Everything about Cebuano Language totally explained
» "Cebuano" redirects here. For the inhabitants of Cebu, see Cebuano people
Cebuano (Cebuano:
Sinugbuanon, "language of the Cebuanos") is an
Austronesian language spoken in the
Philippines by about 20,000,000 people (according to
Ethnologue). It is a subgroup or member of the
Visayan languages, and is thus also commonly referred to as
Visayan (Cebuano:
Binisaya, "language of the Visayans"). The name came from the Philippine island of
Cebu, the site of the
second-largest metropolitan area in the country. Cebuano is given the
ISO 639-2 three letter code
ceb, but has no
ISO 639-1 two letter code.
Cebuano is a member of the
Visayan language family.
Geographic distribution
Cebuano is spoken natively by the inhabitants of
Cebu,
Bohol, eastern part of
Negros island, western parts of
Leyte and
Biliran islands, southern third of
Masbate island and throughout the most of
Mindanao. It is also spoken in a few towns and islands in
Samar. Until
1975, Cebuano surpassed
Tagalog in terms of total number of speakers, but Cebuano has still the most number of native speakers than Tagalog. Migrations from Cebu, Bohol, and Negros Oriental mostly to Mindanao and vice versa increase the Cebuano-speaking population of the Philippines. Some dialects of Cebuano give different names to the language. Residents of Bohol may refer to Cebuano as
Bol-anon while Cebuano-speakers in Leyte may call their dialect
Kana.
It is also spoken by Warays in Samar and Leyte,
Porohanon in
Poro,
Ilonggos in
Negros Oriental,
Eskaya in
Bohol, and by native (like
Atas,
Bagobos,
Butuanons, Maranaos, and
Tausugs) and migrant Filipino ethnic groups (like Ilocanos and Ilonggos), foreign ethnic groups (like
Spaniards,
Chinese,
Japanese, and
Koreans), and other peoples in Mindanao as second language. Cebuano is a language with the
Verb Subject Object sentence order, in which the first term in the sentence is the term given emphasis. Nouns and adjectives are joined by the nga connector with their order arbitrary as long as the nga connector in between them.
Sounds
Cebuano has seventeen consonants: p, t, k, ʔ (the
glottal stop), b, d, g, m, n, ng, s, h, w, l, r, y, and j (also spelled gy or dy). There are four vowels: i, e, a, and u/o. The vowels
u and
o are allophones, with
u always being used when it's the beginning of a syllable, and
o always used when it ends a syllable. But there are some exceptions, like
kamatuoran (truth) and
hangtúd (until). "E" originally appears only in few words such as "babaye" (girl/woman), "dayeg" (praise, complement), "gane" (he said, she said, they said, it was said, allegedly, reportedly, supposedly), "parayeg" (loving), and "pangadye" (prayer) and only in last syllables as "E" was mostly an allophone of "I" in final syllables. When Spanish arrived, more words with
e has been added with the introduction of loanwords. Accent is also a distinguisher of words, so that
dápit means "to invite", while
dapít means "near" or "nearby place". Consonants
[d] and
[ɾ] were once allophones, but can't interchange, like
kabungturan (uplands) [from
bungtód, mountain] is correct but not
*kabungtudan and
tagadihá (from there) [from
dihá, there] is correct but not
*tagarihá.
Grammar
Pronouns
Pronouns are inflected in person, number, and case.
The four cases are nominative, preposed genitive, postposed genitive, and oblique.
| |
Absolutive |
Ergative₁
(Postposed) |
Ergative₂
(Preposed) |
Oblique |
| 1st person singular |
ako, ko, (ta only when the object is ka/mo=you) |
nako, ko |
ako, akoa |
kanako, nako |
| 2nd person singular |
ikaw, ka |
nimo, mo |
imo, imoha |
kanimo, nimo |
| 3rd person singular |
siya |
niya |
iya, iyaha |
kaniya, niya |
| 1st person plural inclusive |
kita, ta |
nato |
ato, atoa |
kanato, nato |
| 1st person plural exclusive |
kami, mi |
namo |
amo, amoa |
kanamo, namo |
| 2nd person plural |
kamo, mo |
ninyo |
inyo, inyoha |
kaninyo, ninyo |
| 3rd person plural |
sila |
nila |
ila, ilaha |
kanila, nila |
Cebuano, like most other Austronesian languages, makes use of the
inclusive and exclusive we. This distinction, not found in most European languages, signifies whether or not the addressee is included in the pronoun "we."
Examples:
Moadto
kami sa sinehan.
"
We (someone else and I, but not you) will go to the movies."
Moadto
kita sa sinehan.
"
We (you and I, and perhaps someone else) will go to the movies."
Demonstrative Pronouns
kiri = (English : this, these)
for things that are near or touching distance to the speaker but not necessarily near the listener
kini = (English : this, these)
for things that are near or touching distance to both the speaker and the listener
kana = (pronounced
kanaq, English : that, those)
for things that are not of touching distance to the speaker but is near the listener
kadto = (English : that, those)
for things that are not of touching distance to the speaker nor near the listener
10 Types of Sentences
1) equational (topic = predicate )
a) "Mao kini ang Kabisaya-an". = This is the Visayas.
b) "Siya si Oscar." = He is Oscar.
c) "Mao na ang amoang balay" = That is our house.
