dula

Cebuano Word: dula
(noun – “game,” “match,” any structured contest or play; verb root dulâ- “to play”)

1. Part of Speech, Meaning, Usage, and Example Sentences

• Part of speech: noun
• Meaning: a recreational or competitive activity that follows rules (sports game, board game, video game, party game, etc.).

Example sentences

• Lingaw kaayo ang dula sa basketball kagabii. – Last night’s basketball game was very enjoyable.
• Mag-tan-aw mi sa dula sa volleyball karong hapon. – We will watch the volleyball match this afternoon.
• Gipildi nila ang kontra sa pirmiro nga dula. – They beat the opponent in the first game.

2. Singular & Plural Forms

• Singular: dula – one game / one match
• Plural: mga dula – several games / matches

3. Typical Positions in a Sentence

• Subject: Ang dula magsugod alas kuwatro. – The game starts at four.
• Object: Gi-tan-aw nila ang dula sa TV. – They watched the game on TV.
• Prepositional phrase: Aduna’y premyo para sa mananaug sa dula. – There is a prize for the winner of the game.

4. Common Collocations

• dula sa basketball / chess / online
• maayong dula – a good game
• iskedyul sa dula – game schedule
• bag-ong dula – new game
• pirmiro nga dula – first game

5. Detailed Usage Notes

• Applies to sports, board games, electronic games, children’s playground games.
• Verb forms: mag-dula “to play,” nagdula “is playing,” gidulaan “was played.”
• Adjectives precede the noun with nga: taas nga dula – a long game.
• Different from kalihokan (“activity,” not necessarily competitive).

6. Common Mistakes to Watch For

• Using English plural dulas instead of mga dula.
• Placing adjectives after the noun (✗ dula bag-o → ✓ bag-ong dula).
• Saying mag-dula ka og dula (redundant); simply mag-dula ka.
• Using dula when the intended word is trabaho (“work”) or buluhaton (“task”).

7. Frequently Used Conversational Phrases

• Ganahan ka mo-apil sa dula unya? – Do you want to join the game later?
• Maayo kaayo ka aning dula! – You are very good at this game!
• Pila ka minuto ang usa ka dula sa badminton? – How many minutes is one badminton game?
• Ayaw pag-cheat sa dula, ha? – Do not cheat in the game, okay?
• Hapit na mahuman ang dula – padali! – The game is almost over – hurry!

8. Everyday Conversation Exchanges

1. A: Unsay dula nato karong gabii? – What game are we playing tonight?
   B: Scrabble ta; dali ra. – Let’s play Scrabble; it’s quick.
2. A: Kinsa’y ni-daog sa dula kagahapon? – Who won yesterday’s game?
   B: Ang Team Blue ang kampiyon. – Team Blue were the champions.
3. A: Lingaw ba ang bag-ong online dula? – Is the new online game fun?
   B: Oo, daghan kaayo og level. – Yes, it has lots of levels.
4. A: Gi-unsa nimo pagka-maayo sa dula? – How did you become good at the game?
   B: Nagsige kog praktis kada adlaw. – I practice every day.
5. A: Taas ba ang bayad sa dula sa arcade? – Is the arcade game expensive?
   B: Dili ra, lima ka piso ra per play. – Not really, only five pesos per play.

9. Multiple-Choice Questions

Q1. Unsa’y nahitabo sa inyong dula?
A. Nahuman na ang among dula kagabii.
B. Ang nahitabo dula among kagabii nahuman na.
C. Dula kagabii nahuman na ang among.

Q2. Asa ka mo-tan-aw og dula karong Sabado?
A. Mo-tan-aw ko og dula sa sports complex.
B. Sports complex mo-tan-aw ko og dula.
C. Og dula mo-tan-aw ko sports complex sa.

Q3. Giunsa nimo pag-andam ang dula sa barangay?
A. Giunsa nimo ang pag-andam sa dula sa barangay?
B. Pag-andam giunsa ang nimo dula barangay sa?
C. Dula giunsa pag-andam nimo barangay sa ang?

Q4. Pila ka minuto ang gikinahanglan sa usa ka dula sa tennis?
A. Usa ka dula sa tennis pila ka minuto ang gikinahanglan?
B. Pila ka minuto ang gikinahanglan sa usa ka dula sa tennis?
C. Ang gikinahanglan pila ka minuto usa ka dula sa tennis?

Q5. Ganahan ka og bag-ong dula online?
A. Ganahan ka og bag-ong dula online.
B. Og dula online bag-ong ganahan ka.
C. Ka ganahan og online bag-ong dula.

Answer Key & Brief Explanations

• Q1 – Correct: A.
  Nahuman na (already finished) + subject phrase ang among dula gives natural Cebuano order.
• Q2 – Correct: B.
  An acceptable place-fronted sentence: Sports complex (location) then verb-subject-object. Everyday speech often front-loads the place.
• Q3 – Correct: A.
  After Giunsa nimo (“How did you”), the verbal-noun phrase ang pag-andam sa dula sa barangay follows, forming a grammatical sentence.
• Q4 – Correct: B.
  “How many minutes” questions start with Pila ka minuto, followed by subject ang gikinahanglan and the descriptive phrase.
• Q5 – Correct: A.
  Predicate Ganahan ka og (“Do you like”) is immediately followed by the adjective-noun unit bag-ong dula, with optional modifier online at the end.