tren

Cebuano Word: tren
(noun — “train,” a rail-bound vehicle for transporting passengers or freight)

1. Part of Speech, Meaning, Usage, and Example Sentences

• Part of Speech: noun
• Meaning: a locomotive with carriages or wagons that moves on rails; can refer to passenger or freight trains.
• Typical Usage: usually paired with possessive or route markers (akong tren ticket, tren sa LRT); takes the plural marker mga when referring to several trains.
• Example sentences
  • Mosakay ta sa tren pa-Manila ugma. – We will ride the train to Manila tomorrow.
  • Na-delay ang tren tungod sa pag-ayo sa riles. – The train was delayed because of track repairs.
  • Ang tren sa kargamento mo-agi alas dos sa hapon. – The freight train passes at two in the afternoon.
  • Paspas ang tren kaysa bus sa maong ruta. – The train is faster than the bus on that route.

2. Singular & Plural Forms

• Singular: tren (one train)
• Plural: mga tren (several trains)

3. Where You Use tren in a Sentence

• Subject: Ang tren regular nga mo-biyahe kada oras. – The train travels regularly every hour.
• Object: Gipalit nila ang tiket sa tren online. – They bought the train ticket online.
• Prepositional phrase: Naa ang tren sa estasyon sa Norte. – The train is at the North station.

4. Common Collocations

• tren sa LRT / MRT – urban light-rail train
• paspas nga tren – fast train
• tren sa kargamento – freight train
• tiket sa tren – train ticket
• eskedyul sa tren – train schedule

5. Detailed Usage Notes

• Loanword: from Spanish tren; spelling is fixed.
• Pluralization: use only mga; avoid English “trains” in formal Cebuano.
• Adjective order: adjective + nga + noun (paspas nga tren).
• Verb phrases: mosakay sa tren (ride a train), mag-hulat sa tren (wait for the train), magpadagan sa tren (operate a train).
• Figurative use: rarely, tren may metaphorically denote a series or procession (literary style).

6. Common Mistakes to Watch For

• Omitting mga when talking about several trains.
• Placing adjectives after the noun (tren paspas ✗).
• Adding an English plural ending (trens ✗).
• Confusing tren with bus or jeep in route descriptions.
• Using tren when monorail or tram is intended; specify if needed.

7. Frequently Used Conversational Phrases

• Tag-pila ang tiket sa tren? – How much is the train ticket?
• Na-unsa man ng tren, ngano na-late? – What happened to the train; why is it late?
• Hapit na mo-abot ang tren. – The train is about to arrive.
• Sakay ta sa tren kay paspas. – Let us take the train because it is fast.
• Palihog huwat ko kung mo-abot na ang tren. – Please wait for me when the train arrives.

8. Simple Everyday Conversation Exchanges

1. A: Asa ta mosakay pa-airport? – Where do we board to the airport?
   B: Sa tren sa South Terminal. – On the train at the South Terminal.
2. A: Puno ba ang tren karong buntag? – Is the train crowded this morning?
   B: Oo, tungod kay rush hour. – Yes, because it is rush hour.
3. A: Unsa’y oras molarga ang tren? – What time does the train leave?
   B: Alas otso sa puntong buntag. – Exactly eight o’clock in the morning.
4. A: Pwede ba ko makapalit ug standing ticket? – May I buy a standing ticket?
   B: Dili, kinahanglan reserved seat sa long-distance tren. – No, a reserved seat is required on long-distance trains.
5. A: Ngano mas mahal man ang tren kaysa bus? – Why is the train more expensive than the bus?
   B: Mas paspas ug mas komportable man gud. – Because it is faster and more comfortable.

9. Question–Answer Exercise

Part 1 – Questions with Shuffled Answer Choices

Q1. Unsa’y nahitabo sa inyong tren?
A. Naihinto tren among kalit sa dalan.
B. Nihunong kalit ang among tren sa dalan.
C. Tren nihunong kalit among sa dalan.

Q2. Asa ka mosakay ug tren pa-north?
A. Mosakay ko ug tren sa Central Station.
B. Tren asa mosakay ka ug pa-north?
C. Ug tren mosakay ka asa pa-north?

Q3. Giunsa nimo pag-book ang tiket sa tren?
A. Pag-book giunsa ang nimo tiket tren?
B. Giunsa nimo ang pag-book sa tiket sa tren?
C. Tiket tren giunsa pag-book nimo ang?

Q4. Pila ang bayad sa usa ka tren nga express?
A. Usa ka tren express ang bayad pila sa?
B. Ang bayad pila sa usa ka tren nga express?
C. Pila ang bayad sa usa ka tren nga express?

Q5. Ganahan ka og paspas nga tren?
A. Ganahan ka og paspas nga tren.
B. Og tren paspas ganahan ka.
C. Ka ganahan og tren paspas.

Part 2 – Answer Key and Explanations

• Q1 – Correct: B. Standard order: verb + subject + object/complement – “Our train suddenly stopped on the track.”
• Q2 – Correct: A. Declarative answer begins with verb, follows with object, then place phrase.
• Q3 – Correct: B. The verbal-noun phrase ang pag-book sa tiket sa tren properly follows Giunsa nimo.
• Q4 – Correct: C. Interrogative Pila precedes subject ang bayad and the descriptive phrase.
• Q5 – Correct: A. Predicate Ganahan ka og… keeps adjective-noun sequence (paspas nga tren).