2) non-equational (topic < predicate )
a) "Pilipino ang mga Bisaya." = Visayans are Filipinos.
b) "Pula ang iyang gisul-ob." = The one he wears is red. (He is wearing red.)
c) "Gipalitan ka niya og balay." = (He buys a house for you.)
3) existential sentence of presence
a) "Adunay Diyos sa langit." = (There is) God in heaven.
b) "Didtoy halas sa kahoy." = (There was) a snake in the tree.
4) existential sentence of possession
a) "Ang mga anghel sa langit adunay Dios." = (The angels in heaven have a God.)
b) "Aduna koy ilimnon sa balay." = (I had wine at home.)
5) locative sentence
a) "Ania ang salapi." = Here is the money.
b) "Toa siya sa bukid." = She is in the mountain.
6) meteorologic sentence
a) "Tugnaw dinhi sa Baguio." = (It is) cold here in Baguio.
b) "Hilom kaganiha sa plaza." = (It was) calm in the plaza.
7) exclamatory remark
a) "Kadaghan man nimo og sakyanan!" = (Wow! You have a lot of cars.)
b) "Gwapaha nimo oy!" = (You are pretty!)
c) "Kasaba ba ninyo!" = (You are so noisy!)
8) imperatives
a) "Isugba kanang isda." = (Grill that fish.)
b) "Umari ka." = Come here.
9) question
a) "Kinsa ka?" = Who are you?
b) "Unsa'y imong ngalan?" = What is your name?
10) confirmation
a) "Kini ba ang Kabisay-an?" = Is this the Visayas?
b) "Pula ba ang iyang gisul-ob?" = (Does he wear red?)
c) "Aduna bay Diyos?" = (Does God exist?)
d) "Isugba ba kining isda?" = Shall this fish be grilled?
Enclitic Particles
- ba: used for yes-and-no questions and optionally for other types of questions.
- gane: hearsay word, expresses the information in the sentence is second-hand; he said, she said, they said, it was said, allegedly, reportedly, supposedly.
- gid: politeness word
- kay: because.
- lang: limiting particle; just, only.
- man: even, even if, even though, although.
- na: now, already (past positive tense), anymore (past negative tense).
- pa: still, else.
- ug: and.
- sad, pud: also.
Na and
pa are not used in the same sentence.
The word
gane, which means, “he said/she said/they said”, is sometimes joined to real translations of “he said/she said”, which is
matud niya, and “they said”, which is
matud nila. It is also joined to the Cebuano of “you said”, which is
matud nimo. But this time,
gane means “supposedly, reportedly, or allegedly.”
Matud niya gane.
He/she supposedly said.
Matud nila gane.
They supposedly said.
Matud nimo gane.
You supposedly said.
Interrogative Words
Unsa? What?
Asa? Where?(for a place or person)
Diin?, Dis-a? Where?
Hain?, Sa-a? Where?(for an object)
Kinsa? Who?
Ngano? Why?
Kang-kinsa? To whom?
Gi-unsa? How?
Kanus-a? When?
Pila ka buok? , Pila? How many?
Tag-pila? How much?
Diay ba? Really?
Vocabulary and borrowed words
Cebuano has long borrowed words from Spanish, such as
krus [
cruz] (cross),
swerte [
suerte] (luck),
guapa (beautiful),
merkado [
mercado] (market), and
brilyante [
brillante] (brilliant). It has several hundred loan words from English as well, which are altered to conform to the limited phonemic inventory of Cebuano:
brislit (bracelet),
hayskul (high school),
syapin (shopping), and
drayber (driver). There are also words from other languages like
Arabic like
salamat (thanks) and
Islamic words used in Mindanao like
imam,
sharif,
jihad, and Islam, and
Sanskrit mahárlika [
mahardikka] (nobility) and
karma.
The use of asa and hain
Asa and
hain - both mean
where - have distinct uses in formal Cebuano writing.
Asa is used when asking about a place.
Asa ka padulong? (Where are you going?)
Asa ta molarga? (Where are we travelling to?)
Hain is used when asking about a person or thing.
Hain na ang gunting? (Where is the pair of scissors?)
Hain na si Arsenia? (Where is Arsenia?)
In modern spoken Cebuano, however,
asa is commonly used to replace
hain. You can rarely hear
hain being used (and it's usually spoken by old native Cebuanos).
