syento

« Back to Glossary Index

1. Part of Speech, Meaning, and Example Sentences

  • Part of Speech: numeral (cardinal)
  • Meaning: “syento” means one hundred (100).

Example sentences

2. Number Origin

  • Spanish-based (from Spanish ciento).
  • The native Cebuano term for 100 is gatos (used mainly in highly formal or traditional contexts).

3. Cebuano vs Spanish Numerals

  • Native series (gatos = 100, gatos ug usa = 101) appears in folk songs, rituals, and some rural speech.
  • Spanish series (syento, syento uno, syento dos …) dominates in prices, dates, page numbers, time references, and ordinary urban conversation.
  • Speakers avoid mixing the two systems in one number (✓ syento sais, ✗ gatos ug sais).

4. Detailed Usage Notes

  • Colloquial spellings “siento / ciento” occur, but “syento” is the standard Cebuano orthography.
  • Always add the classifier ka when counting nouns: syento ka tawo.
  • For exaggerated or humorous time: alas otso ug syento (8:100 → 9:40).
  • Can stand alone as a concise answer: “Syento.”

5. Five Common Pitfalls

  1. Writing pure-Spanish ciento in Cebuano documents.
  2. Mixing native and Spanish systems in one figure (gatos ug singko ✗).
  3. Mis-stressing the word (correct syén-to, not syen-tó).
  4. Omitting ka before a noun (syento libro ✗ → syento ka libro ✓).
  5. Forgetting to state the unit when talking about money (syento ✗ → syento pesos ✓).

6. Common Collocations

7. Common Mistakes to Watch For

  • Spelling it as siento / ciento in formal Cebuano writing.
  • Adding mga before the numeral (mga syento ka …).
  • Omitting ug in playful time expressions (alas nuwebe syento ✗).
  • Saying syento lima for 105 instead of syento singko.
  • Using Arabic numerals + ka alone in formal prose (100 ka minuto) without the word.

8. Five Frequent Conversational Phrases

• Syento tanan. — It totals one hundred.
• Na-late ko ug syento ka minuto. — I was one hundred minutes late.
• Syento ra gyod! — Make it just one hundred!
• Syento ang akong edad. — I am one hundred years old.
• Quota kay syento ka buok. — The quota is one hundred pieces.

9. Five Everyday Conversation Exchanges

  1. A: Pila ang pamasahe? — How much is the fare?
    B: Syento pesos ra. — Only one hundred pesos.
  2. A: Tag-pila ning mansanas? — How much are these apples?
    B: Syento pesos ang kilo. — One hundred pesos per kilo.
  3. A: Unsa kadugay ang presentasyon? — How long is the presentation?
    B: Mga syento ka minuto. — About one hundred minutes.
  4. A: Pila kabuok bisita? — How many guests are there?
    B: Naay syento ka bisita. — There are one hundred guests.
  5. A: Unsang oras nagsugod ang salida? — What time did the show start?
    B: Alas nuwebe ug syento (joking). — At 9:100 (a playful way to say 10:40).

10. Multiple-Choice Dialogue Questions

Q1. Pila ang imong allowance? — How much is your allowance?
A. Pesos allowance syento akong.
B. Syento pesos akong allowance.
C. Allowance akong syento pesos.

Q2. Pila ka adlaw ang training? — How many days is the training?
A. Syento adlaw ka.
B. Ka adlaw syento.
C. Syento ka adlaw.

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

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

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

Answer Key

  • Q1 – B — Correct order: numeral + pesos + “akong allowance.”
  • Q2 – C — Proper counting pattern: numeral + ka + noun.
  • Q3 – A — Sequence: numeral + ka + minutes + topic noun.
  • Q4 – A — Numeral phrase precedes existential naa.
  • Q5 – B — Cebuano time format: “Alas [hour] ug [minutes].”
« Back to Glossary Index
Copied title and URL