Language/Cebuano/Grammar/Plurals
Hi Cebuano learners! 😊
In this lesson, we're going to talk about plurals in Cebuano. As a language teacher with 20 years of experience, I will illustrate the lesson with cultural information and interesting facts, using a simple and informal tone and analogies to illustrate complex concepts. If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below. Enjoy learning! 😎
Introduction
Plurals are used when referring to more than one person, animal, or thing. In Cebuano, there are several ways to form plurals, depending on the word type and gender.
Nouns ending in -s and -h
For nouns ending in -s and -h, the plural form is created by adding -es at the end.
Examples:
| Cebuano | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| kalo | ká.lo | hat |
| kalos | ká.los | hats |
| sapatos | sa.pa.tós | shoes |
| kahoy | ká.hoy | wood |
| kahoyes | ká.ho.yes | woods |
Nouns ending in a vowel
For nouns ending in a vowel, the plural is formed by adding -y at the end.
Examples:
| Cebuano | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| bata | ba.tá | child |
| batay | ba.tay | children |
| balay | ba.láy | house |
| balayy | ba.láy.y | houses |
Nouns ending in -ng and -m
For nouns ending in -ng and -m, the plural is formed by repeating the last two letters.
Examples:
| Cebuano | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| mangga | mang.gá | mango |
| mangga-a | mang.gá.á | mangoes |
| hiyas | hi.yas | jewel |
| hiyasas | hi.ya.sás | jewels |
Nouns ending in a consonant
For most nouns ending in a consonant, the plural form is created by adding -s at the end. However, there are some exceptions such as nouns ending in -r or -d, which add -es instead of -s to form the plural.
Examples:
| Cebuano | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| kadamay | ka.da.may | comrade |
| kadamayrana | ka.da.may.ra.na | comrades |
| dila | di.lá | tongue |
| dilas | di.lás | tongues |
Gender of nouns
Most Cebuano nouns are gender-neutral. However, some nouns have gender-specific forms, which are used to differentiate between male and female persons or animals.
Examples:
| Cebuano | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| amahan | a.ma.han | father |
| inahan | i.na.han | mother |
| toro | tó.ro | bull |
| baka | ba.ka | cow |
Note that in some cases, the gender-specific form of a noun is also used to refer to the whole group, regardless of the actual gender.
Example:
- Person 1: Kinsa maoy tigdala sa mga kanding? (Who will take care of the goats?)
- Person 2: Ako. Magdala ko sa akong bana. (I will. My husband will take care of them.)
In this case, Person 2 is using the gender-specific form of "husband" (bana) to refer to the whole group of caretakers, even though it may include women as well.
Conclusion
Congratulations on completing this lesson on Cebuano grammar - plurals! Practice what you've learned by talking to native speakers. To improve your Cebuano grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions! Don't forget to check out the [ [Language/Cebuano/Grammar|Grammar] ] section for more Cebuano language lessons. 😊
➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
Sources