1. Part of Speech, Meaning, and Example Sentences
- Part of speech: numeral (cardinal)
- Meaning: “singko mil” = five thousand (5 000)
| Cebuano sentence | English translation |
|---|---|
| Naay singko mil ka upuan sa arena. | There are five thousand seats in the arena. |
| Gipalit namo ang singko mil ka itlog. | We bought five thousand eggs. |
| Ang kantidad kay singko mil pesos. | The amount is five thousand pesos. |
2. Number Origin
- Spanish-based compound (singko = 5, mil = 1 000).
- Native Bisaya equivalent: lima ka libo (used only in very formal speech).
3. Cebuano vs Spanish Series
| Feature | Native series (lima ka libo ug lima ka gatos = 5 500) | Spanish series (singko mil, singko mil kinyentos) |
|---|---|---|
| Typical setting | Ceremonial, folk, rural | Prices, dates, everyday talk |
| Structure | digit + ka libo + linker | singko mil + hundreds |
| Mixing | Avoid mixing inside one figure | Keep Spanish chain intact |
4. Usage Details
- Pronunciation: /ˈsiŋ.ko ˈmil/ (stress on sín).
- With nouns: add ka → singko mil ka libro.
- No plural change: mil never changes form.
- Humorous time joke: alas siyete ug singko mil (7 : 5 000 – obviously comic).
- Very common in price haggling and invoices: ₱5 000 = singko mil.
5. Five Common Pitfalls
| Pitfall | Quick fix |
|---|---|
| Writing “5000 ka …” in formal Cebuano | Spell out singko mil |
| Mixing native + Spanish (lima ka libo kinyentos) | Stick to singko mil kinyentos or lima ka libo ug kinyentos |
| Omitting ka (singko mil tawo) | singko mil ka tawo |
| Forgetting the peso/unit word | singko mil pesos |
| Mis-stressing (singkó mil) | SÍNG-ko mil |
6. Common Collocations
- singko mil pesos – ₱5 000
- singko mil ka minuto – 5 000 minutes
- singko mil ka adlaw – 5 000 days
- singko mil anyos – 5 000 years (hyperbole)
- singko mil ka piraso – 5 000 pieces
7. Common Mistakes & Warnings
- Misspellings (cinco mil, singko meal).
- Adding mga before the numeral (mga singko mil ka …).
- Using comma digits (5,000 ka…) in formal Cebuano.
- Saying mil singko (reversed).
- Dropping ug if you revert to native pattern.
8. Five Handy Conversational Phrases
- Singko mil tanan. – The total is 5 000.
- Na-late ko ug singko mil ka minuto. – I was 5 000 minutes late.
- Singko mil ra gyod! – Make it just five thousand!
- Singko mil ang budget. – The budget is 5 000.
- Quota kay singko mil ka buok. – The quota is 5 000 pieces.
9. Five Mini-Dialogues
| # | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A: Pila ang pamasahe? B: Singko mil pesos ra. | Only ₱5 000. |
| 2 | A: Tag-pila ning mansanas? B: Singko mil pesos ang kilo. | ₱5 000 per kilo. |
| 3 | A: Unsa kadugay ang lecture? B: Mga singko mil ka minuto. | About 5 000 minutes. |
| 4 | A: Pila kabuok bisita? B: Naay singko mil ka bisita. | There are 5 000 guests. |
| 5 | A: Unsang oras nagsugod ang show? B: Alas otso ug singko mil (joke). | At 8 : 5 000 (clearly joking). |
10. Multiple-Choice Dialogue Questions
Q1. Pila ang imong allowance?
A. Singko mil pesos akong allowance.
B. Allowance akong singko mil pesos.
C. Pesos allowance singko mil akong.
Q2. Pila ka adlaw ang retreat?
A. Singko mil ka adlaw.
B. Ka adlaw singko mil.
C. Singko mil adlaw ka.
Q3. Unsa kadugay ang biyahe?
A. Ka minuto singko mil ang biyahe.
B. Singko mil ka minuto ang biyahe.
C. Ang biyahe singko mil ka minuto ang.
Q4. Pila kabuok estudyante sa klase?
A. Estudyante singko mil ka naa.
B. Naa singko mil ka estudyante ka.
C. Singko mil ka estudyante naa.
Q5. Unsang oras ka miabot?
A. Ko miabot singko mil ug alas dos.
B. Alas dos ug singko mil ko miabot.
C. Miabot ko singko mil alas dos ug.
Answer Key
| Q | Correct Choice | Simple Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | Correct order: numeral + pesos + “akong allowance.” |
| 2 | A | Counting form: numeral + ka + noun. |
| 3 | B | Proper sequence: numeral + ka + minutes + topic. |
| 4 | C | Numeral phrase stands before existential naa. |
| 5 | B | Time format “Alas [h] ug [min].” |
