usa

Cebuano Word: usa

1. Part of Speech & Basic Meaning

• Part of Speech: numeral / determiner
• Core Meaning: “one” (the cardinal number 1)

2. Cebuano- vs Spanish-Based Numeral

• usa is the native Cebuano form for “one.”
• The Spanish-based equivalent is uno.
  • usa is preferred for counting objects in daily life (“usa ka libro”), age under about 100, and ordinal/date phrases formed with ika- (“ika-usa” = first).
  • uno appears mostly in telling time (“alas uno” = 1 o’clock), reading out phone numbers, formal money amounts, and some fixed expressions.

3. Usage Differences (Native vs Spanish Numbers)

1. Counting physical items: native set dominates (usa, duha, tulo …).
2. Telling time & big money figures: Spanish set (uno, dos, tres …) is conventional.
3. Telephone numbers & license plates: Spanish set or English digits are common.
4. Formal documents & prices: often a mix—numbers written in figures, but read aloud with Spanish set.
5. Ordinals: native root with ika- (“ika-usa”) is standard; Spanish ordinals are very rare.

4. Detailed Note on How usa Is Used

• With classifier ka: usa ka + noun → “one (noun).”
  • usa ka adlaw – one day
  • usa ka baso – one glass
• Without ka in fixed phrases:
  • usa ra – only one / just one
  • sa pag-usa – at one time / simultaneously
• As determiner before adjectives: usa ka dako nga balay – one big house.
• As adverbial: Pag-usa mo palihog. – Go one at a time, please.

5. Five Common Pitfalls

• Omitting ka between numeral and noun (✗ usa libro).
• Mixing Tagalog “isa” and Cebuano “usa” in one sentence.
• Treating usa as plural (“usa ka mga …” is redundant; use usa ka + singular noun).
• Using usa when Spanish uno is expected for clock time (✗ alas usa → ✓ alas uno).
• Spelling confusion with English verb “use” in written notes.

6. Typical Sentence Position

• Normally appears before the classifier ka and the noun: Nakapalit ko og usa ka sinina.
  “I bought one piece of clothing.”

7. Common Collocations

• usa ka (one + classifier)
• usa ra (only one)
• usa pa (one more)
• usa usab / usa sab (likewise; one as well)
• ika-usa (the first)

8. Frequent Learner Mistakes to Watch For

• Forgetting that usa alone cannot pluralize the following noun.
• Pronouncing it with English stress (“YOU-sa”) instead of Cebuano stress on the final syllable (u-SA).
• Doubling classifiers (usa ka ka libro).
• Writing usa ka mga libro (“one books”)—classifier and plural marker don’t mix.
• Switching arbitrarily between usa and uno in the same sentence.

9. Five Everyday Conversational Phrases

• Usa ra gyud ko ani. – I really only need one.
• Na-human na ka? Usa pa ko. – Are you done? I still have one more.
• Pwede ko mangayo og usa ka baso? – May I have one glass?
• Usa ra jud ka higayon mahitabo ni. – This happens only once.
• Dalha ko og usa pa, palihog. – Bring me one more, please.

10. Five Simple Dialogue Exchanges

1. A: Tag-pila ning usa ka mansanas?
   B: Dies pesos ra, usa ra bayad nimo.
   — “How much is one apple?” — “Just ten pesos; you pay only one coin.”
2. A: Naay usa ka tawo nangita nimo.
   B: Kinsa man siya?
   — “There’s one person looking for you.” — “Who is he?”
3. A: Usa ra imong isul-ob nga sapatos?
   B: Dili, duha gyud, oy!
   — “Are you wearing only one shoe?” — “Of course not, two!”
4. A: Pwede ko manghulam og usa ka lapis?
   B: Sige, naa koy extra.
   — “Can I borrow one pencil?” — “Sure, I have an extra.”
5. A: Usa pa ka tasa kape?
   B: Salamat, pero busog na ko.
   — “One more cup of coffee?” — “Thanks, but I’m full.”

11. Multiple-Choice Dialogue Questions

Q1. Usa ba ka baso ang imong gipalit?
A. Gipalit nako ang usa ka baso.
B. Usa baso ka ang gipalit nako.
C. Ang baso usa ka gipalit nako.

Q2. Usa ba ka adlaw ka magpabilin dinhi?
A. Magpabilin ko dinhi usa ka adlaw.
B. Dinhi usa adlaw ka magpabilin ko.
C. Magpabilin usa ka ko dinhi adlaw.

Q3. Usa ba ka sakayan ang moabot karon?
A. Moabot karon ang usa ka sakayan.
B. Usa sakayan ka ang karon moabot.
C. Karon ang moabot usa sakayan ka.

Q4. Pwede ba ko mangayo og usa ka lapis?
A. Makahatag ko nimo og usa ka lapis.
B. Og usa lapis ka makahatag ko nimo.
C. Makahatag lapis usa ka ko nimo og.

Q5. Usa ba ka tao ang misulod sa kwarto?
A. Usa ka tao ang misulod sa kwarto.
B. Misulod kwarto usa tao ka ang.
C. Ang kwarto misulod usa tao ka.

Answer Key & Explanations

• Q1: Correct A. Sentence keeps the normal verb-subject-object flow and places usa ka baso directly after the verb. B and C scramble the order, so the listener must work to decode meaning.
• Q2: Correct A. Time adverb usa ka adlaw follows the verb phrase smoothly. B and C break typical Cebuano order and separate related elements.
• Q3: Correct A. Existential verb moabot precedes the time adverb karon and the subject ang usa ka sakayan. B and C create unnatural sequences.
• Q4: Correct A. Reply starts with the verb makahatag, then the subject ko, then indirect object nimo, and finally the object phrase containing usa. B and C place words out of logical slots.
• Q5: Correct A. Declarative structure keeps usa ka tao as the subject before the verb. B and C jumble sentence parts, obscuring subject–verb agreement.