Cebuano to Ilocano Phrasebook
287 everyday phrases, grouped by the situation you need them in. Compiled from published references rather than generated by a translation engine, and marked pending review until native speakers have confirmed it.
No. Speakers of Cebuano and Ilocano cannot follow each other without having learned the other language. They share sentence structure and Spanish loanwords, which makes written text look more approachable than it is, and almost none of the high-frequency vocabulary.
- Phrases
- 287
- Categories
- 24
- Cited sources
- 2
- Pending review
- 287
Showing all 287 phrases across 24 categories.
Greetings
The opener changes in every one of these languages — this is the fastest way to tell them apart.
| Cebuano | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Maayong buntagpending review | Naimbag a bigat | Good morningEvery one of these is literally 'good' + 'morning', and the word for 'good' is the giveaway: maayo in the Visayan languages, maupay in Waray, marhay in Bikol, mayap in Kapampangan, maabig in Pangasinan, naimbag in Ilocano. |
| Maayong haponpending review | Naimbag a malem | Good afternoon |
| Maayong gabiipending review | Naimbag a rabii | Good evening |
| Maayong adlawpending review | Naimbag nga aldaw | Good day |
| Kumusta ka?pending review | Kumustaka? | How are you?The one phrase that is effectively identical everywhere, because all eight borrowed it from Spanish '¿cómo está?'. Do not read that as evidence the languages are close. |
| Maayo rapending review | Nasayaat met | I'm fine |
| Ayo-ayopending review | Agpakadaakon | GoodbyeCebuano 'ayo-ayo' and Hiligaynon 'halong' both mean 'take care' rather than 'farewell'; a bare word for goodbye is uncommon in the Visayan languages, and 'bye' is what people actually say. |
| Maayong gabiipending review | Naimbag a rabii | Good night (on parting) |
| Dugay na ta wala magkitapending review | Nabayagen a saantayo nagkikita | Long time no see |
Courtesy
Thank you, sorry, yes and no.
| Cebuano | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Salamatpending review | Agyamanak | Thank youIlocano is the odd one out. 'Salamat' is understood in Ilocos, but 'agyamanak' — literally 'I am grateful' — is the native form and the one a speaker will use back to you. |
| Daghang salamatpending review | Agyamanak unay | Thank you very muchThe intensifier is the tell: daghan (Cebuano), madamo (Hiligaynon), damo (Waray), dakula (Bikol), dakal (Kapampangan), dakel (Pangasinan) — all meaning 'many', none of them the Tagalog 'marami'. |
| Walay sapayanpending review | Awan ania man | You're welcomeWaray's own name comes from this construction — 'waray' is the word for 'none', and the language is named after how often outsiders heard it. |
| Oopending review | Wen | YesFour different words for yes across eight languages. Kapampangan 'wa' and Pangasinan 'on' are unrecognisable to a Tagalog speaker, and machine translation frequently passes them through untouched. |
| Dilipending review | Haan | NoIlocano also uses 'saan' for no, which is a genuine trap: 'saan' is 'where' in Tagalog. Hiligaynon 'indi' and Waray 'diri' look alike but Waray 'diri' collides with Hiligaynon 'diri', meaning 'here'. |
| Pasayloa kopending review | Pakawanennak | SorryIn everyday speech 'sorry' and 'pasensya' are what most speakers actually say in all eight; the native forms above are what you will see written. |
| Palihugpending review | Pangngaasim | PleaseNone of these behave like English 'please'. They are requests in their own right — Cebuano 'palihug' is closer to 'do me the favour' — and are usually attached to the verb rather than added at the end. |
| Tabi langpending review | Umisu man | Excuse me |
| Walay problemapending review | Awan problema | No problemThe word for 'none' is the giveaway: wala, awan, walay, waray, mayo. Waray-speakers are named after theirs. |
| Ayo-ayopending review | Agannadka | Take care |
Introductions
Names and first meetings.
