ra

Cebuano Word: ra

1 Part of Speech, Meaning, and Example Sentences

• Part of speech: Adverb / enclitic particle (limitation)
• Core meaning: “only,” “just,” “merely” — limits the scope or quantity of the word it follows.

Example sentences

• Usa ra ka kilo ang gipalit ko. — I bought only one kilo.
• Sa balay ra ko karon. — I am just at home now.
• Ikaw ra ang akong gihulat. — You are the only one I am waiting for.

2 Learning Points for Cebuano Adverbs (focus on ra)

1. Post-position. Ra always comes after the word or phrase it restricts.
2. No stress change. Unlike English “only,” ra never moves for emphasis; move the restricted element instead.
3. Combine with negatives carefully. Wa ra can imply “nothing but,” so context must be clear.
4. Tone marker. Used in polite refusals: “Gam-ay ra ko mokaon.” (I will eat just a little.)
5. Invariable. Do not add affixes or change form; ra stays the same in all contexts.

3 Common Collocations

• karon ra – only now
• ikaw ra – only you
• diri ra – only here
• usas ra ka (unit) – just one (unit)
• dato ra sila – they alone are rich

4 Typical Sentence Position

• Immediately after the limited word:
  • “Daghang tubig ra ang gikinahanglan.”
  • “Si Ana ra ang niabot.”

5 Five Frequently Used Conversational Phrases

• “Usa ra ko ka minuto.” — I’ll be just a minute.
• “Gam-ay ra kayo ang budget.” — The budget is really small.
• “Tan-aw ra ko, dili ko mopalit.” — I’m just looking, I won’t buy.
• “Diri ra ko kutob.” — I’ll stop right here.
• “Text ra usa ko nimo ha.” — I’ll just text you for now, okay?

6 Five Simple Everyday Conversation Exchanges

1. A: Tagpila ra ang ticket?
   B: Ciento pesos ra.
   A: How much is the ticket only?
   B: Just one hundred pesos.
2. A: Kinsa ray mo-uban nimo?
   B: Si Mia ra ang kuyog nako.
   A: Who else is going with you?
   B: Only Mia will accompany me.
3. A: Adto ra ka sa mall?
   B: Oo, sa grocery ra ko didto.
   A: Are you going only to the mall?
   B: Yes, I’m just going to the grocery there.
4. A: Unsay imong kaonon?
   B: Kan-on ra, walay sud-an.
   A: What will you eat?
   B: Rice only, no viand.
5. A: Naa kay oras karon?
   B: Kadyot ra gyud, busy ko unya.
   A: Do you have time now?
   B: Just a moment, I’ll be busy later.

7 Multiple-Choice Dialogue Questions

Q1. Paliton ra ba nimo ang libro?
A. Ang libro ra paliton nako.
B. Paliton ra nako ang libro.
C. Ra paliton ang libro nako.

Q2. Ikaw ra ba modala sa bata?
A. Modala ra ko sa bata.
B. Sa bata ra ko modala.
C. Ko modala ra sa bata.

Q3. Naa ra siya sa balay?
A. Sa balay ra siya naa.
B. Siya ra naa sa balay.
C. Naa ra siya sa balay.

Q4. Gam-ay ra ba ang bayad?
A. Ra gam-ay ang bayad.
B. Gam-ay ra ang bayad.
C. Bayad gam-ay ra ang.

Q5. Karon ra ka ni-abot?
A. Ni-abot ra ka karon.
B. Karon ra ka ni-abot.
C. Ka karon ni-abot ra.

Answer Key

• Q1 – B Proper order: verb + ra + object; ra follows the verb it limits.
• Q2 – A Verb phrase first, ra right after verb, object last.
• Q3 – C Predicate naa ra, subject, location; ra follows the verb.
• Q4 – B Adjective gam-ay immediately followed by ra, then subject.
• Q5 – B Time phrase first, verb, ra after time-limited element.