tres

▸ 1. Part-of-Speech, Meaning & Quick Examples

• Part of speech: numeral / determiner
• Meaning: “three (3)” — Spanish-derived form tres

Tres ang score nila.          → Their score is three.
Palit kog tres ka tiket.      → I’ll buy three tickets.
Tres ra kabuok ang nabilin.   → Only three are left.

▸ 2. Cebuano or Spanish?

• Spanish-based numeral: tres
• Native Cebuano counterpart: tulo / tulo ka

▸ 3. When Speakers Choose tres vs tulo

• Use tres
  • Reading phone digits, IDs: nueve-tres-uno (931)
  • Sports scores: dos-tres (2-3)
  • Maths / formal digit-by-digit reading
• Use tulo
  • Everyday counting of objects or people: tulo ka saging
  • Idioms & time: tulo ka adlaw (three days)

▸ 4. Practical Usage of tres

1. Digits aloud: otso-tres-sais (836).
2. Scoreboard: tres – cero.
3. Stand-alone answer: “Pila? — Tres.”
4. Decimals: uno punto tres (1.3).

▸ 5. Five Common Pitfalls

1. Writing tres ka (✗) — never add ka with Spanish numerals.
2. Saying /tris/ instead of correct /tres/.
3. Using tres where natural Cebuano wants tulo.
4. Mixing tres and tulo inside one multi-digit number.
5. Forgetting stress: say TRES clearly.

▸ 6. Handy Collocations

• tres-dos (3-2 score)
• tres mil (3 000)
• numero tres (“number three,” rank)
• tres por tres (3×3 lumber)
• tres punto singko (3.5)

▸ 7. Learner Alerts

• Prices & phone numbers are often read tres / dos / uno sequence.
• Daily speech prefers tulo for counting real items.
• Avoid Tagalog tatlo in Cebuano contexts.

▸ 8. Five Everyday Phrases

1. Tres ra ko kabuok anak. — “I have only three children.”
2. Numero tres siya sa klase. — “She’s number three in class.”
3. Tres ang need nimo? — “You need three?”
4. Tres pa lang ko ka tuig diri. — “I’ve been here just three years.”
5. Tres ka beses na ko nisulay. — “I’ve tried three times already.”

▸ 9. Five Short Dialogues

1
Q: Pila ka tiket imong gipalit—tres?
A: Oo, tres ra.
EN: “You bought how many tickets—three?” — “Yes, just three.”

2
Q: Tres ba ang score nila karon?
A: Dili, dos pa.
EN: “Is their score three now?” — “No, still two.”

3
Q: Pwede ko mangayo og tres ka kopya?
A: Sige, ihatag nako dayon.
EN: “May I have three copies?” — “Sure, I’ll hand them over.”

4
Q: Tres ka slot available?
A: Wala, duha na lang.
EN: “Are three slots available?” — “No, only two left.”

5
Q: Tres ra ka adlaw imong leave?
A: Oo, balik ko human sa weekend.
EN: “Just three days of leave?” — “Yes, I’ll be back after the weekend.”

▸ 10. Multiple-Choice Dialogue Questions

Q1. Tres ba ka libro imong gipalit?
A. Gipalit ko tres ka libro.
B. Libro tres ka akong gipalit.
C. Tres ka libro akong gipalit.

Q2. Tres ba mo ka adlaw mag-puyo dinhi?
A. Mag-puyo dinhi mo tres ka adlaw.
B. Dinhi tres ka adlaw mo mag-puyo.
C. Mo mag-puyo dinhi tres ka adlaw.

Q3. Tres ba ka bata ang nag-dula sa gawas?
A. Tres ka bata nag-dula sa gawas.
B. Sa gawas nag-dula tres ka bata.
C. Nag-dula tres ka bata sa gawas.

Q4. Tres ba ta ka botelya ang paliton?
A. Paliton ta tres ka botelya.
B. Botelya tres ka paliton ta.
C. Ta tres ka botelya paliton.

Q5. Tres ba sila ka beses ni-adto didto?
A. Tres ka beses sila didto ni-adto.
B. Didto sila tres ka beses ni-adto.
C. Ni-adto sila didto tres ka beses.

▸ Answer Key & Short Reasons

• Q1 – C Numeral phrase directly before noun; A repeats ka, B scrambles.
• Q2 – A Order “verb → place → subject → numeral” is natural; others mis-place helper mo.
• Q3 – A Subject phrase tres ka bata precedes verb; B/C shift adverbials awkwardly.
• Q4 – A Imperative Paliton ta plus full object; B/C split components.
• Q5 – C Frequency phrase flows best at clause end; A/B invert sentence parts.