| Cebuano | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Unsa'y imong ngalan?pending review | Ania ti naganmo? | What is your name?Kapampangan shares no root here at all — 'nanu' for what, 'lagyu' for name — which is a fair summary of how far Central Luzon sits from everything else on this list. |
| Ang akong ngalan kay…pending review | Ti naganko ket… | My name is… |
| Nalipay ko nga nailhan tikapending review | Naragsakak a nakaam-ammo kenka | Nice to meet you |
| Taga-asa ka?pending review | Taga-anoka? | Where are you from?Same frame, eight different question words bolted onto it. This single row is the clearest illustration of why machine translation between these languages fails: the shared 'taga-' makes the sentence look translatable while the word that carries the meaning is unique to each. |
Understanding
Getting by when you do not follow.
| Cebuano | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Wala ko kasabotpending review | Diak maawatan | I don't understand |
| Kamao ka mo-English?pending review | Makasaoka iti Ingles? | Do you speak English?The verb for 'to know how' differs completely: kamao, kabalo, maaram, tataong. None of them is the Tagalog 'marunong'. |
| Palihug balikapending review | Uliten yo man | Please say it again |
| Palihug hinay-hinaypending review | In-inuten yo man | Please speak slowly |
| Unsa ni?pending review | Ania daytoy? | What is this? |
| Kasabot kopending review | Maawatak | I understand |
| Unsa'y tawag ani?pending review | Ania ti awag daytoy? | What is this called? |
| Unsaon ni pagsulti?pending review | Kasano nga ibaga daytoy? | How do you say this? |
Numbers
Native numerals one to ten, which diverge sharply between the Luzon and Visayan languages.
| Cebuano | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Usapending review | Maysa | OneCebuano and Waray 'usa' is a false friend of the highest order: in Tagalog 'usa' is a deer. |
| Duhapending review | Dua | Two |
| Tulopending review | Tallo | Three |
| Upatpending review | Uppat | Four |
| Limapending review | Lima | FiveThe one numeral that survives intact across all eight — and in Pangasinan 'lima' is also the word for 'hand', which is where the numeral came from in the first place. |
| Unompending review | Innem | Six |
| Pitopending review | Pito | Seven |
| Walopending review | Walo | Eight |
| Siyampending review | Siam | Nine |
| Napulopending review | Sangapulo | TenPangasinan numerals carry a counting suffix -ra that none of the others use, so 'limara' and 'samplora' look longer than their neighbours for a structural reason rather than a phonetic one. |
| Napulog usapending review | Sangapulo ket maysa | ElevenThree different strategies for building teens: Tagalog and Kapampangan prefix labing-, the Visayan languages say 'ten and one', and Bikol has a dedicated form (kagsaro). |
| Napulog duhapending review | Sangapulo ket dua | Twelve |
| Kaluhaanpending review | Duapulo | TwentyCebuano and Hiligaynon 'kaluhaan' bears no visible relation to their own word for two, duha. Waray's 'karuhaan' shows the same form after its regular l→r shift. |
| Katloanpending review | Tallopulo | Thirty |
| Kalim-anpending review | Limapulo | Fifty |
| Usa ka gatospending review | Sangagasut | One hundredKapampangan 'dinalan' and Pangasinan 'sanlasus' share nothing with the gatos/daan the rest use — another reminder that the Luzon languages are not a group. |
| Usa ka libopending review | Sangaribu | One thousand |
Question words
Who, what, where and when — the words that differ most and trip up readers most.
