sais syentos

1. Part of Speech, Meaning, and Example Sentences

• Part of speech: numeral (cardinal)
• Meaning: “sais syentos” = six hundred (600)

Example sentences

• Naay sais syentos ka tawo sa seremonya. — There are six hundred people at the ceremony.
• Gipalit niya ang sais syentos ka itlog. — He bought six hundred eggs.
• Ang kantidad kay sais syentos pesos. — The amount is six hundred pesos.

2. Number Origin

• Spanish-based compound (Spanish seiscientos → Cebuano sais syentos).
• Native Bisaya equivalent: unom ka gatos (heard mainly in formal or traditional contexts).

3. Cebuano vs Spanish Number Systems

• Native series (unom ka gatos = 600; unom ka gatos ug usa = 601) shows up in ritual speech, folk songs, and some rural counting.
• Spanish series (sais syentos, sais syentos uno, …) dominates in prices, dates, pagination, time jokes, and urban conversation.
• Mixing systems inside a single numeral is avoided (✓ sais syentos kinyentos for 650; ✗ unom ka gatos ug singkwenta).

4. Detailed Usage

• Formal spelling sais syentos; colloquially sometimes says syentos.
• When counting nouns, always add the classifier ka: sais syentos ka lapis.
• In playful “clock” jokes: alas otso ug sais syentos (8 : 600 — obviously humorous).
• Often used alone as a concise reply about quantity or cost: “Sais syentos.”

5. Five Common Pitfalls

1. Writing the pure-Spanish form seiscientos in Cebuano contexts.
2. Mixing native and Spanish elements (unom ka gatos ug bente ✗).
3. Mis-stressing (correct saís syén-tos, not sais syen-tós).
4. Dropping ka before a noun (sais syentos libro ✗ → sais syentos ka libro ✓).
5. Omitting the unit when stating prices (sais syentos ✗ → sais syentos pesos ✓).

6. Common Collocations

• sais syentos pesos — 600 pesos
• sais syentos ka minuto — 600 minutes
• sais syentos ka adlaw — 600 days
• sais syentos anyos — 600 years old (hyperbole)
• sais syentos ka piraso — 600 pieces

7. Common Mistakes to Watch For

• Misspelling (sais syentus, seis syentos).
• Adding mga before the numeral (mga sais syentos ka …).
• Forgetting ug in playful time phrases (alas nuwebe sais syentos ✗).
• Using only Arabic numerals in formal prose (600 ka minuto) without the word form.
• Saying syentos sais for 600 (missing the hundreds prefix).

8. Five Frequent Conversational Phrases

• Sais syentos tanan. — The total is 600.
• Na-late ko ug sais syentos ka minuto. — I was 600 minutes late.
• Sais syentos ra gyod! — Make it just 600!
• Sais syentos ang budget. — The budget is 600.
• Quota kay sais syentos ka buok. — The quota is 600 pieces.

9. Five Everyday Conversation Exchanges

1. A: Pila ang pamasahe? — How much is the fare?
   B: Sais syentos pesos ra. — Only 600 pesos.
2. A: Tag-pila ning mansanas? — How much are these apples?
   B: Sais syentos pesos ang kilo. — 600 pesos per kilo.
3. A: Unsa kadugay ang leksiyon? — How long is the lesson?
   B: Mga sais syentos ka minuto. — About 600 minutes.
4. A: Pila kabuok bisita? — How many guests are there?
   B: Naay sais syentos ka bisita. — There are 600 guests.
5. A: Unsang oras nagsugod ang salida? — What time did the show start?
   B: Alas siyete ug sais syentos (joke). — At 7 : 600 (clearly humorous).

10. Multiple-Choice Dialogue Questions

Q1. Pila ang imong allowance? — How much is your allowance?
A. Pesos allowance sais syentos akong.
B. Sais syentos pesos akong allowance.
C. Allowance akong sais syentos pesos.

Q2. Pila ka adlaw ang workshop? — How many days is the workshop?
A. Sais syentos ka adlaw.
B. Ka adlaw sais syentos.
C. Sais syentos adlaw ka.

Q3. Unsa kadugay ang biyahe? — How long is the trip?
A. Sais syentos ka minuto ang biyahe.
B. Ka minuto sais syentos ang biyahe.
C. Ang biyahe sais syentos ka minuto ang.

Q4. Pila kabuok estudyante sa klase? — How many students are in the class?
A. Estudyante sais syentos ka naa.
B. Sais syentos ka estudyante naa.
C. Naa sais syentos ka estudyante ka.

Q5. Unsang oras ka miabot? — What time did you arrive?
A. Miabot ko sais syentos alas dos ug.
B. Ko miabot sais syentos ug alas dos.
C. Alas dos ug sais syentos ko miabot.

Answer Key