Cebuano Word Focus: pero
1 Part of Speech, Meaning, and Example Sentences
- Part of speech: Conjunction (contrastive)
- Meaning: “but / however” – introduces a statement that contrasts with what was said before.
Example sentences
- Gusto ko mokaon, pero wala koy kwarta. – “I want to eat, but I have no money.”
- Miadto siya sa sine, pero wala ko miuban. – “He went to the movie, but I didn’t go with him.”
- Init kaayo karon, pero mag-uwan siguro unya. – “It is very hot now, but it might rain later.”
2 Points to Keep in Mind When Learning Conjunctions like pero
- Contrast only: pero must link two ideas that are somehow opposite or surprising.
- Main clause first: In everyday speech the first clause comes before pero; reversing the order is rare.
- No comma needed in informal writing; a brief pause in speech marks the contrast.
- Avoid stacking connectors: Do not add ug, kay, or tungod kay right after pero.
- Register: pero is neutral and works in both casual and formal settings; alternatives such as apan (formal) or bisan pa (emphatic) exist.
3 Common Collocations with pero
- gusto … pero … – “want … but …”
- nag- / mi- / mo- verb … pero … – any verb phrase joined to a contrasting clause
- init pero presko – “hot but breezy” (adjective + pero + adjective)
- maayo pero mahal – “good but expensive”
- niadto pero wala – “went but did not …”
4 Typical Position in a Sentence
Main clause pero contrast clause
Nag-study ko, pero nag-kapoy na ko. – “I am studying, but I’m already tired.”
5 Five Conversational Phrases
- Ganahan ko mo-adto, pero busy ko karon. – “I’d like to go, but I’m busy now.”
- Maayo ang panahon, pero mag-dala ta payong. – “The weather is fine, but let’s bring an umbrella.”
- Lami ni, pero mahal. – “This is delicious, but expensive.”
- Pwede ka mu-hulam, pero ibalik dayon ha. – “You may borrow it, but return it quickly, okay?”
- Gusto ko mokaon dessert, pero busog na ko. – “I want dessert, but I’m already full.”
6 Five Simple Conversation Exchanges Using pero
- A: Ganahan ka mokaon pizza?
B: Ganahan unta ko, pero nag-diet ko.
— “Do you want to eat pizza?” / “I would like to, but I’m on a diet.” - A: Nindot ang salida?
B: Nindot pero taas kaayo.
— “Is the movie good?” / “Good but very long.” - A: Moadto ka sa beach ugma?
B: Plano nako, pero tan-awon pa nako ang panahon.
— “Will you go to the beach tomorrow?” / “I plan to, but I’ll still check the weather.” - A: Paliton nimo ni?
B: Gusto ko, pero wala koy budget.
— “Will you buy this?” / “I’d like to, but I have no budget.” - A: Nag-praktis ka sa Cebuano adlaw-adlaw?
B: Oo, pero usahay makalimot ko.
— “Do you practice Cebuano every day?” / “Yes, but sometimes I forget.”
7 Multiple-Choice Dialogue Questions
Q1. Ganahan ka mokaon, pero busog na ka ba?
A. Busog na ko pero ganahan ko mokaon.
B. Ganahan busog na ko pero mokaon.
C. Ganahan ko mokaon busog na pero ko.
Q2. Mo-adto ka sa mall, pero walay kwarta ka?
A. Mall ka mo-adto pero walay kwarta ka.
B. Mo-adto ko sa mall pero walay ko’y kwarta.
C. Kwarta walay pero mo-adto ko sa mall ko.
Q3. Nindot ba ang weather karon, pero init kaayo?
A. Nindot pero init kaayo ang weather karon.
B. Init kaayo weather pero nindot karon ang.
C. Ang weather karon nindot init kaayo pero.
Q4. Nakapalit ka sa libro, pero mahal ra ba?
A. Nakapalit ko sa libro pero mahal ra gyod.
B. Sa libro nakapalit mahal pero ra ko gyod.
C. Mahalon pero nakapalit sa libro ko ra.
Q5. Nag-tuon ka karon, pero gikapoy ka?
A. Nag-tuon gikapoy ka pero karon.
B. Gikapoy ko pero nag-tuon ko karon.
C. Karon gikapoy ko nag-tuon pero.
Answer Key & Simple Explanations
- Q1: A – Correct pattern: statement first, then contrast clause after pero.
- Q2: B – Subject-verb phrase followed by pero reason; others scramble subject and object.
- Q3: A – “Nindot pero init kaayo” keeps adjectives parallel; other choices mis-order words.
- Q4: A – Proper declarative clause with pero introducing the price contrast.
- Q5: B – Main clause first, contrasting state after pero; others lack logical order.