| Cebuano | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Unsapending review | Ania | What |
| Kinsapending review | Siasino | WhoHiligaynon 'sin-o' and Waray 'hin-o' differ by a single consonant, and that s→h shift runs through the whole of Waray. It is the single most reliable way to tell the two apart. |
| Asapending review | Sadino | WhereSeven distinct words. Cebuano 'asa' is a false friend in Tagalog, where it means to hope or depend on someone. |
| Kanus-apending review | Kaano | When |
| Nganopending review | Apay | WhyKapampangan 'baket' looks like Tagalog 'bakit' and means the same thing — but it is also the Ilocano word for an old woman or a wife, so the same string means two unrelated things depending on which language you are reading. |
| Tagpila?pending review | Mano? | How much? |
| Pila?pending review | Mano? | How many?Cebuano and Hiligaynon 'pila' means 'how many'. In Tagalog 'pila' is a queue — which makes 'Pila?' one of the most commonly misread words between Manila and Cebu. |
Time & days
Today, tomorrow, day and night.
| Cebuano | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Karonpending review | Ita | Today |
| Ugmapending review | Inton bigat | TomorrowIlocano builds tomorrow out of 'bigat', the word for morning — the same root as in 'Naimbag a bigat'. |
| Gahaponpending review | Idi kalman | Yesterday |
| Adlawpending review | Aldaw | DayIn the Visayan languages 'adlaw' is both the day and the sun. Tagalog keeps the same double meaning in 'araw'; Ilocano does not — 'aldaw' is the day and 'init' is the sun. |
| Gabiipending review | Rabii | Night |
| Semanapending review | Lawas | Week |
| Tuigpending review | Tawen | Year |
| Lunespending review | Lunes | MondayAll eight took the Spanish weekday names wholesale. Only Sunday diverges — see below. |
| Martespending review | Martes | Tuesday |
| Miyerkulespending review | Mierkoles | Wednesday |
| Huwebespending review | Huebes | Thursday |
| Biyernespending review | Biernes | Friday |
| Sabadopending review | Sabado | Saturday |
| Dominggopending review | Domingo | SundayTagalog is the outlier: 'Linggo' where the rest kept 'Domingo'. Pangasinan went further and uses 'Simba', from the word for churchgoing — the same root Tagalog uses for the verb 'to attend mass'. |
| Udtopending review | Tengnga ti aldaw | Noon |
| Buntagpending review | Bigat | Morning |
| Unyapending review | Madamdama | LaterThe sharpest time-word trap in the Visayas. Hiligaynon 'karon' means later; Cebuano 'karon' means now. The same word moves an appointment in opposite directions. |
| Oraspending review | Oras | Hour |
| Kanunaypending review | Kanayon | Always |
Family & people
Relationships and forms of address.
| Cebuano | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Inahanpending review | Ina | MotherKapampangan 'ima' is a mother; Ilocano 'ima' is a hand. Two Luzon languages a hundred kilometres apart, same three letters, nothing in common. |
| Amahanpending review | Ama | Father |
| Nanaypending review | Nanang | Mum |
| Tataypending review | Tatang | Dad |
| Anakpending review | Anak | Child'Anak' is the offspring relationship in all eight; Bikol 'aki' is the exception and is a child in general. |
| Igsoonpending review | Kabsat | SiblingSix unrelated roots. Only Tagalog 'kapatid' and Kapampangan 'kapatad' match, and that is a loan rather than shared inheritance. |
| Lolapending review | Apong baket | Grandmother |
| Lolopending review | Apong lakay | GrandfatherPangasinan 'laki' is a grandfather. In Tagalog, Cebuano and most of the rest, 'lalaki' is simply a man — close enough to mislead. |
| Higalapending review | Gayyem | FriendEight languages, eight unrelated words. Kapampangan 'kaluguran' doubles as a term of affection, which is why 'Kaluguran daka' means 'I love you'. |
| Lalakipending review | Lalaki | Man |
| Babayepending review | Babai | Woman |
| Asawapending review | Asawa | Spouse'Asawa' covers husband and wife alike in seven of the eight — the sex of the spouse is not marked. Bikol 'agom' is the odd one out. |
| Ngalanpending review | Nagan | Name |
| Silinganpending review | Kaarruba | Neighbour |
| Masusopending review | Maladaga | Baby |
| Uyoanpending review | Uliteg | Uncle |
| Iyaanpending review | Ikit | Aunt |
Food & eating
Meals, ingredients and asking for them.
