sila

Third-Person Plural

Level 1

Sila means 'they' in Cebuano. It is the absolutive (focused) pronoun, meaning it is used when 'they' are the main topic or the ones performing an action in an actor-focus sentence.

How It Works

1. The Role of Sila
As part of the four pronoun sets, sila belongs to the 'focused' set. Use it when the group is the subject of an intransitive verb or the actor of a mo- or mag- verb.

2. Sentence Placement
Cebuano follows second-position rules. This means sila usually follows the first word of the sentence (the predicate), which is often a verb, a negator like dili, or a location marker like naa.

3. Gender Neutrality
Unlike English, which distinguishes between 'he' and 'she' in the singular, Cebuano is entirely gender-neutral. Sila is simply the plural of siya (he/she/it).

4. Usage with Names
When referring to a specific person and their group (e.g., 'Juan and them'), Cebuano uses the specific marker sila si.

Examples (4)

  1. Nangaon sila sa gawas.

    They are eating outside.

    Word by Word: Eating they at outside.

    Here, 'sila' is the actor of the verb 'nangaon' (eating). Notice it follows the verb immediately.

  2. Naa sila sa eskuylahan.

    They are at school.

    Word by Word: Are-there they at school.

    In sentences using 'naa' (to be at a place), 'sila' acts as the subject being located.

  3. Dili sila kaila nako.

    They don't know me.

    Word by Word: Not they know of-me.

    When the sentence starts with the negator 'dili', the pronoun 'sila' moves to the second position, right after 'dili'.

  4. Gwapo sila.

    They are handsome.

    Word by Word: Handsome they.

    In a simple descriptive sentence (zero copula), 'sila' follows the adjective.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'sila' for possession (their).

    Ang balay sila.
    Ang balay nila.

    To say 'their house,' you must use the genitive form 'nila'. 'Sila' is only for 'they' as a subject.

  • Placing 'sila' at the end of the sentence.

    Different MeaningNagtrabaho sa opisina sila.
    Nagtrabaho sila sa opisina.

    'Nagtrabaho sa opisina sila' is also heard. The usual spot for 'sila' is right after the first word of the sentence.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

silaLevel 1Third-Person Plural

Learn This First

To understand 'sila', you need to be familiar with how Cebuano pronouns are structured into sets, specifically the focused set. It is also helpful to understand the singular equivalent 'siya' and how Cebuano constructs sentences without a copula (the word 'to be').

Words in This Pattern