1. Part of Speech, Meaning, and Example Sentences
- Part of speech: numeral (cardinal)
- Meaning: “mil” = one thousand (1 000)
| Cebuano sentence | English translation |
|---|---|
| Naay mil ka tao sa rally. | There are one thousand people at the rally. |
| Mopalit sila ug mil ka itlog karong adlawa. | They will buy one thousand eggs today. |
| Ang kantidad kay mil pesos. | The amount is one thousand pesos. |
2. Number Origin
- Spanish-based (borrowed straight from Spanish mil).
- Formal native Bisaya counterpart: libo (e.g., usa ka libo).
3. Cebuano vs Spanish Number Systems
| Aspect | Native series (e.g., usa ka libo) | Spanish series (e.g., mil, mil uno) |
|---|---|---|
| Typical domains | Ceremonial speech, folk songs | Prices, dates, page numbers, daily talk |
| Word order | “<digit> ka libo” | “mil <units>” |
| Mixing rule | Avoid mixing inside a single number | Stick to one system |
4. Detailed Usage Notes
- Spelling & pronunciation: /mil/ (one syllable).
- Use the classifier ka with countable nouns: mil ka saging (1 000 bananas).
- Fixed form: unlike smaller hundreds, mil does not change for gender or plural.
- For playful time jokes you may hear alas otso ug mil (8 : 1000 – obviously comedic).
- Stands alone to quote a price/total: “Mil.”
5. Five Common Pitfalls
| Pitfall | Quick fix |
|---|---|
| Writing 1 000 without the word in formal Cebuano | Use mil or usa ka libo |
| Mixing systems (libo ug singko) | Say mil singko or usa ka libo ug singko consistently |
| Adding plural marker mga (mga mil ka …) | Drop mga |
| Mis-counting without ka (mil estudyante) | mil ka estudyante |
| Forgetting the unit in money (mil → mil pesos) | Always state the peso/quantity unit |
6. Common Collocations
- mil pesos – ₱1 000
- mil ka minuto – 1 000 minutes
- mil ka adlaw – 1 000 days
- mil anyos – 1 000 years (hyperbole)
- mil ka piraso – 1 000 pieces
7. Common Mistakes & Things to Watch Out For
- Misspelling mil as meal/meel in informal chats.
- Saying syentos mil (redundant) instead of simply mil.
- Using mil for decimals (₱1.5k → mil kag tunga or usa ka libo ug lima ka gatos).
- Mixing English digits and Cebuano syntax in formal writing (1 000 ka minuto).
- Forgetting stress: keep it a single unstressed syllable.
8. Five Frequent Conversational Phrases
- Mil tanan. – The total is one thousand.
- Na-late ko ug mil ka minuto. – I was 1 000 minutes late.
- Mil ra gyod! – Make it only one thousand!
- Mil ang budget. – The budget is one thousand.
- Quota kay mil ka buok. – The quota is one thousand pieces.
9. Five Mini-Dialogues
| # | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A: Pila ang pamasahe? B: Mil pesos ra. | How much is the fare? – Only ₱1 000. |
| 2 | A: Tag-pila ning ubas? B: Mil pesos ang kilo. | How much are these grapes? – ₱1 000 per kilo. |
| 3 | A: Unsa kadugay ang leksiyon? B: Mga mil ka minuto. | How long is the lesson? – About 1 000 minutes. |
| 4 | A: Pila kabuok bisita? B: Naay mil ka bisita. | How many guests? – There are 1 000. |
| 5 | A: Unsang oras nagsugod ang salida? B: Alas siyete ug mil (joke). | What time did the show start? – 7 : 1000 (just kidding). |
10. Multiple-Choice Dialogue Questions
Q1. Pila ang imong allowance?
A. Pesos allowance mil akong.
B. Mil pesos akong allowance.
C. Allowance akong mil pesos.
Q2. Pila ka adlaw ang training?
A. Mil ka adlaw.
B. Ka adlaw mil.
C. Mil adlaw ka.
Q3. Unsa kadugay ang biyahe?
A. Mil ka minuto ang biyahe.
B. Ka minuto mil ang biyahe.
C. Ang biyahe mil ka minuto ang.
Q4. Pila kabuok estudyante sa klase?
A. Mil ka estudyante naa.
B. Estudyante mil ka naa.
C. Naa mil ka estudyante ka.
Q5. Unsang oras ka miabot?
A. Ko miabot mil ug alas dos.
B. Miabot ko mil alas dos ug.
C. Alas dos ug mil ko miabot.
Answer Key
| Q | Correct | Simple reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | Proper: numeral + pesos + “akong allowance”. |
| 2 | A | Pattern: numeral + ka + noun. |
| 3 | A | Sequence: numeral + ka + minutes + topic noun. |
| 4 | A | Numeral phrase precedes existential naa. |
| 5 | C | Cebuano time: “Alas [hour] ug [minutes].” |