| Cebuano | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Bugaspending review | Bagas | Rice (uncooked)All eight distinguish uncooked grain from cooked rice with separate words — a distinction English has to spell out. |
| Kan-onpending review | Inapoy | Rice (cooked)Kapampangan 'nasi' is a Malay-shaped word that none of its neighbours share. |
| Isdapending review | Ikan | FishBikol and Pangasinan 'sira' is a fish. In Tagalog and Cebuano 'sira' means broken or spoiled — so a Bikolano menu can read alarmingly to a Manila reader. |
| Karnepending review | Karne | Meat |
| Manokpending review | Manok | Chicken |
| Baboypending review | Baboy | Pig |
| Itlogpending review | Itlog | EggOne of the sharpest splits in this file. 'Itlog' covers Tagalog through Hiligaynon, then Waray, Bikol, Kapampangan and Pangasinan each go their own way entirely. |
| Asinpending review | Asin | SaltThe province of Pangasinan is named for this word — 'pang-asin-an', the place where salt is made. |
| Utanpending review | Nateng | Vegetable |
| Mokaonpending review | Mangan | To eatIlocano, Kapampangan and Pangasinan all use 'mangan' — a genuine Luzon isogloss, and one of the very few things the three share against the Visayan 'kaon'. |
| Gigutom kopending review | Mabisinak | I'm hungry |
| Lamipending review | Naimas | DeliciousEight languages, eight unrelated words for the same compliment. If you learn one word from this list, learn the local one for this. |
| Busog na kopending review | Nabsogakon | I'm full |
| Panpending review | Tinapay | Bread |
| Asukalpending review | Asukar | Sugar |
| Sagingpending review | Saba | Banana |
| Lubipending review | Niog | Coconut |
| Manggapending review | Mangga | Mango |
| Maispending review | Mais | Corn |
| Ahospending review | Bawang | GarlicThe Visayan languages took the Spanish 'ajos'; the Luzon languages kept the native 'bawang'. |
| Sabawpending review | Digo | Soup, broth |
| Tam-ispending review | Nasam-it | Sweet |
| Aslompending review | Naalsem | Sour |
| Halangpending review | Nagasang | Spicy |
| Paratpending review | Naapgad | Salty |
| Maglutopending review | Agluto | To cook |
| Platopending review | Pinggan | Plate |
| Kutsarapending review | Kutsara | Spoon |
Drinks
Water, coffee and what to order.
| Cebuano | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Tubigpending review | Danum | WaterThe Luzon/Visayan split in one word: danum in the north, tubig everywhere else. Tagalog sides with the Visayan languages here despite sitting on Luzon. |
| Kapepending review | Kape | Coffee |
| Gataspending review | Gatas | Milk |
| Moinompending review | Uminom | To drink |
| Palihug ug tubigpending review | Danum man | Water, please |
| Tsapending review | Tsaa | Tea |
| Beerpending review | Serbesa | Beer |
| Init nga tubigpending review | Napudot a danum | Hot water |
| Bugnaw nga tubigpending review | Nalamiis a danum | Cold water |
Market & money
Prices, haggling, paying.
| Cebuano | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Kwartapending review | Kuarta | MoneyTagalog took 'pera' from Spanish 'perra'; everything north and south of it took 'cuarta' instead. The two are not interchangeable outside Manila. |
| Mahalpending review | Nangina | ExpensiveIn Tagalog 'mahal' means both expensive and beloved. Ilocano keeps them apart — 'nangina' for costly, 'ay-ayat' for love — so the pun does not survive translation. |
| Baratopending review | Nalaka | CheapFour of the eight reach for the Spanish 'barato' rather than a native word, while Tagalog and Ilocano kept their own. |
| Mopalitpending review | Gumatang | To buyCebuano 'palit' is to buy; in Tagalog 'palit' is to exchange or swap. Same root, opposite ends of a transaction. |
| Merkadopending review | Tiendaan | Market |
| Tagpila ni?pending review | Manu daytoy? | How much is this? |
| Mahal kaayopending review | Nangina unay | That's too expensive |
| Pwede hangyo?pending review | Mabalin nga ibaba? | Can you lower the price? |
| Mobaligyapending review | Aglako | To sell |
Directions
Left, right, here, there and how far.
