When learning to speak a language, it is best to start with phrases used for greetings and common courtesy. Below are some of the must-learn expressions.
Note that because of the media, technology and Western influence, some expressions are spoken in English and do not have a Visayan equivalent or are directly derived from English and may be changed slightly.
Also, particularly for Cebuanos, we tend to cut short our sentences. I indicate the short versions for your easy learning. We also use a lot of colloquial expressions.
Hello/Hi - Hello/Hi
How are you? - Kumusta ka?/ Musta? (S)
I am fine, thank you. - Maayo man, salamat. ["man" is just an expression and does not independently mean anything]
Goodbye! - Babay!/Bye
See you soon/See you later - Magkita unya ta pohon/ Kita ta sa sunod/Kitakits (S)
Take care! - Pag amping!/ Ayo-ayo!
Thank you! - Salamat!
You are welcome! - Walay sapayan!/ Wa'y sapayan! (S) [The English version is more often used]
Excuse me - Excuse me/ Pasensya-i
I am sorry - Pasaylo-a ko. [The English version is more often used]
Good morning! - Maayong buntag!
Good afternoon! - Maayong hapon!
Good evening! - Maayong gabi-i!
Good morning to you all! - Maayong buntag kaninyo nga tanan!*
Good afternoon to you all! - Maayong hapon kaninyo nga tanan!*
Good evening to you all! - Maayong gabi-i kaninyo nga tanan!*
*May be cut short to: Maayong buntag/hapon/gabi-i ninyong tanan!
Do you understand English? - Kasabot ka ug iningles?
Do you know how to speak English - Kahibalo ka mo iningles?/Kahibaw ka mo iningles?
Do you understand Visayan? - Kahibalo ka mo binisaya?/Kahibaw ka mo binisaya?
I understand. - Kasabot ko.
I don't understand. - Wala ko kasabot./ Wa ko kasabot./ Ambot. ["Wala" is often shortened to "wa"]
I don't know. - Wala ko kahibaw./ Wa ko kahibaw./ Ambot.
Yes - Oo
No - Dili
Please repeat. - Balika palihug.
What do you want? - Unsa ang imong gusto?/ Unsay imong gusto?
I like that. - Ganahan ko ana.
I like you. - Ganahan ko nimo.
I love you. - Gihigugma ko ikaw/ Gihigugma tikaw. [The English equivalent is more often used]
I care for you. - Palangga ko ikaw/ Palangga tikaw. ["Palangga" is often shortened to "pangga" and further shortened to "ga."]*
*Some people are called "Langga" or "Ga" from the term "palangga" which is a term used to describe a person you care for.
Who? - Kinsa?
What? - Unsa?
When? - Kanus-a?
Where? - Asa?
How? - Giunsa?
Why? - Ngano?
Who is that? - Kinsa na?
What is she doing? - Unsay iyang gibuhat?
When are you coming? - Kanus-a ka moanhi?
Where are you going? - Asa ka moadto?
How did you do that? - Giunsa na nimo pagbuhat?
Why do you like him? - Nganong ganahan ka niya?
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awesome; thank u so much; this helps alot :)
ReplyDeleteVery helpful.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for sharing this. It is very helpful. I also appreciate the explanations.
ReplyDeleteHello!
ReplyDeleteDo they spaek this also in Bansalan/ Digos and around? or what do you recomend me to learn to spend some time in Davao Del Sur?
Thank you
Bisaya in Digos.
DeleteYes.this is exactly their language
DeleteYes.this is exactly their language
DeleteYes.this is exactly their language
DeleteFound what I needed here
ReplyDeleteSalamat
ReplyDeleteI was born in Philippines but once i came here my stepdad told me not to speak any tagalog or bisaya in the house, six years later i forgot how to speak my own language so its very hard speaking to my relatives at home. My sister knows how, i can only understand but i cant speak it. So this site helps me sooo much. Im glad i found this.
ReplyDeleteWow... This is exactly the same as my story. Except I can't even understand. I'm working on that now though... But it's difficult.
DeleteThat is rotten, that your step dad wouldn't let you speak your own language.
DeleteHow can you forget how to speak your own language?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Delete
DeleteThe English language has a different enunciation of consonants and vowels. It is much softer than a tagalog diction. Their words are shorter than tagalog words. We also have repeated syllabes in just one word. For example, naKAKAin ka na ba? and the famous meme where there is one foreigner and one filipino in an elevator and another filipino comes in and asks, "baba ba?" the other filipino answered, "bababa." To a foreign ears, it's puzzling and seems like they talk a minions language. A language is naturally learned when you speak it. It's going to be deeply ingrained in your brain; speaking it would be as natural as breathing. Your tounge needs to be exercised to the fluency, enunciation, etc of the words. Once you have formed this, it would be harder to learn and mimic another language. But eventually, yes, anime fan may be still be able to speak tagalog but the english accent will always be there. It won't be completely diminished. A language can only be spoken without an accent if he/she has spoken it in his/her earlier years. (from birth to-10 years old). I have a friend who speaks tagalog and english with no accent. If she's here (Canada), she speaks English without a tagalog accent. If she's in the Philippines, she speaks Tagalog without an english accent. She was born here but her family speaks tagalog at home so she was exposed to both native speakers of English and Tagalog thus, speaking both language fluently and naturally. I have cousins too, like anime fan, who were born in the PH but were forbidden to speak tagalog when they immigrated here. They can understand tagalog but can't speak it. When they try to speak it, it's like tongue twister to them. They mix up tagalog words and their accent is so soft while tagalog diction requires a strong accent. But fortunately in my case, my parents continued to talk to us in Tagalog at home so there is no way I would be able to forget it. The key here is that you must consistently speak it until it has registered in your brain(the language part) and formed your tongue in naturally speaking it. After this, you will never be able to forget it and you can still speak it even after many years without speaking it. Yes, you will be rusty at first but you can still speak it eventually.
