This is an attempt to present a dictionary of Cebuano that describes its core lexicon adequately and accurately, yet user-friendly and economical. It takes into consideration the ordinary users --the language learners, the native speakers, and language practitioners (i.e., the translators, interpreters, language teachers, etc). Although it employs linguistic principles and theories, it will veer away from being technical to dampen the interest or frustrate the users. This is an endeavor to present a simple dictionary that is easy to use and understand yet linguistically significant.

Grammar notes relevant to the use of this dictionary --phonology, morphology and syntax, and other related information-- may be found at the Cebuano studies section, Fil Ling button of this homepage. This part is explained simply and should not be difficult for learners to grasp. Explained very briefly below are the lexical categories used. 
 

Word classification

Nouns are name words. They refer to things, places, people and events. They may come with or without markers and can be replaced by pronouns --personal or demonstrative. Root nouns can stand alone. By affixation, they can become other nouns, adjectives, or verbs. Some of the affixes used with nouns are as follows: 
                                        a) Nouns > Nouns - ka-, ka-...-an, isigka-, pagka-, taga-; 
                                        b) Nouns > Adjectives - an, -in-, -on, maki-; 
                                        c) Nouns to Verbs - verbal affixes 

Verbs are actions words. Some verbs express feelings, conditions,emotions. In Cebuano almost all words can become verbs  by affixation. Verbal affixes give the verbs their inflection  with respect to VOICE, MOOD, and ASPECT. 
 

VERBAL INFLECTIONS FOR VOICE, MOOD, AND ASPECT

VOICE/CASE		AGENTIVE	P A S S I V E
M O O D	A S P E C T		DIRECT	INDIRECT	INSTRUMENTAL
TEMPORAL	COMPLETED	MI-, NI-	GI-	GI-...-AN	GI-
	PROGRESSIVE	GA-	GI-	GA-… .-AN	GI-
	PLANNED	MO-	-ON	-AN	I-
	COMMAND	PAG-/ROOT	-A/I-	-I/I-	I-
DURATIVE	COMPLETED	NAG-	GI-	GI-…-AN	GI-
	PROGRESSIVE	NAG-, NAGA-	GINA-	GINA-…-AN	GINA-
	PLANNED	MAG-	ON-	-AN-	I-
	COMMAND	PAG-	-A/I-	-I/I-	I-
APTATIVE	COMPLETED	NAKA-	NA-	NA-	GIKA-
	PROGRESSIVE	NAKA-	GAKA-	GAKA-…-AN	GIKA-
	PLANNED	MAKA-	MA-	MA-	IKA-
STATIVE	COMPLETED	NA-		NA-….-AN
	PROGRESSIVE	GAKA-		GIKA-…-AN
	PLANNED	MA-		MAKA-..-AN
	COMMAND	PAGKA-/KA-		KA- … -I
RECIPROCAL	COMPLETED	MAG-, NAKIG-
	PROGRESSIVE	NAGA-, NAKIG-
	PLANNED	MAG-, MAKIG-
	COMMAND	PAG-/PAKIG-

 

Pronouns are noun-substitutes.They are inflected for person (First,Second, Third), number (singular and plural) and case (nominative, genetive I (preposed), genetive 2 (postposed), oblique. They can be personal, demonstrative and relative. Below is a table showing the different forms of personal pronouns.

TABLE 2 PERSONAL PRONOUNS IN CEBUANO

NUMBER	PERSON	CASE >	NOMINATIVE	GENETIVE 1	GENETIVE 2	OBLIQUE
SINGULAR	SPEAKER                (1)		AKO	AKO (-NG)	NAKO	KANAKO
	ONE TALKED TO   (2)		IKAW, KA	IMO (-NG)	NIMO	KANIMO
	ONE TALKED OF   (3)		SIYA	IYAN (-NG)	NIYA	KANIYA
PLURAL	KAMI UG KAMO   (1)		KITA	ATO (-NG)	NATO	KANATO
	KAMI UG SILA       (1)		KAMI	AMO (-NG)	NAMO	KANAMO
	KAMO UG SILA     (2)		KAMO	INYO (-NG)	NINYO	KANINYO
	SILA AT SILA         (3)		SILA	ILA (NG-)	NILA	KANILA

  

Adjectives are picture words; they describe nouns. They are inflected for number and comparison. They take the infix -g- as pluralizer (as in dako, pl. = dagko). For comparison, the expresssions sama sa, mas...kay, pinaka- or labing + Adj. are used. An adjective may also be reduplicated to denote diminutive degree. With the use of DILI adjectives can be negated as in dili gwapa 

Adverbs are words that refer to the time, manner and frequency of the action. They are also adjective intensifiers. Some examples of adverbs are: kagabii, kapila, kaduha, inigkabuntag, kaayo, karon. 

Particles are without inflections and they are used for emphasis or to amplify the meaning of the words they modify. Some particles are ug, man, bitaw, diay, ra, gud, pa, na. 

Conjunctions are words that connect. The connect words, phrases, clauses and sentences. Examples of conjunctions are ug,kon, kung, o, pero, apan. 

Prepositions are locational or time words. Here are some prepositions: sa, tupad, atbang, kilid, luyo. 

Interjections are words or expressions used as an exclamation. Pagdali! (Hurry!); Maayo! (Good!); Pagkawala'y buot! (Fool!). 

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