1. Part of Speech, Meaning, and Example Sentences
- Part of speech: numeral (cardinal)
- Meaning: “dyes mil” = ten thousand (10 000)
| Cebuano | English |
|---|---|
| Naay dyes mil ka tawo sa parada. | There are ten thousand people in the parade. |
| Mipalit sila ug dyes mil ka itlog. | They bought ten thousand eggs. |
| Ang kantidad kay dyes mil pesos. | The amount is ₱10 000. |
2. Number Origin
- Spanish-based compound (dyes = 10, mil = 1 000).
- Strictly, Cebuano also allows the native napulo ka libo, but this appears only in very formal or literary settings.
3. Cebuano- vs Spanish-Based Numbers
| Aspect | Native series (e.g., napulo ka libo ug lima ka gatos = 10 500) | Spanish series (e.g., dyes mil, dyes mil kinyentos) |
|---|---|---|
| Typical use | Ceremonial speech, epics, rural elders | Prices, dates, pagination, everyday conversation |
| Form | digit + ka libo (+ linker) | dyes mil + hundreds/tens/ones |
| Mixing | Avoid mixing inside one numeral | Keep the Spanish chain together |
4. Detailed Usage Notes
- Pronunciation: /ˈdʒɛs ˈmil/ (“DYES” like English “yes” with d-).
- Classifier “ka”: dyes mil ka bata = 10 000 children.
- Mil stays singular: never dyes mils.
- Humorous clock joke: alas nuybe ug dyes mil (9 : 10 000 → obviously comic).
- Often appears in business quotes and tuition fees.
5. Five Common Pitfalls
| Pitfall | Fix |
|---|---|
| Writing digits only (10 000 ka …) in formal text | Spell out dyes mil |
| Mixing systems (napulo ka libo kinyentos) | Use dyes mil kinyentos or an all-native form |
| Forgetting ka with nouns (dyes mil trabaho) | dyes mil ka trabaho |
| Omitting the peso/unit word (dyes mil) | dyes mil pesos |
| Mis-stress (dye SMIL) | DYÉS MIL |
6. Common Collocations
- dyes mil pesos – ₱10 000
- dyes mil ka minuto – 10 000 minutes
- dyes mil ka adlaw – 10 000 days
- dyes mil anyos – 10 000 years (hyperbole)
- dyes mil ka piraso – 10 000 pieces
7. Common Mistakes & Things to Watch Out For
- Misspellings (diesmil, diez mil).
- Adding mga (mga dyes mil ka … – redundant).
- Reversing order (mil dyes).
- Using comma style digits in formal Cebuano (10,000 ka …).
- Forgetting to switch entirely to native form if you start with native words.
8. Five Handy Conversational Phrases
- Dyes mil tanan. – The total is 10 000.
- Na-late ko ug dyes mil ka minuto. – I was 10 000 minutes late.
- Dyes mil ra gyod! – Make it just ten thousand!
- Dyes mil ang budget. – The budget is 10 000.
- Quota kay dyes mil ka buok. – The quota is 10 000 pieces.
9. Five Mini-Dialogues
| # | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A: Pila ang pamasahe? B: Dyes mil pesos ra. | How much is the fare? – Only ₱10 000. |
| 2 | A: Tag-pila ning palay? B: Dyes mil pesos ang sako. | How much is the rice? – ₱10 000 per sack. |
| 3 | A: Unsa kadugay ang workshop? B: Mga dyes mil ka minuto. | How long is the workshop? – About 10 000 minutes. |
| 4 | A: Pila kabuok bisita? B: Naay dyes mil ka bisita. | How many guests? – There are 10 000. |
| 5 | A: Unsang oras nagsugod ang show? B: Alas otso ug dyes mil (joke). | What time did it start? – 8 : 10 000 (just kidding). |
10. Multiple-Choice Dialogue Questions
Q1. Pila ang imong allowance?
A. Allowance akong dyes mil pesos.
B. Dyes mil pesos akong allowance.
C. Pesos allowance dyes mil akong.
Q2. Pila ka adlaw ang training?
A. Ka adlaw dyes mil.
B. Dyes mil adlaw ka.
C. Dyes mil ka adlaw.
Q3. Unsa kadugay ang biyahe?
A. Dyes mil ka minuto ang biyahe.
B. Ka minuto dyes mil ang biyahe.
C. Ang biyahe dyes mil ka minuto ang.
Q4. Pila kabuok estudyante sa klase?
A. Estudyante dyes mil ka naa.
B. Naa dyes mil ka estudyante ka.
C. Dyes mil ka estudyante naa.
Q5. Unsang oras ka miabot?
A. Miabot ko dyes mil alas dos ug.
B. Ko miabot dyes mil ug alas dos.
C. Alas dos ug dyes mil ko miabot.
Answer Key
| Q | Correct | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | Order = numeral + pesos + “akong allowance.” |
| 2 | C | Counting pattern: numeral + ka + noun. |
| 3 | A | Sequence: numeral + ka + minutes + topic noun. |
| 4 | C | Numeral phrase precedes existential naa. |
| 5 | C | Time format: “Alas [hour] ug [minutes].” |