| Cebuano | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Walapending review | Kannigid | LeftThe most dangerous word on this page. 'Wala' means left in four of these languages and 'none' in Tagalog — so a Tagalog speaker hearing directions in Cebu can understand the sentence and take the wrong turn. |
| Tuopending review | Kannawan | Right |
| Dinhipending review | Ditoy | HereHiligaynon 'diri' is 'here'. Waray 'diri' is 'not'. The two languages are neighbours and this pair catches people constantly. |
| Didtopending review | Idiay | There |
| Layopending review | Adayo | Far |
| Duolpending review | Asideg | Near |
| Asa ang banyo?pending review | Ayanna ti banio? | Where is the toilet? |
| Moadtopending review | Mapan | To go |
| Diretsopending review | Diretso | Straight ahead |
| Taaspending review | Ngato | Up |
| Ubospending review | Baba | Down |
| Sulodpending review | Uneg | Inside |
| Gawaspending review | Ruar | Outside |
Health & emergency
The phrases worth knowing before you need them.
| Cebuano | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Tabang!pending review | Tulong! | Help!Worth memorising the local form before you need it. Cebuano 'tabang' is help; Hiligaynon 'tab-ang' is bland or tasteless, which is a poor thing to shout. |
| Doktorpending review | Doktor | Doctor |
| Ospitalpending review | Ospital | Hospital |
| Masakiton kopending review | Masakitak | I am sick |
| Sakitpending review | Nasakit | It hurtsWaray 'maul-ul' and Bikol 'makulog' share nothing with the 'sakit' the other six use. |
| Pulispending review | Pulis | Police |
| Sunog!pending review | Uram! | Fire!Bikol shouts 'Kalayo!', which in Tagalog would be parsed as 'distance'. In an emergency that is the worst possible ambiguity. |
| Kawatan!pending review | Mannanakaw! | Thief! |
| Pag-ampingpending review | Agannad ka | Be careful |
| Nawala kopending review | Napukawak | I am lost |
| Hilanatpending review | Gurigor | Fever |
| Labad sa ulopending review | Sakit ti ulo | Headache |
The body
Head to foot, where several of these languages share nothing at all.
| Cebuano | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ulopending review | Ulo | HeadBikol 'payo' is a head. In Tagalog 'payo' is advice — which makes it one of the neatest false friends in the country. |
| Matapending review | Mata | Eye |
| Kamotpending review | Ima | HandThree separate traps in one row: Ilocano 'ima' is Kapampangan for mother, Visayan 'kamot' is Tagalog for scratching, and Pangasinan 'lima' is the numeral five in every other language here. |
| Tiilpending review | Saka | Foot |
| Babapending review | Ngiwat | MouthVisayan 'baba' is a mouth; Tagalog 'baba' is a chin, and with different stress it is also 'down'. Neighbouring body parts, different words. |
| Tiyanpending review | Buksit | Stomach |
| Buhokpending review | Buok | Hair |
| Dalungganpending review | Lapayag | Ear |
| Ilongpending review | Agong | Nose |
| Ngiponpending review | Ngipen | Tooth |
| Dugopending review | Daya | BloodIlocano and Kapampangan both say 'daya' for blood — and in Tagalog and Cebuano the same word means cheating. Worth care in any medical setting. |
| Kasingkasingpending review | Puso | Heart |
Nature & weather
Sun, rain, sea and mountain.
