determiner
• Core meaning: the cardinal number 2

Example sentences

• Duha ka libro ang akong gipalit. – “I bought two books.”
• Duha ra ko ka minuto nag-huwat. – “I waited only two minutes.”
• Adunay duha ka tawo sa sala. – “There are two people in the living room.”

2 · Cebuano or Spanish?

• duha – native Cebuano form
• dos – Spanish-based form for “two”

3 · When to Use Native vs Spanish Numbers

1. Counting ordinary objects: prefer native (duha ka itlog).
2. Telling clock time: Spanish set dominates (alas dos = 2 o’clock).
3. Big money figures and measurements: often Spanish (dos mil pesos).
4. Telephone numbers & codes: Spanish or English digits; rarely native.
5. Idioms, ages under 100, ordinals with ika-: always native (ika-duha = second).

4 · Detailed Usage Notes

• With classifier ka: duha ka + noun – most common shape.
• Without ka in set phrases: duha ra (“only two”), duha pa (“two more”).
• As adverb of frequency: Mag-bisita sila ngadto duha ka beses sa usa ka tuig. – “They visit there twice a year.”
• Ordinals: prefix ika- → ika-duha (“second”).
• Contrast with usa and tulo : Cebuano keeps a consistent pattern—place the numeral immediately before the classifier.

5 · Five Common Pitfalls for Learners

1. Omitting the classifier (✗ duha mansanas → ✓ duha ka mansanas).
2. Doubling classifier and plural marker (✗ duha ka mga bata).
3. Switching mid-sentence to dos where native form fits context.
4. Placing duha after the noun (✗ libro duha ka).
5. Using duha when an ordinal is needed (✗ sa duha adlaw → ✓ sa ika-duha ka adlaw).

6 · Typical Position in a Sentence

Appears immediately before ka and the noun:

Gihatagan ko siya og duha ka pan. – “I gave him two pieces of bread.”

7 · Common Collocations

• duha ka + noun (two …)
• duha ra – only two
• duha pa – two more
• ika-duha – the second
• sa duha ka bulan – in two months

8 · Common Mistakes and Things to Watch Out For

• Replacing duha with dos in informal object-counting.
• Forgetting stress: pronounce /DU-ha/ (light on first syllable) not “doo-HÁ.”
• Writing duha ka but speaking duha’g (linker elision) incorrectly.
• Using duha as a verb (“nag-duha” is meaningless; use nag-dubli for “doubling”).
• Reading the digit “2” aloud as duha in phone numbers—native speakers say dos or English “two.”

9 · Five Everyday Conversational Phrases

• Duha ra ko ka adlaw dinhi. – “I’ll stay here only two days.”
• Pwede ko mangayo og duha pa ka kutsara? – “May I have two more spoons?”
• Duha ra mi kabuok karon. – “There are only two of us now.”
• Duha ka beses ko nag-practice kada semana. – “I practise twice a week.”
• Duha na lang ang nahibilin. – “Only two are left.”

10 · Five Simple Dialogue Exchanges

1. A: Tag-pila ang duha ka saging?
   B: Trenta pesos ra ang duha.
   – “How much are two bananas?” – “Just thirty pesos for both.”
2. A: Duha ba ka adlaw ka mag-bakasyon?
   B: Oo, duha ra ka adlaw ko libre.
   – “Are you on vacation for two days?” – “Yes, I’m free for only two days.”
3. A: Naa kay duha ka tiket?
   B: Wala, usa ra ang nabilin.
   – “Do you have two tickets?” – “No, only one is left.”
4. A: Duha na ka tuig sukad kita nagkita, noh?
   B: Sakto, duha ka tuig na gyud.
   – “It’s been two years since we met, right?” – “Correct, two years indeed.”
5. A: Mopalit ta og duha ka botelya?
   B: Sige, duha ka botelya igo na.
   – “Shall we buy two bottles?” – “Sure, two bottles are enough.”

11 · Multiple-Choice Dialogue Questions

Q1. Duha ba ka baso imong gipalit?
A. Gipalit ko duha ka baso.
B. Baso duha ka gipalit ko.
C. Duha ka baso akong gipalit.

Q2. Duha ba mo ka adlaw mag-puyo dinhi?
A. Dinhi mag-puyo duha ka mo adlaw.
B. Duha ka adlaw mo mag-puyo dinhi.
C. Mag-puyo dinhi mo duha ka adlaw.

Q3. Duha ba ka bata ang nag-dula sa gawas?
A. Ang duha ka bata nag-dula sa gawas.
B. Gawas nag-dula ang bata duha ka.
C. Duha ka bata gawas nag-dula ang.

Q4. Duha ba ta ka botelya ang paliton?
A. Paliton ta duha ka botelya.
B. Ta duha ka botelya paliton.
C. Botelya duha ka paliton ta.

Q5. Duha ba sila ka beses ni-adto didto?
A. Ni-adto sila didto duha ka beses.
B. Didto sila duha ka ni-adto beses.
C. Duha ka beses didto ni-adto sila.

Answer Key and Brief Explanations

• Q1 – Correct: C
  • Keeps the standard declarative order: numeral phrase first, then subject. A and B scramble the determiner and object positions.
• Q2 – Correct: C
  • Mag-puyo dinhi mo duha ka adlaw = verb + location + subject + numeral phrase. A and B misplace the subject or numeral.
• Q3 – Correct: A
  • Fronted subject phrase Ang duha ka bata before the verb is acceptable. B and C mis-order noun, verb, and numeral.
• Q4 – Correct: A
  • Imperative pattern: verb + pronoun + object. B and C split the verb from its object or move pronoun incorrectly.
• Q5 – Correct: A
  • Time-frequency phrase at the end is natural. B and C separate phrase elements or invert them unnaturally.