I transfered here at Cebu without even knowing how to speak their dialect and I could only speak tagalog, english and very little Ilocano so it was very hard for me to adjust here. My teachers and classmates always speaks to me in tagalog and I could notice that some where having a hard time so I want to learn how to speak their dialect so they wouldn't have a hard time communicating with me. I'm glad I found this site. It will really help me so thank you!
ReplyDeletei will be coming to cebu also next month!! and i don't know how to speak bisaya. hope i can learn it soon
DeleteThnks for this!!! :)
ReplyDeleteVery simple and practical...thanks for this I learned here more than i learned in 4 years..jeje :)
ReplyDeleteYou guys should make a site similar to talktomeinkorean.com and/or www.standardmandarin.com/chinese-phrases. Those site formats help learn their languages quicker and easier!
ReplyDeletethank you for this :) my classmates laughs at me because I always speak tagalog , or sometimes taglish, so to make a change, i want to learn bisaya since i’m in Davao :)
ReplyDeleteSalamat
ReplyDeleteSalamat !!! // Merci beaucoup
ReplyDeleteVery good site. I am American living in Davao city trying to learn some Bisayan.This site is a big help to me. Thank you much
ReplyDeleteThank you
ReplyDeletei m an indian,i m study here in davao!this site is really very big help for me! salamat po!
ReplyDeleteIf you need additional support learning Bisaya feel free to visit http://speakbisaya.blogspot.com.au/
ReplyDeleteNice but it would be much better to hear how the words are pronounced
ReplyDeleteNice!
ReplyDeleteSayon rang tun an ang binisaya. Kon mag-ipon mog puyo o mag-uban kanunay, dugay ray duha ka semana makamao kang magbinisaya.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much. I am in Southern Leyte. Just a note to say the y sound of Cebu and I think many parts of the Visaya is accented to a j sound here and I believe Bohol.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much. I am in Southern Leyte. Just a note to say the y sound of Cebu and I think many parts of the Visaya is accented to a j sound here and I believe Bohol.
ReplyDeletethank you so much :)
ReplyDeleteHi, I'm learning languages using this platform https://preply.com/pt/Lisbon/professores--inglês for searching native speaking tutors. I've learnt English using this website when was living in Portugal. I'd like to find more ways as additional sources to practice my knowledge. How can you help me?
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ReplyDeleteMore please🙏🙏
ReplyDeleteNaaala ko and mga ito noong naka tira pa ako sa condo ko sa cebu
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Thanks .. really big help.. i need to learn this my boyfriend is from davao and wa ko kabalo sa bisaya .specially if word are deep .. gamay lang basic words..
ReplyDeleteHello Jessica. I can teach you
DeleteNice Blog, Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWhat does maaung udto mean in nisaya?
ReplyDeleteIt's a greeting. Good day (midday 11-13)
DeleteGreat blog, Thanks.
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I am studying Bisaya as I visiting Davao and Cagayan De Oro next year. So here goes.
ReplyDeleteHi! I am a Cebuano teacher. I can teach you Cebuano if you want. Thanks!
DeleteHi! I am Chariza from Cebu, Philippines. I am teaching Cebuano language to American students with different levels of Cebuano language skills. If you want to learn Cebuano, join me in my class. You can book a class with me at amazing talker.com. See you there!
ReplyDeletehey do you give lesson my girlfriend is from Dumaguete and would like some help going to be staying there 6 mounts of the year
DeleteYes, I am teaching Bisaya and Tagalog online.
DeleteSend me message:
Gmail: cebtaglishvlc@gmail.com
FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/CEBTAGLISH/
Skype: cebtaglishvlc@gmail.com
nagkat-on ko bisayi salamat
ReplyDeleteI still don't understand abakada
ReplyDeleteAre there more of this site?
ReplyDeleteHow do you say maligayang pagbati ng bisaya?
ReplyDeleteIn birthdays everyone just sings the english version. But there is an equivalent: “Maayong/Malipayong Pagsaulog sa imong Adlaw nga Natawhan.” But as a native I never heard anyone sing it though.
DeleteWhat is the difference between "ka" word and "pa".
ReplyDeleteYes, I am teaching Bisaya and Tagalog online.
ReplyDeleteSend me message:
Gmail: cebtaglishvlc@gmail.com
FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/CEBTAGLISH/
Skype: cebtaglishvlc@gmail.com
Thank you so much po...
ReplyDeleteHoping for more than just the 5 shown here
ReplyDeletenaa koy question, unsay meaning sa intawon og hinuon. na curious ko thankss
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