| Cebuano | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Adlawpending review | Init | SunIlocano 'init' is the sun; Tagalog 'init' is heat. Related idea, different part of speech, and machine translation routinely mixes the two. |
| Bulanpending review | Bulan | MoonSeven of the eight kept 'bulan'; Tagalog alone shifted the l to w. The same word means 'month' in all of them. |
| Bituonpending review | Bituen | Star |
| Ulanpending review | Tudo | RainIlocano is alone here. 'Tudo' shares nothing with the ulan/uran the other seven use. |
| Dagatpending review | Baybay | Sea |
| Bukidpending review | Bantay | MountainTwo traps at once. Ilocano 'bantay' is a mountain; in Tagalog it is a guard. Visayan 'bukid' is a mountain; in Tagalog 'bukid' is a field or farm. |
| Balaypending review | Balay | House |
| Kalayopending review | Apuy | FireVisayan 'kalayo' is fire; Tagalog 'kalayo' would be parsed as 'distance'. The Luzon languages all keep apoy/apuy. |
| Subapending review | Karayan | RiverWaray and Bikol 'salog' looks close to Tagalog 'ilog' but is a separate root — and in Cebuano 'salog' is a floor. |
| Yutapending review | Daga | Land, soilSix unrelated roots for the ground under your feet, and Ilocano 'daga' collides head-on with Tagalog, where it means a rat. |
| Kahoypending review | Kayo | Tree |
| Bulakpending review | Sabong | FlowerIlocano 'sabong' is a flower. In Tagalog 'sabong' is cockfighting — an unusually large gap for two languages spoken on the same island. |
| Batopending review | Bato | Stone |
| Hanginpending review | Angin | Wind |
| Langitpending review | Langit | SkyPangasinan 'tawen' is the sky; Ilocano 'tawen' is a year. Two Northern Luzon languages, one word, no shared meaning. |
| Linogpending review | Ginggined | Earthquake |
| Bagyopending review | Bagyo | Typhoon |
Describing things
Big, small, good, beautiful.
| Cebuano | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Dakopending review | Dakkel | Big |
| Gamaypending review | Bassit | Small |
| Maayopending review | Nasayaat | Good |
| Dautanpending review | Dakes | Bad |
| Gwapapending review | Napintas | BeautifulBikol 'magayon' is the root behind Mayon, the volcano. Waray 'mahusay' means beautiful; in Tagalog the same word means skilled or well-arranged. |
| Initpending review | Napudot | Hot |
| Bugnawpending review | Nalamiis | Cold |
| Paspaspending review | Napartak | Fast |
| Bag-opending review | Baro | New |
| Daanpending review | Daan | Old (of a thing)Ilocano and the Visayan languages use 'daan' for old — the same string Tagalog uses for a road. |
| Tigulangpending review | Lakay | Old (of a person)Ilocano 'lakay' is an old man specifically; 'baket' is the word for an old woman, and that one collides with Kapampangan 'baket', meaning why. |
| Daghanpending review | Adu | Many |
| Gamaypending review | Bassit | Few |
| Taaspending review | Atiddog | Long |
| Mubopending review | Ababa | Short |
| Bug-atpending review | Nadagsen | Heavy |
| Limpyopending review | Nadalus | Clean |
| Hugawpending review | Narugit | Dirty |
Feelings
Saying how you are, and how you feel about someone.
| Cebuano | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Gihigugma tikapending review | Ay-ayatenka | I love youEight languages and eight completely different verbs. This row alone answers the question of whether Philippine languages are 'dialects of each other'. |
| Malipayonpending review | Naragsak | Happy |
| Guolpending review | Naliday | Sad |
| Gikapoypending review | Nabannog | Tired |
| Nasukopending review | Nakaunget | Angry |
| Gimingaw ko nimopending review | Malmalagipka | I miss you |
| Nahadlokpending review | Mabuteng | Afraid |
| Nakuratanpending review | Nasdaaw | Surprised |
| Gilaayanpending review | Naumaak | Bored |
Colours
Basic colour terms.
