▸ 1. Part of Speech & Meaning
• Part of speech: numeral / determiner
• Meaning: “two thousand five hundred (2 500)”
Duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka estudyante ang mi-apil.
→ Two thousand five hundred students participated.
Nag-order sila og duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka puto.
→ They ordered 2 500 rice cakes.
Duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ra ko ka minuto nag-hulat.
→ I waited only 2 500 minutes.
▸ 2. Cebuano or Spanish?
- Native (Cebuano): duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos
- Spanish-based: dos mil kinyentos (dos mil quinientos)
▸ 3. Native vs Spanish Numbers—When to Use Which
| Context | Native form | Spanish form |
|---|---|---|
| Counting people / objects | ✓ | — |
| Money totals, phone digits, serial numbers | — | ✓ |
| Ordinal reference | ika-duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos (2 500ᵗʰ) | Spanish ordinals almost never used |
▸ 4. How the Word Is Used
duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka + Noun
Duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka tiket among gipalit.
- … ra = “only 2 500” • … pa = “2 500 more”
- Frequency: Duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka beses siya mi-praktis sa tuig.
- Ordinal: ika-duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos = 2 500ᵗʰ
▸ 5. Five Common Pitfalls
- Dropping ka (✗ duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos mansanas)
- Adding an extra mga (✗ duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka mga tawo)
- Mixing dos mil kinyentos inside an otherwise native-number sentence
- Reversing word order (✗ mansanas duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka)
- Using cardinal instead of ordinal when ranking (use ika-… form)
▸ 6. Common Collocations
- duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka pesos / tawo / piraso
- duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ra — only 2 500
- duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos pa — 2 500 more
- ika-duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos — 2 500ᵗʰ
- sa duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka adlaw — in 2 500 days
▸ 7. Learner Alerts
- Phone numbers & prices are usually read dos mil kinyentos or “two-five-hundred.”
- Pronounce /du-HA ka LÍ-bo ug LÍ-ma ka GA-tos/.
- Avoid Tagalog dalawang-libo limandaang when speaking Cebuano.
- For rough counts, add mga or hapit (e.g., hapit duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos).
▸ 8. Everyday Phrases
- Duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ra mi kabuok karon. — “There are only 2 500 of us now.”
- Pwede ko mangayo og duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos pa ka papel? — “May I have 2 500 more sheets of paper?”
- Duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos na lang ang nahibilin. — “Only 2 500 remain.”
- Magkita ta mga duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka oras gikan karon. — “Let’s meet about 2 500 hours from now.”
- Duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka beses nako gisulayan—nakaya ra gyud! — “I tried 2 500 times and finally did it!”
▸ 9. Five Short Dialogues
| # | Cebuano Question | Cebuano Answer | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tag-pila ang duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka mansanas? | ₱12 500 ra tanan. | “How much for 2 500 apples?” — “Only ₱12 500 for all.” |
| 2 | Duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ba ka adlaw ka mag-bakasyon? | Dili, duha-ka-libo ra. | “Vacation for 2 500 days?” — “No, just 2 000.” |
| 3 | Naa kay duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka tiket? | Wala, duha-ka-libo ug siyam-napulo ra nabilin. | “Do you have 2 500 tickets?” — “No, only 2 090 left.” |
| 4 | Duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos na ka tuig ta nag-kaila? | Murag sobra; duha-ka-libo pa lang. | “Have we known each other 2 500 years?” — “Not that long—only 2 000.” |
| 5 | Mopalit ta og duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka botelya? | Daghan ra; usa ka libo lang usa. | “Buy 2 500 bottles?” — “Too many; let’s get 1 000 first.” |
▸ 10. Multiple-Choice Dialogue Questions
Q1. Duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ba ka libro imong gipalit?
A. Duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka libro akong gipalit.
B. Gipalit ko duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka libro.
C. Libro duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka akong gipalit.
Q2. Duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ba mo ka adlaw mag-puyo dinhi?
A. Dinhi duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka adlaw mo mag-puyo.
B. Mag-puyo dinhi mo duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka adlaw.
C. Mo mag-puyo dinhi duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka adlaw.
Q3. Duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ba ka bata ang nag-dula sa gawas?
A. Sa gawas nag-dula duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka bata.
B. Duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka bata nag-dula sa gawas.
C. Nag-dula duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka bata sa gawas.
Q4. Duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ba ta ka botelya ang paliton?
A. Paliton ta duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka botelya.
B. Botelya duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka paliton ta.
C. Ta duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka botelya paliton.
Q5. Duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ba sila ka beses ni-adto didto?
A. Didto sila duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka beses ni-adto.
B. Usa ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka beses sila didto ni-adto.
C. Ni-adto sila didto duha ka libo ug lima ka gatos ka beses.
▸ Answer Key
- Q1 → B – Correct order is verb + object; numeral phrase directly before the noun.
- Q2 → A – Natural sequence: verb → place → subject → numeral.
- Q3 → B – Subject phrase first, then verb; other options misplace adverbials.
- Q4 → A – Imperative Paliton ta followed by full object is grammatically sound.
- Q5 → C – Frequency phrase fits best at the end of the clause.
