pito

Cebuano word: pito — “seven”

1．Part of speech, meaning, and example sentences

• Part of speech: numeral / determiner (cardinal)
• Meaning: the quantity 7

Example sentences

• Pito ka estudyante ang mipasar sa pagsusulit. – Seven students passed the exam.
• Nag-order ko og pito ka pan. – I ordered seven bread rolls.
• Pito ra ko ka minuto nang-huwat. – I waited only seven minutes.

2．Cebuano or Spanish?

• pito – native Cebuano form
• syete – Spanish-based form for “seven”

3．When native vs Spanish numbers are used

1. Counting everyday objects / people: use pito (pito ka bata).
2. Clock time: Spanish set dominates (alas syete = 7 o’clock).
3. Money, formal measurements, phone numbers: usually syete or English “seven.”
4. Ordinals below 100: native root with ika- → ika-pito (“seventh”).
5. Idioms & casual speech: overwhelmingly prefer pito.

4．Detailed notes on using pito

• Core pattern: pito ka + noun → Pito ka tiket ang among gipalit.
• Set phrases without ka: pito ra (only seven), pito pa (seven more).
• Frequency adverb: Pito ka beses siya nag-praktis matag semana. – He practises seven times a week.
• Ordinal: ika-pito – the seventh.
• Word order: numeral comes directly before ka and the noun.

5．Five common pitfalls

1. Dropping the classifier (✗ pito mansanas → ✓ pito ka mansanas).
2. Doubling plural markers (✗ pito ka mga tawo).
3. Mixing syete into a sentence otherwise using native numerals.
4. Placing pito after the noun (✗ mansanas pito ka).
5. Using pito when an ordinal is required (✗ sa pito adlaw → ✓ sa ika-pito ka adlaw).

6．Common collocations

• pito ka + noun – seven …
• pito ra – only seven
• pito pa – seven more
• ika-pito – the seventh
• sa pito ka bulan – in seven months

7．Typical learner mistakes to watch for

• Reading the digit “7” in phone numbers as pito instead of syete.
• Stress slip: pronounce /PI-to/ (light first syllable), not “pee-TÓ.”
• Forgetting the linker in rapid speech (pito’g for pito og).
• Borrowing Tagalog syntax (Pitong libro …) in Cebuano sentences.
• Over-using pito when approximate words (mga, hapit) would sound kinder.

8．Five handy conversational phrases

• Pito ra mi kabuok karon. – There are only seven of us now.
• Pwede ko mangayo og pito pa ka kutsara? – May I have seven more spoons?
• Pito na lang ang nahibilin. – Only seven remain.
• Magkita ta mga pito ka oras gikan karon. – Let’s meet about seven hours from now.
• Pito ka beses nako gisulayan, nakaya ra gyud! – I tried seven times and finally did it!

9．Five short dialogue exchanges

1. A: Tag-pila ang pito ka saging?
   B: Traysinta pesos ra ang pito.
   – “How much are seven bananas?” – “Just thirty-six pesos for the seven.”
2. A: Pito ba ka adlaw ka mag-bakasyon?
   B: Oo, pito ra ko ka adlaw libre.
   – “Are you on vacation for seven days?” – “Yes, I’m free for only seven days.”
3. A: Naa kay pito ka tiket?
   B: Wala, unom ra ang nabilin.
   – “Do you have seven tickets?” – “No, only six are left.”
4. A: Pito na ka tuig sukad ta nag-ila, noh?
   B: Sakto, pito ka tuig na gyud.
   – “It’s been seven years since we met, right?” – “Correct, seven years indeed.”
5. A: Mopalit ta og pito ka botelya?
   B: Sige, pito ka botelya igo na.
   – “Shall we buy seven bottles?” – “Sure, seven bottles are enough.”

10．Multiple-choice dialogue questions

Q1. Pito ba ka libro imong gipalit?
A. Libro pito ka akong gipalit.
B. Pito ka libro akong gipalit.
C. Gipalit ko pito ka libro.

Q2. Pito ba mo ka adlaw mag-puyo dinhi?
A. Mag-puyo dinhi mo pito ka adlaw.
B. Dinhi pito ka adlaw mo mag-puyo.
C. Mo mag-puyo dinhi pito ka adlaw.

Q3. Pito ba ka bata ang nag-dula sa gawas?
A. Ang pito ka bata nag-dula sa gawas.
B. Sa gawas nag-dula pito ka bata.
C. Nag-dula pito ka bata sa gawas.

Q4. Pito ba ta ka botelya ang paliton?
A. Paliton ta pito ka botelya.
B. Botelya pito ka paliton ta.
C. Ta pito ka botelya paliton.

Q5. Pito ba sila ka beses ni-adto didto?
A. Didto sila pito ka beses ni-adto.
B. Ni-adto sila didto pito ka beses.
C. Pito ka beses sila didto ni-adto.

Answer key

• Q1 – Correct: B – Keeps numeral phrase pito ka libro directly before the subject and verb, matching normal declarative order.
• Q2 – Correct: C – Verb cluster mo mag-puyo is followed by place, then numeral phrase, which is a natural variant.
• Q3 – Correct: A – Fronted subject Ang pito ka bata before the verb is idiomatic.
• Q4 – Correct: A – Imperative pattern: verb + pronoun + object (pito ka botelya).
• Q5 – Correct: B – Frequency phrase pito ka beses placed at sentence end reads smoothly.