1. Part of Speech, Meaning, and Example Sentences
- Part of speech: numeral (cardinal)
- Meaning: “mil kinyentos” = one thousand five hundred (1 500)
| Cebuano sentence | English translation |
|---|---|
| Naay mil kinyentos ka upuan sa auditorio. | There are 1 500 seats in the auditorium. |
| Nag-order sila ug mil kinyentos ka itlog. | They ordered 1 500 eggs. |
| Ang kantidad kay mil kinyentos pesos. | The amount is one thousand five hundred pesos. |
2. Number Origin
- Spanish-based compound: mil (1 000) + kinyentos (500, from quinientos).
- Native Bisaya counterpart: usa ka libo ug lima ka gatos (very formal).
3. Cebuano vs Spanish Number Systems
| Aspect | Native series (e.g., usa ka libo ug lima ka gatos) | Spanish series (e.g., mil kinyentos) |
|---|---|---|
| Domains | Ceremonial speech, folk literature | Prices, dates, page numbers, daily talk |
| Form | digit + ka libo/gatos + linker | mil + hundreds (kinyentos) |
| Mixing | Avoid mixing inside one number | Spanish chain preferred in modern use |
4. Detailed Usage Notes
- Pronunciation: /mil kiˈɲentos/ (three syllables in kinyentos).
- Classifier: insert ka with counted nouns → mil kinyentos ka libro.
- Clock joke: alas otso ug mil kinyentos (8 : 1 500 – obviously humorous).
- Can stand alone for totals or prices: “Mil kinyentos.”
5. Five Common Pitfalls
| Pitfall | Correction |
|---|---|
| Writing 1 500 alone in formal Cebuano | Use the word form mil kinyentos |
| Mixing native & Spanish (usa ka libo kinyentos) | Stick to one system consistently |
| Stressing the wrong syllables | MÍL ki-NYÉN-tos |
| Dropping ka before nouns (mil kinyentos estudyante) | mil kinyentos ka estudyante |
| Forgetting the unit in money (mil kinyentos) | mil kinyentos pesos |
6. Common Collocations
- mil kinyentos pesos — ₱1 500
- mil kinyentos ka minuto — 1 500 minutes
- mil kinyentos ka adlaw — 1 500 days
- mil kinyentos anyos — 1 500 years old (hyperbole)
- mil kinyentos ka piraso — 1 500 pieces
7. Common Mistakes & Warnings
- Misspelling (mil quinientos, mil kinyentus).
- Adding mga before the numeral (mga mil kinyentos ka …).
- Using English digits only in formal prose (1 500 ka minuto).
- Forgetting ug in native form if switching systems.
- Saying syentos mil kinyentos (redundant).
8. Five Frequent Conversational Phrases
- Mil kinyentos tanan. – The total is 1 500.
- Na-late ko ug mil kinyentos ka minuto. – I was 1 500 minutes late.
- Mil kinyentos ra gyod! – Make it just 1 500!
- Mil kinyentos ang budget. – The budget is 1 500.
- Quota kay mil kinyentos ka buok. – The quota is 1 500 pieces.
9. Five Mini-Dialogues
| # | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A: Pila ang pamasahe? B: Mil kinyentos pesos ra. | How much is the fare? – Only ₱1 500. |
| 2 | A: Tag-pila ning mangga? B: Mil kinyentos pesos ang kilo. | How much are the mangoes? – ₱1 500 per kilo. |
| 3 | A: Unsa kadugay ang leksiyon? B: Mga mil kinyentos ka minuto. | How long is the lesson? – About 1 500 minutes. |
| 4 | A: Pila kabuok bisita? B: Naay mil kinyentos ka bisita. | How many guests? – There are 1 500. |
| 5 | A: Unsang oras nagsugod ang salida? B: Alas siyete ug mil kinyentos (joke). | What time did the show start? – 7 : 1 500 (just kidding). |
10. Multiple-Choice Dialogue Questions
Q1. Pila ang imong allowance?
A. Allowance akong mil kinyentos pesos.
B. Pesos allowance mil kinyentos akong.
C. Mil kinyentos pesos akong allowance.
Q2. Pila ka adlaw ang training?
A. Mil kinyentos adlaw ka.
B. Mil kinyentos ka adlaw.
C. Ka adlaw mil kinyentos.
Q3. Unsa kadugay ang biyahe?
A. Mil kinyentos ka minuto ang biyahe.
B. Ka minuto mil kinyentos ang biyahe.
C. Ang biyahe mil kinyentos ka minuto ang.
Q4. Pila kabuok estudyante sa klase?
A. Estudyante mil kinyentos ka naa.
B. Mil kinyentos ka estudyante naa.
C. Naa mil kinyentos ka estudyante ka.
Q5. Unsang oras ka miabot?
A. Miabot ko mil kinyentos alas dos ug.
B. Ko miabot mil kinyentos ug alas dos.
C. Alas dos ug mil kinyentos ko miabot.
Answer Key
| Q | Correct | Reason (simple English) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | Correct order: numeral → pesos → “akong allowance.” |
| 2 | B | Pattern: numeral + ka + noun. |
| 3 | A | Sequence: numeral + ka + minutes + topic noun. |
| 4 | B | Numeral phrase comes before naa. |
| 5 | C | Cebuano time format “Alas [hour] ug [minutes].” |