| Cebuano | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Pulapending review | Nalabaga | Red |
| Putipending review | Puraw | White |
| Itompending review | Nangisit | BlackKapampangan 'matuling' is black. Tagalog 'matulin' — one letter apart — means fast. |
| Asulpending review | Asul | Blue |
| Dalagpending review | Duyaw | Yellow |
| Berdepending review | Berde | GreenOnly Kapampangan kept a native word. The other seven took the Spanish 'verde' and never replaced it. |
| Kahelpending review | Kahel | Orange |
| Abuhonpending review | Dapo | GreyEvery one of these is built on the word for ash — abo, dapo — rather than being a colour term of its own. |
Everyday verbs
The actions that carry most sentences.
| Cebuano | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Matulogpending review | Maturog | To sleep |
| Makitapending review | Makita | To see |
| Isultipending review | Ibaga | To sayIlocano and Pangasinan share 'ibaga' — but in Tagalog 'baga' is an ember, and in Ilocano it is the colour red. |
| Kabalopending review | Ammo | To know |
| Gustopending review | Kayat | To wantKapampangan 'buri' is to want or like. In Tagalog 'buri' is a species of palm. |
| Mohatagpending review | Mangted | To give |
| Motrabahopending review | Agtrabaho | To work |
| Molakawpending review | Magna | To walk |
| Mosultipending review | Agsao | To speakThe Visayan languages disagree with each other completely here — sulti, hambal, yakan — which is a useful corrective to the idea that they are one language. |
| Maminawpending review | Dumngeg | To listen |
| Mosulatpending review | Agsurat | To write |
| Mobasapending review | Agbasa | To read |
| Molingkodpending review | Agtugaw | To sit |
| Motindogpending review | Tumakder | To stand |
| Modaganpending review | Agtaray | To run |
| Maghulatpending review | Aguray | To wait |
| Ablihanpending review | Luktan | To open |
| Sirad-anpending review | Irikep | To close |
| Manghugaspending review | Agugas | To wash |
| Moanhipending review | Umay ditoy | To come here |
Months
The Spanish-derived month names, and where the spellings part company.
| Cebuano | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Eneropending review | Enero | JanuaryThe month names are Spanish in all eight languages. What varies is spelling: Tagalog respells the Spanish f as p (Pebrero), while several of the others keep Febrero. |
| Pebreropending review | Pebrero | February |
| Marsopending review | Marso | March |
| Abrilpending review | Abril | April |
| Mayopending review | Mayo | May |
| Hunyopending review | Hunio | June |
| Hulyopending review | Hulio | July |
| Agostopending review | Agosto | August |
| Septiyembrepending review | Setiembre | September |
| Oktubrepending review | Oktubre | October |
| Nobyembrepending review | Nobiembre | November |
| Disyembrepending review | Disiembre | December |
Getting around
Roads, boats, jeepneys and how to get off one.
| Cebuano | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Dalanpending review | Dalan | RoadSeven of the eight use 'dalan'. Tagalog's 'daan' is the same root worn down, and Bikol went its own way with 'tinampo'. |
| Bangkapending review | Bangka | Boat |
| Sakyananpending review | Lugan | Car |
| Mosakaypending review | Lumugan | To ride |
| Para langpending review | Para man | Stop here, please'Para' comes from Spanish 'parar', to stop, and is the universal way to get off a jeepney anywhere in the country. |
| Asa ka paingon?pending review | Papanam? | Where are you going? |
| Tiketpending review | Tiket | Ticket |
Somewhere to stay
Rooms, doors, keys — a category where almost nothing carries between languages.
| Cebuano | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yawipending review | Tulbek | KeyAnother row where nothing carries over. Ilocano 'tulbek' and Tagalog 'susi' share no history at all. |
| Pultahanpending review | Ruangan | Door |
| Bintanapending review | Tawa | WindowIlocano 'tawa' is a window. In Tagalog it is laughter. |
| Kuwartopending review | Kuarto | Room |
| Katrepending review | Kama | Bed |
| Kasilyaspending review | Banio | Toilet |
Things to buy
Everyday items you might need to ask for.
