gwapo

1. Part of speech, core meaning, basic usage, and example sentences

Part of speech: adjective
Core meaning: “handsome,” “good-looking,” “attractive” (commonly for men; feminine form is gwapa).
Basic usage examples

• Gwapo kaayo siya sa sinina nga puti. – He is very handsome in white clothes.
• Gwapo ang tan-aw sa imong bagong haircut. – Your new haircut looks good.
• Nakita nako ang gwapong artista sa mall. – I saw the handsome actor at the mall.
• Kung gwapo ang presentasyon, dali masabtan sa tanan. – If the presentation is well-designed, everyone can understand it easily.

2. Linkers and derivational forms

• Linkers
  • -ng before a consonant: gwapong bata – handsome boy.
  • nga before a vowel or for emphasis: gwapo nga amigo – handsome friend.
• Degree and intensity
  • mas gwapo – more handsome / better-looking.
  • pinakagwapo – most handsome.
  • gwapo-gwapo – rather handsome.
  • gwapo kaayo / gwapo gyud – very handsome / truly good-looking.
• Exclamatory and abstract nouns
  • Kagwapo nimo! – How handsome you are!
  • kagwapohan – handsomeness, physical attractiveness.
  • pagkagwapo – the state of being handsome.
• Progressive notion
  • nag-ka-gwapo – becoming more handsome (e.g., Nag-ka-gwapo siya samtang nag-edad. – He gets more handsome as he ages.)

3. Where to place it in a sentence

1. Predicate adjective: Ang modelo gwapo. – The model is handsome.
2. Modifier with linker before a noun: gwapong modelo.
3. Complement after emphasis: Mao ni ang gwapo nga disenyo. – This is the handsome (attractive) design.

4. Common collocations

• gwapo nga nawong – handsome face
• gwapo nga senaryo – beautiful scenery (colloquial extension)
• gwapo nga tindog – good posture
• gwapo nga boses – pleasant voice
• gwapo nga resulta – impressive result

5. Detailed usage notes

“Gwapo” primarily praises male appearance but is often stretched to mean “good-looking” in general, even for objects or situations (gwapo nga plano – good plan) in informal speech. Attach a linker when the adjective comes directly before a noun; omit the linker when it follows the noun as the predicate. Use gwapa for women, though gwapo may still appear jokingly or neutrally. Comparative and superlative follow mas / pinaka- like other adjectives. Reduplication (gwapo-gwapo) tones it down to “quite handsome.”

6. Common mistakes to watch for

• Missing linker: ✗ gwapo bata → ✓ gwapong bata.
• Placing mas after the adjective: ✗ gwapo mas → ✓ mas gwapo.
• Separating pinaka from the root: ✗ pinaka gwapo → ✓ pinakagwapo.
• **Using gwapo for female subjects in formal contexts—use gwapa instead.
• **Writing “guapo” (Spanish spelling) in standard Cebuano orthography—prefer gwapo.

7. Five conversational phrases

1. Gwapo kaayo imong ideya; sugdi dayon! – Your idea is great; start it right away!
2. Mas gwapo kung i-simplify nimo ang slides. – It’s nicer if you simplify the slides.
3. Pinakagwapo gyud ni nga lugar sa lungsod. – This is truly the most beautiful spot in town.
4. Gwapo-gwapo ra ang resulta, pero pwede pa ma-improve. – The result is fairly good, but it can still be improved.
5. Kagwapo sa pag-dibuho nimo, mura gyud og propesyonal. – Your drawing is so handsome, truly professional-looking.

8. Five short conversation exchanges

1. Q: Gwapo ba ang bag-ong maestro? – Is the new teacher handsome?
   A: Oo, gwapo kaayo siya ug binisaya pa gyud. – Yes, he’s very handsome and speaks Bisaya too.
2. Q: Ngano mas gwapo man ni nga layout? – Why is this layout nicer?
   A: Mas gwapo kay limpyo ug klaro ang teksto. – It’s nicer because the text is clean and clear.
3. Q: Asa ang pinakagwapo nga destinasyon sa isla? – Where is the most beautiful destination on the island?
   A: Ang pinakagwapo kay sa norte nga baybayon. – The most beautiful is the northern beach.
4. Q: Gwapo-gwapo na ba ang performance sa team karon? – Is the team’s performance quite good now?
   A: Oo, dako nag progreso kumpara sauna. – Yes, it has improved a lot compared to before.
5. Q: Unsaon nato pag-gwapo sa event venue? – How shall we make the event venue look better?
   A: Idugang nato mga dekorasyon ug suga. – Let’s add decorations and lights.

9. Multiple-choice dialogue questions

Q1. Gwapo ba ang imong presentation?
A. Oo, gwapo kaayo ang akong presentation.
B. Oo, presentation gwapo kaayo akong ang.
C. Oo, gwapo presentation kaayo ang akong.

Q2. Asa ang mas gwapo, ang layout A o layout B?
A. Mas gwapo ang layout A kaysa layout B.
B. Layout A kaysa layout B ang mas gwapo.
C. Mas gwapo kaysa layout A ang layout B.

Q3. Pinakagwapo ba kini nga design sa tanan?
A. Oo, pinakagwapo kini nga design sa tanan.
B. Oo, kini pinakagwapo design sa tanan.
C. Oo, design kini pinakagwapo sa tanan.

Q4. Ngano gwapo ra ka bisan walay pahulay?
A. Gwapo ra ko kay naka-relax ko kagabii.
B. Ko gwapo ra kay naka-relax kagabii ko.
C. Naka-relax kagabii gwapo ra ko kay.

Q5. Kinsa’y naay gwapo-gwapo nga proposal para sa proyekto?
A. Si Leo naay gwapo-gwapo nga proposal.
B. Naay si Leo gwapo-gwapo proposal.
C. Proposal gwapo-gwapo naay si Leo.

Answer key with brief explanations

• Q1 → A is correct. Predicate gwapo kaayo precedes the subject. B and C jumble article order.
• Q2 → A is correct. Proper comparative: “Mas gwapo ang X kaysa Y.” B and C misplace elements.
• Q3 → A is correct. Pinakagwapo directly precedes kini; B and C mis-order demonstrative and noun.
• Q4 → A is correct. Predicate first, then reason. B lacks clear subject-predicate sequence; C scrambles word order.
• Q5 → A is correct. Structure “naay + subject + description” is intact; B and C break the pattern.