tag-pila

Cebuano Word: tag-pila

1 Part of Speech · Meaning · Example Sentences

• Part of speech: interrogative adjective / interrogative adverbial phrase
• Core meaning: “how much each?” or “how much is it per unit?”

Everyday example sentences

• • Tag-pila ni? – How much is this (each)?
• • Tag-pila ang kilo sa saging? – How much is a kilo of bananas?
• • Tag-pila ang plete sa traysikad? – How much is the pedicab fare per ride?

2 Learning Points for Cebuano Interrogatives

• Prefix tag-: attaches to a number or interrogative to express “per” or “each.”
• Focus on unit price: Always implies a price for one unit, not the total cost (pila tanan).
• Sentence-initial: In questions, tag-pila normally opens the clause.
• Particle man for tone: Tag-pila man ang ticket? softens the query.
• Informal dropping of the noun: If the item is obvious, speakers ask simply Tag-pila?

3 Common Collocations

• tag-pila ni – how much is this each
• tag-pila ang kilo – how much per kilo
• tag-pila ra – only how much each
• tag-pila ang plete – how much is the fare per ride
• tag-pila diay – actually, how much each

4 Typical Position in a Sentence

Direct question pattern

Tag-pila + ang + noun / measure word
Tag-pila ang kilo sa kape? – How much is a kilo of coffee?

Indirect question pattern

verb + tag-pila + clause
Gusto ko mahibalo tag-pila ang kwarto kada gabii. – I want to know how much the room is per night.

5 Five Frequent Conversational Phrases

• Tag-pila ni tanan? – How much is this each in total?
• Tag-pila ang baso sa gatas? – How much is a glass of milk?
• Tag-pila ang renta sa adlaw? – How much is the daily rent?
• Tag-pila ra ni, kuya? – How much is this, sir?
• Tag-pila pa ni sa diskwento? – How much each after discount?

6 Five Mini-Dialogues

1. A: Tag-pila ang mangga? – How much is the mango each?
   B: Bente pesos ra. – Just twenty pesos.
2. A: Tag-pila ang litrato per print? – How much is each photo print?
   B: Singko pesos usa. – Five pesos each.
3. A: Tag-pila ang kwarto kada gabii? – How much is the room per night?
   B: Otso gatos pesos. – Eight hundred pesos.
4. A: Tag-pila ang tiket sa sine? – How much is a movie ticket?
   B: Dusyentos sa regular, tulo-ka-gatos sa VIP. – Two hundred for regular, three hundred for VIP.
5. A: Tag-pila ang kilo sa bigas karon? – How much is a kilo of rice today?
   B: Mga kap-atan pesos. – About forty pesos.

7 Multiple-Choice Dialogue Exercise

(For each item, choose the interrogative sentence with tag-pila that follows standard Cebuano word order. Exactly one option per question is correct.)

Q1. The shopper needs to ask the price per apple.
A. Tag-pila ang mansanas?
B. Mansanas tag-pila ang?
C. Ang tag-pila mansanas?

Q2. The commuter wonders about the jeepney fare per ride.
A. Plete tag-pila ang sa jeep?
B. Tag-pila ang plete sa jeep?
C. Ang plete tag-pila sa jeep?

Q3. Maria wants to know the cost per page of photocopy.
A. Tag-pila ang usa ka kopya?
B. Kopya usa ka tag-pila ang?
C. Ang tag-pila usa ka kopya?

Q4. The tourist asks the nightly rate of the hostel bed.
A. Tag-pila kada gabii ang higdaanan?
B. Kada gabii higdaanan tag-pila ang?
C. Ang higdaanan tag-pila kada gabii?

Q5. Carlo should ask how much each bottle of water costs.
A. Botelya tubig tag-pila ang?
B. Tag-pila ang botelya sa tubig?
C. Ang tag-pila botelya tubig?

Answer Key · Simple Explanations

• Q1 — Correct: A
  Tag-pila starts the sentence, followed by ang mansanas (the noun being priced).
• Q2 — Correct: B
  Standard order: Tag-pila ang plete sa jeep? – “How much is the jeep fare per ride?”
• Q3 — Correct: A
  Interrogative first, then ang usa ka kopya (“one copy”).
• Q4 — Correct: A
  Tag-pila precedes the time phrase kada gabii and the noun ang higdaanan.
• Q5 — Correct: B
  Proper pattern: Tag-pila + ang botelya sa tubig – “How much is a bottle of water?”

Why these choices are correct: In Cebuano direct questions, tag-pila must appear at the very beginning, immediately followed by ang plus the noun (or by a descriptive phrase containing that noun). Misplacing tag-pila or the focus marker disrupts normal grammar, rendering the other options incorrect.