| Cebuano | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Sininapending review | Badu | Clothes |
| Sapatospending review | Sapatos | Shoes |
| Tambalpending review | Agas | MedicineWorth knowing before a pharmacy visit, and the source of a nasty trap: Tagalog 'gamot' is medicine, but in the Visayan languages the same word means a root. |
| Sabonpending review | Sabon | Soap |
| Libropending review | Libro | Book |
| Papelpending review | Papel | Paper |
Animals
Everyday creatures, and several of the sharpest false friends on the site.
| Cebuano | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Iropending review | Aso | DogFour unrelated words for the commonest domestic animal. Worth pairing with the Cebuano trap: 'aso' means smoke there, so the Tagalog word for dog is a real Cebuano word meaning something else entirely. |
| Iringpending review | Pusa | Cat |
| Kabawpending review | Nuang | CarabaoThe national animal, and three of the eight have their own word for it — Ilocano nuang, Kapampangan damulag, Pangasinan dueg. |
| Kandingpending review | Kalding | Goat |
| Bakapending review | Baka | Cow |
| Kabayopending review | Kabalyo | Horse |
| Bitinpending review | Uleg | SnakeFive unrelated words, and the one worth memorising before you need it. Ilocano and Pangasinan share 'uleg', which is unusual — the two rarely agree. |
| Langgampending review | Billit | BirdCebuano 'langgam' is a bird; Tagalog 'langgam' is an ant. One of the most-cited false friends between the two largest languages in the country. |
| Ilagapending review | Utot | RatTwo traps in one row. Ilocano 'utot' is a rat and Tagalog 'utot' is a fart; Tagalog 'daga' is a rat and Ilocano 'daga' is land or soil. |
| Lamokpending review | Lamok | Mosquito |
Words that trap you
These exist in both languages but mean different things. They are where confident readers get caught, and where machine translation is least reliable.
- bagahigh risk
- In Cebuano
- An ember, or a lung. Never the colour.
- In Ilocano
- Red.
The engine tends to pass this through unchanged, so a reader sees a real word in their own language carrying an unrelated meaning.
- apohigh risk
- In Cebuano
- A grandchild.
- In Ilocano
- A respectful title for an elder or person of authority — roughly 'sir' or 'ma'am'.
A generation apart in either direction — the Ilocano term addresses an elder, the Tagalog one names a grandchild.
- dayahigh risk
- In Cebuano
- Deceit, cheating.
- In Ilocano
- Blood.
Medical or ritual context makes this one genuinely hazardous to get wrong.
- bantay
- In Cebuano
- A guard; to watch over.
- In Ilocano
- A mountain.
Place names carry it: Bantay in Ilocos Sur is not a town named after a guard.
- init
- In Cebuano
- Heat; hot.
- In Ilocano
- The sun.
Same underlying idea, different part of speech, and machine translation mixes the two freely.
How often the machine gets these right
We ran 287 Cebuano entries from the phrasebook below through the same engine this site uses, and compared each result against the human-written Ilocano. Categories are our own; the comparison ignores punctuation and casing. Neither Cebuano nor Ilocano is well resourced and the engine routes between them through English, so this measures two stacked translations rather than one.
Machine output matched or came close to the human Ilocano for 48.1% of 287 phrases. The rest were partly or entirely wrong.
Least reliable
- Somewhere to stay17%
- Family & people18%
- Courtesy20%
- Feelings22%
- Introductions25%
Most reliable
- Months83%
- Drinks78%
- Colours75%
Sources
- Ilocano phrasebook — Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-07-26.
- 52 Useful Ilocano Words & Phrases to Learn for Travelers — Chill and Travel. Accessed 2026-07-26.
Last updated 2026-08-06. 287 entries are marked “pending review” — carried on general reference and awaiting confirmation from a native speaker.