Cebuano Word: maestro
(Meaning: male teacher; instructor; sometimes used for conductors or masters in a skill)
1. Part of Speech & Meaning
2. Singular & Plural Forms
3. Typical Slot in a Sentence
- Subject: Ang maestro nagtudlo sa matematika. — “The teacher teaches mathematics.”
- Object: Girespeto nila ang maestro sa klase. — “They respect the teacher in class.”
- Locative phrase: Naa pa ang maestro sa klasrum karon. — “The teacher is still in the classroom now.”
4. Common Collocations
- bag-ong maestro — new teacher
- mga maestro sa high school — high-school teachers
- maayong maestro — good teacher
- maestro ug estudyante — teacher and student
- maestro sa musika — music teacher / conductor
5. Detailed Usage
- Used for any male educator at elementary, high-school, or even specialized training levels.
- In public schools, students politely say Maestro! when calling him.
- To show respect, pair with the surname: Maestro Delgado.
- When referring to professional mastery (e.g., master carpenter), maestro may also appear figuratively.
6. Common Mistakes to Watch For
- • Writing maestros for plural; always use mga maestro.
- • Dropping ang / sa when maestro is the subject or object.
- • Forgetting nga after an adjective (bag-o maestro ❌ → bag-ong maestro ✅).
- • Using maestro for a female teacher (use maestra).
7. Conversational Phrases
- Kinsa imong maestro? — “Who is your teacher?”
- Asa ang maestro karon? — “Where is the teacher now?”
- Paminaw sa giingon sa maestro. — “Listen to what the teacher says.”
- Maayo kaayo ang among maestro. — “Our teacher is very good.”
- Ang maestro nag-hatag ug exam ugma. — “The teacher will give an exam tomorrow.”
8. Everyday Conversation Exchanges
Exchange 1
A: Asa nag-puyo ang inyong maestro?
B: Duol ra sa eskuylahan.
Exchange 2
A: Kinsa ang pulihan nga maestro karong semana?
B: Si Maestro Cruz.
Exchange 3
A: Unsa’y paboritong subject sa maestro?
B: Siyensya kuno.
Exchange 4
A: Ngano nga wala ang maestro karon?
B: Ni-attend og seminar.
Exchange 5
A: Kanus-a mo-pahuway ang maestro?
B: Human sa alas-dose nga break.
Question–Answer Exercise
Part 1 – Questions with Shuffled Answer Choices
- Asa nag-tudlo ang maestro karon?
- Unsa’y gipalit sa maestro?
- Kinsa ang mo-tabang sa maestro ugma?
- Kanus-a nimo gi-kontak ang maestro?
- Ngano nga nag-pahuway ang maestro?
Part 2 – Correct Answers
- Correct sentence: B — Sa librarya nag-tudlo ang maestro karon.
Location phrase first; then verb + subject for natural Cebuano order. - Correct sentence: A — Ang lapis gipalit sa maestro.
The bought item “ang lapis” is front-focused before the verb phrase. - Correct sentence: A — Si Ana ang mo-tabang sa maestro ugma.
Personal name introduced by Si; ang marks her as helper. - Correct sentence: A — Kanus-a nimo gi-kontak ang maestro.
Question word “Kanus-a” leads; pronoun + verb + object follow. - Correct sentence: A — Tungod sa kapoy nag-pahuway ang maestro.
Cause phrase in front; verb-subject order afterward.