Words and phrases
Numbers
|
Cardinal |
Ordinal |
| 1 |
usà |
úna |
| 2 |
duhà |
ika-duhà |
| 3 |
tulò |
ika-tulò |
| 4 |
upàt |
ika-upàt |
| 5 |
limà |
ika-limà |
| 6 |
unòm |
ika-unòm |
| 7 |
pitò |
ika-pitò |
| 8 |
walò |
ika-walò |
| 9 |
siyàm |
ika-siyàm |
| 10 |
napú'ô/napulo |
ika-napú'ô/ika-napulo |
| 11 |
napú'ô'g usá/napulo'g/napulo ug usá/onse (Spanish words are used for numbers greater than 10) |
ika-napú'ô'g usá/ika-napulo'g usá/ika-napulo ug usá/ika-onse |
| 20 |
kawhaan/bente |
|
| 30 |
katlo-an/trenta |
|
| 100 |
usa ka gatos/syento |
|
| 1000 |
usa ka libo/mil |
|
| 100,000 |
usa ka gatos ka libo/syento-mil |
|
| 500,000 |
lima ka gatos ka libo/tunga sa milyon/singko-syento-mil |
|
| 1000000 |
usa ka milyon |
|
Note: Shorter terms are the one mostly used.
Common expressions
I'm Miguel de Guia. Ako si Miguel de Guia.
May I ask a question? Mahimo bang mangutana? or Puwede ko mangutana?
How are you? Kumusta ka?
Good. (I am well.) Maayo.
How old are you? Unsay edad nimo?
How much? Pila? or Tag-pila?
How many? Pila?
I don't know. Wala ko kahibalo. or Ambut.
Good day! Maayong adlaw!
Good Morning! Maayong buntag!
Good Noon! Maayong udto!
Good Afternoon! Maayong hapon! or Maayong Palis!
Good Evening! Maayong gabii!
Who are you? "Kinsa ka?" (Informal)
When is Kanus-â ang
Where do you live? Asa ka nagpuyô?
Where are you from? Taga-asa ka?
Where are you going? Asa ka paingon?
Where are they going? "Asa sila paingon?"
Where is Asa ang
Where is the bathroom? Asa man ang banyo?
Where is the toilet? Asa man ang kasilyas? or Asa man ang CR? (CR = English "Comfort Room")
Where is the market? Asa man ang merkado?
What Unsa
What's this? Unsa ni?
What's that? Unsa nâ?
What should we do? Unsay among buhaton? or Unsay atong buhaton? or Unsay angay namong buhaton? or Unsay angay natong buhaton
What is your name? Unsay ngalan nimo? Unsay imong ngalan?, or colloquially, Kinsa'y ngalan nimo?
What number of child are you in your family? Ikapila ka sa imong pamilya? (Firstborn, secondborn, etc.; common expression in Cebuano, not English)
I'd like to buy that. Gusto ko mopalit anâ.
I'd like two of those. Gusto ko ug duha anâ.
Hello, my name is Miguel. Kumusta, Miguel akong ngalan., or colloquially, Ako si Miguel.
Shut up Hilom! or Saba! although "saba" means loud and sometimes people ridicule this word by being louder instead of being silent.
Help Me! Tabangi ko!
Help! Tabang!
Please, help me! "Palihug tabangi ko!" or "Palihug tabangi ako!"
Wait a minute Kadiyot lang or Huwat sâ
What time is it? Unsa nang (namang) orasa?
It's five o'clock Alas singko na
I love you. Gihigugma ko ikaw. or Nahigugma ko nimo. or Gihigugma tika. or Gimahal ko ikaw
Take care. Pag-ayo-ayo! or Pag-amping
Take that! (slang) Usapa 'na! (literally "Chew it!")
Ouch! Agay!
Don't! Ayaw!
Yes Oo
No Dili
Clamor for recognition
The use of Tagalog as a basis for Filipino drew criticism from other Philippine linguistic groups. To some extent, there was active resistance shown against its usage. For instance, the Philippine national anthem is sometimes sung in Cebuano and not in Pilipino in the island province of Cebu}. This resistance didn't threaten the country's national sovereignty. On the part of the Cebuanos, this may be a mere clamor for linguistic recognition. Their clamor for recognition might be based on the following arguments:
Historically, Cebu is the first and oldest City in the Philippines. Long before Manila fell into the hands of the Spanish Conquerors in the 16th century, Cebu was already an established trading and military post for the Spaniards.
Linguistically, Cebuano is recently, the country's second most widely used language. During the independence, it was the first largest linguistic group. Cebuano, though originally spoken only in the island of Cebu, is now being spoken in many parts of Mindanao, the eastern part of Negros island, and Bohol.
Strategically, due to its geographical location, Cebu is the alternate gateway to Manila adding significance to its language. Cebuano is the native language of more regions than Tagalog, being the language with the most native speakers in Region VII (Central Visayas), Region IX (Western Mindanao), Region X (Northern Mindanao), Region XI (Davao Region), Caraga Region, and Region XII (Southern Mindanao), and lingua franca speakers in latter 5 regions and even Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). There are also significant number of speakers in Region VI (Western Visayas, mostly in San Carlos City and neighboring areas) and Region VIII (Eastern Visayas, mostly in western Leyte and Southern Leyte). By comparison, Tagalog is the language of the majority in the NCR, Region IV-A, Region IV-B, and Region III (Central Luzon, where Kapampangan and Ilocano also dominate some areas).Further Information
Get more info on 'Cebuano Language'.
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