60+ Basic Cebuano Phrases Every Traveler Should Know

Published July 18, 2026

If you're heading to Cebu, Bohol, Dumaguete, Siquijor, or most of Mindanao, the language you'll hear on the street is Cebuano — locals usually just call it Bisaya. English is widely understood in the Philippines, but even a handful of Bisaya phrases changes how people treat you: prices get friendlier, smiles get bigger, and strangers start helping you like family.

Here are the phrases that actually get used, grouped by situation.

Greetings and courtesy

Cebuano	English
Maayong buntag	Good morning
Maayong hapon	Good afternoon
Maayong gabii	Good evening
Kumusta ka?	How are you?
Maayo man ko, salamat	I'm fine, thank you
Salamat	Thank you
Daghang salamat	Thank you very much
Walay sapayan	You're welcome
Palihog	Please
Pasayloa ko	Forgive me / I'm sorry
Amping!	Take care!

A tip on pronunciation: Cebuano is spoken the way it's spelled. Every vowel is pronounced, stress usually falls on the second-to-last syllable, and there are no silent letters. Salamat is sah-LAH-mat, not "slahmat."

Yes, no, and the two kinds of "no"

Cebuano has two words English speakers keep mixing up:

Oo (OH-oh) — yes.
Dili — no / not, for refusing or negating descriptions: Dili ko ("I don't want to / I won't"), dili mahal ("not expensive").
Wala — none / nothing / didn't happen: Wala koy kuwarta ("I have no money"), Wala ko kasabot ("I don't understand").

If you only remember one sentence from this section, make it "Wala ko kasabot" — I don't understand. Follow it with "Hinay-hinay lang palihog" ("slowly please") and people will happily repeat themselves.

Eating and drinking

Food is the fastest way into any Filipino conversation.

Cebuano	English
Lami! / Lami kaayo!	Delicious! / Very delicious!
Gusto ko mokaon	I want to eat
Mangaon ta!	Let's eat! (you will hear this)
Gutom na ko	I'm hungry
Busog na ko	I'm full
Tubig, palihog	Water, please
Unsa ni?	What is this?

When someone says Mangaon ta! ("let's eat"), it's often politeness rather than a literal invitation — a warm "Salamat, busog pa ko" ("thanks, I'm still full") is a perfectly good answer.

Don't leave Cebu without trying litson (lechon) — spit-roasted pig, and the island's culinary religion.

Getting around

Cebuano	English
Asa ang CR?	Where is the toilet? ("CR" = comfort room)
Asa ni padulong?	Where is this (jeepney/bus) going?
Mosakay ko	I'll get on / I'm riding
Lugar lang!	"Just here!" — say this to stop a jeepney
Sa merkado, palihog	To the market, please
Pila ang plete?	How much is the fare?

Lugar lang is the single most practical phrase on this page. Jeepneys have no bell — you call out lugar lang (or tap a coin on the rail) and the driver pulls over.

Shopping and money

Cebuano	English
Tagpila ni?	How much is this?
Mahal ra kaayo!	That's too expensive!
Barato ra	That's cheap
Mopalit ko ani	I'll buy this
Naa kay sukli?	Do you have change?

Haggling is normal in public markets and with habal-habal (motorbike taxi) drivers — do it with a smile and a palihog, never with irritation.

Compliments and small talk

Cebuano	English
Gwapa kaayo	Very beautiful (for women)
Guwapo kaayo	Very handsome (for men)
Kuyaw!	Cool! / Awesome! (slang — literally "dangerous")
Lingaw kaayo	So much fun
Taga-asa ka?	Where are you from?
Ako si ___	I am ___

Emergencies

Cebuano	English
Tabang!	Help!
Sakit akong tiyan	My stomach hurts
Asa ang ospital?	Where is the hospital?
Kinahanglan ko og doktor	I need a doctor
Naa koy tambal? → Naa kay tambal?	Do you have medicine?

Keep going

Sixty phrases will carry you through a trip; a vocabulary carries you into friendships. When you hear a word you don't know, look it up in the Cebuano–English dictionary — every entry shows the English meaning and the original Cebuano definition. Start with our guides to Cebuano greetings and counting in Cebuano, or see how Cebuano differs from Tagalog before you fly.