Cebuano word: “ulahi”
an adverb that means “late / afterwards / later than expected.”
1. Part of speech, meaning, and example sentences
- Part of speech: adverb of time (sometimes adjective “late”)
- Meaning: describes an action or event happening later than the proper or usual time; the opposite of sayó (“early”).
Example sentences
- Na-abot ko ulahi sa miting. – “I arrived late to the meeting.”
- Ayaw pag-uli ulahi karong gabii. – “Do not come home late tonight.”
- Nagsugod ang klase bisan ulahi pa ang uban. – “Class started even though others were late.”
2. Tips when learning “ulahi” and time-related words
- Polarity pair: sayó (“early”) ↔ ulahi (“late”).
- Placement: Put ulahi right before the verb group or after the subject; avoid splitting object phrases.
- Negation: dili ulahi means “not late,” while kanunay ulahi means “always late.”
- With days/times: Use ulahi kaayo sa gabii (“very late at night”), ulahi sa adlaw (“late in the day”).
- Colloquial intensifiers: ulahi kaayô, grabe ka-ulahi add emphasis.
3. Common collocations
- ulahi kaayo – very late
- kanunay ulahi – always late
- ulahi pa – still late / later on
- ulahi gyud – really late
- ulahi sa tanan – latest of all
4. Typical sentence position
- After subject (neutral): Si Pedro ulahi mi-abot.
- Immediately before verb (colloquial): Mi-abot ulahi si Pedro.
- Sentence-final (contrast): Mi-abot si Pedro ulahi.
5. Five frequently used conversational phrases
- Ngano man nga ulahi ka pirmi? – “Why are you always late?”
- Pasayloa, na-abot ko ulahi. – “Sorry, I arrived late.”
- Ayaw pag-text ulahi sa gabii. – “Don’t text so late at night.”
- Mas maayo nga dili ta ulahi sa airport. – “We’d better not be late at the airport.”
- Bisan ulahi, importante nga ni-abot ka. – “Even though you were late, it’s important you came.”
6. Five short dialogue exchanges (Cebuano → English)
- A: Na-unsa ka? Ulahi man ka ni-abot!
B: Pasayloa, na-traffic gyud ko.
– “A: What happened? You arrived late! B: Sorry, I was really caught in traffic.” - A: Mo-uli ka ba ulahi karon?
B: Dili; mosayo ko kay sayo pa ugma.
– “A: Will you go home late tonight? B: No, I’ll go early because tomorrow is early.” - A: Nganong ulahi ka sa pag-submit?
B: Nahugno ang internet ganina.
– “A: Why were you late submitting? B: The internet went down earlier.” - A: Pwede pa ba ko mosulod bisan ulahi na?
B: Pwede ra, pero hinay-hinay lang ug sulod.
– “A: May I still come in even though it’s late? B: Sure, but enter quietly.” - A: Di ka ba mahadlok molakaw ulahi sa dalan?
B: Mahadlok gamay, mao nga kuyog ko sa akong igsoon.
– “A: Aren’t you afraid to walk late on the street? B: A little, so I go with my sibling.”
7. Multiple-choice dialogue questions
(Each set: one correct word order, two incorrect. Correct letter differs each time.)
Q1. Asa ka mu-adto ulahi sa hapon?
A. Mu-adto ko ulahi sa hapon sa mall.
B. Sa mall mu-adto ko ulahi sa hapon.
C. Ulahi mu-adto ko sa mall sa hapon.
Q2. Nganong ulahi siya ni-mata?
A. Ni-mata siya ulahi tungod sa kapoy.
B. Ulahi siya ni-mata tungod sa kapoy.
C. Tungod sa kapoy ulahi ni-mata siya.
Q3. Kinsa’y kanunay ulahi mo-abot?
A. Kanunay mo-abot ulahi si Juan.
B. Si Juan kanunay mo-abot ulahi.
C. Ulahi kanunay mo-abot si Juan.
Q4. Mahuman ba nimo ulahi ang report?
A. Mahuman nimo ulahi ba ang report?
B. Mahuman ba nimo ang report ulahi.
C. Ulahi ba nimo mahuman ang report?
Q5. Ganahan ba ka mokaon ulahi sa gabii?
A. Ganahan mokaon ulahi sa gabii ka?
B. Ganahan ka mokaon ulahi sa gabii.
C. Ulahi sa gabii ganahan ka mokaon.
Answer key
- Q1 → B – Subject ko follows verb; adverb ulahi sa hapon comes after place phrase.
- Q2 → A – Verb + subject + adverb + reason is natural; B/C misplace adverb or verb.
- Q3 → B – Subject (Si Juan) + frequency + verb + adverb is smooth.
- Q4 → C – Question starts with adverb for focus, then auxiliary + actor + verb + object; A/B break question form.
- Q5 → B – Predicate ganahan + subject + infinitive verb + adverb + time phrase reads clearly.
