tuyo | Let's talk in Bisaya with loved ones

Role	Cebuano tuyo	Core English sense
Verb (root)	tuyo — “to intend, do on purpose, aim for”
Common noun	tuyo — “purpose, intention, aim”

Predicate order (verb use) – Conjugated tuyo heads the predicate, any clitic actor-pronoun follows:

Mo-tuyo ko nga makapasar sa exam.
I intend to pass the exam.

Example sentences

Cebuano	English
Mo-tuyo ko ug pagbisita nimo ugma.	I plan to visit you tomorrow.
Nag-tuyo sila nga makatigom ug dako para sa balay.	They are aiming to save a lot for the house.
Gi-tuyo sa Magtutudlo ang lisod nga pangutana aron sulayan kami.	The teacher asked the hard question on purpose to test us.

Form	Voice & aspect	Typical translation	Sample sentence
mag-tuyo	Actor-focus, habitual / future	“will usually intend”	Mag-tuyo siya nga mokaon ug healthy kada semana.
mo-tuyo	Actor-focus, non-past / imperative	“will intend; intend!”	Mo-tuyo ta karon nga mahuman ni.
nag-tuyo	Actor-focus, progressive	“is / was intending”	Nag-tuyo ko pag-text nimo.
ni-tuyo / mi-tuyo	Actor-focus, completed past	“intended / meant”	Ni-tuyo siya nga makailad, pero nadakpan.
gi-tuyo	Patient-focus, completed past	“was done on purpose (by …)”	Gi-tuyo sa bata ang pagbuak sa baso.
tuyoon (-on)	Patient-focus, future / imp.	“to be purposely done / do it intentionally”	Tuyoon nato ang klarong pagsulti.
tuyuan / tuyui (-an / -i)	Locative / beneficiary	“to aim at / intend for someone”	Tuyui ko palihog sa imong mensahe.

Facet	Details
Verb sense	Expresses deliberate planning or purposeful action. Often followed by infinitive clause (mo-tuyo ko ug …).
Noun sense	Indicates motive or reason behind an act: unsa’y tuyo* nimo?* (“What’s your purpose?”).
Contrast with Tagalog “tuyo”	In Cebuano it NEVER means “soy sauce” or “dried fish.”
Position of adverb “on purpose”	Cebuano uses gi-tuyo before the verbal phrase: gi-tuyo nako pag-misquote.

Mistake	Issue	Correct form
Mo-tuyo ako sa project.	Clitic pronoun misplaced.	Mo-tuyo ko sa project.
Gi-tuyo ko ang error.	gi- form needs actor in genitive (ni / sa).	Gi-tuyo ni ko ang error.
Tuyoon ta siya!	Beneficiary command should be tuyui.	Tuyui siya!
Nag-tuyo sa prank	Missing actor subject.	Nag-tuyo siya* sa prank.*

“Unsa’y tuyo nimo diri?” — “What brings you here?” / “What’s your purpose?”
“Gi-tuyo to niya, klaro kaayo.” — “He did that on purpose, obviously.”
“Wa koy tuyo, nagsuroy-suroy ra ko.” — “No special purpose, I’m just wandering around.”
“Ako rang tuyo, mangumusta.” — “I just intended to check on you.”
“Tuyo-on gyud nako nga makatipid karong bulan.” — “I’ll really aim to save money this month.”

A: Unsa’y tuyo nimo sa opisina? — What’s your purpose at the office?
B: Mo-tuyo ko ug submit sa forms. — I intend to submit the forms.
A: Gi-unsa man nimo pag-buak ang baso? — How did you break the glass?
B: Wala, wa gyud koy tuyo; aksidente ra. — No, I had no intention; it was just an accident.
A: Nag-tuyo ba ka nga di motubag sa chat? — Were you purposely not replying to the chat?
B: Dili, busy lang ko sa klase. — No, I was just busy in class.
A: Tuyui ko palihog ug memo bahin sa event. — Please prepare a memo for me about the event.
B: Sige, tuyoon nako karong buntag. — Sure, I’ll do it purposely this morning.
A: Ni-tuyo ka na ba ug apply sa scholarship? — Have you already intended to apply for the scholarship?
B: Oo, gi-tuyo gyud nako aron makatabang sa gasto. — Yes, I really aimed for it to help with expenses.