Hiligaynon to Cebuano 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.
These two are the closest pair on this site. A Cebuano speaker and a Hiligaynon speaker can hold a conversation, each in their own language, and follow most of it — the grammar is near-identical and a large share of the core vocabulary is shared or predictably shifted. What breaks down is everyday high-frequency words: Cebuano lami against Hiligaynon namit for 'delicious', gwapa against matahum for 'beautiful', tabang against bulig for 'help'. Treat them as close relatives, not as one language.
- 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.
| Hiligaynon | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Maayong agapending review | Maayong buntag | 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 | Maayong hapon | Good afternoon |
| Maayong gab-ipending review | Maayong gabii | Good evening |
| Maayong adlawpending review | Maayong adlaw | Good day |
| Kamusta ka?pending review | Kumusta ka? | 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 manpending review | Maayo ra | I'm fine |
| Halongpending review | Ayo-ayo | 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 gab-ipending review | Maayong gabii | Good night (on parting) |
| Dugay na kita wala magkitaaypending review | Dugay na ta wala magkita | Long time no see |
Courtesy
Thank you, sorry, yes and no.
| Hiligaynon | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Salamatpending review | Salamat | 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. |
| Madamo gid nga salamatpending review | Daghang salamat | 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'. |
| Wala sang anumanpending review | Walay sapayan | 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. |
| Huopending review | Oo | 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. |
| Indipending review | Dili | 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'. |
| Patawara kopending review | Pasayloa ko | 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. |
| Palihogpending review | Palihug | 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 | Tabi lang | Excuse me |
| Wala problemapending review | Walay problema | No problemThe word for 'none' is the giveaway: wala, awan, walay, waray, mayo. Waray-speakers are named after theirs. |
| Halongpending review | Ayo-ayo | Take care |
Introductions
Names and first meetings.
| Hiligaynon | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ano ang ngalan mo?pending review | Unsa'y imong ngalan? | 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 ngalan ko…pending review | Ang akong ngalan kay… | My name is… |
| Nalipay ako nga makilala kapending review | Nalipay ko nga nailhan tika | Nice to meet you |
| Taga-diin ka?pending review | Taga-asa ka? | 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.
| Hiligaynon | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Wala ko makaintiendipending review | Wala ko kasabot | I don't understand |
| Kabalo ka mag-English?pending review | Kamao ka mo-English? | Do you speak English?The verb for 'to know how' differs completely: kamao, kabalo, maaram, tataong. None of them is the Tagalog 'marunong'. |
| Palihog liwatapending review | Palihug balika | Please say it again |
| Palihog hinay-hinaypending review | Palihug hinay-hinay | Please speak slowly |
| Ano ini?pending review | Unsa ni? | What is this? |
| Nakaintiendi akopending review | Kasabot ko | I understand |
| Ano ang tawag sini?pending review | Unsa'y tawag ani? | What is this called? |
| Paano ini hambalon?pending review | Unsaon ni pagsulti? | How do you say this? |
Numbers
Native numerals one to ten, which diverge sharply between the Luzon and Visayan languages.
| Hiligaynon | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Isapending review | Usa | OneCebuano and Waray 'usa' is a false friend of the highest order: in Tagalog 'usa' is a deer. |
| Duhapending review | Duha | Two |
| Tatlopending review | Tulo | Three |
| Apatpending review | Upat | 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. |
| Anumpending review | Unom | Six |
| Pitopending review | Pito | Seven |
| Walopending review | Walo | Eight |
| Siyampending review | Siyam | Nine |
| Napulopending review | Napulo | 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. |
| Napulo kag isapending review | Napulog usa | 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). |
| Napulo kag duhapending review | Napulog duha | Twelve |
| Kaluhaanpending review | Kaluhaan | 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 | Katloan | Thirty |
| Kalim-anpending review | Kalim-an | Fifty |
| Isa ka gatospending review | Usa ka gatos | 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. |
| Isa ka libopending review | Usa ka libo | One thousand |
Question words
Who, what, where and when — the words that differ most and trip up readers most.
| Hiligaynon | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Anopending review | Unsa | What |
| Sin-opending review | Kinsa | 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. |
| Diinpending review | Asa | WhereSeven distinct words. Cebuano 'asa' is a false friend in Tagalog, where it means to hope or depend on someone. |
| San-opending review | Kanus-a | When |
| Ngaapending review | Ngano | 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 | Tagpila? | How much? |
| Pila?pending review | Pila? | 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.
| Hiligaynon | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Subongpending review | Karon | Today |
| Buaspending review | Ugma | TomorrowIlocano builds tomorrow out of 'bigat', the word for morning — the same root as in 'Naimbag a bigat'. |
| Kahaponpending review | Gahapon | Yesterday |
| Adlawpending review | Adlaw | 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. |
| Gab-ipending review | Gabii | Night |
| Semanapending review | Semana | Week |
| Tuigpending review | Tuig | Year |
| Lunespending review | Lunes | MondayAll eight took the Spanish weekday names wholesale. Only Sunday diverges — see below. |
| Martespending review | Martes | Tuesday |
| Miyerkolespending review | Miyerkules | Wednesday |
| Huwebespending review | Huwebes | Thursday |
| Biyernespending review | Biyernes | Friday |
| Sabadopending review | Sabado | Saturday |
| Domingopending review | Dominggo | 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 | Udto | Noon |
| Agapending review | Buntag | Morning |
| Karonpending review | Unya | 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 |
| Pirmepending review | Kanunay | Always |
Family & people
Relationships and forms of address.
| Hiligaynon | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Iloypending review | Inahan | MotherKapampangan 'ima' is a mother; Ilocano 'ima' is a hand. Two Luzon languages a hundred kilometres apart, same three letters, nothing in common. |
| Amaypending review | Amahan | Father |
| Nanaypending review | Nanay | Mum |
| Tataypending review | Tatay | Dad |
| Batapending review | Anak | Child'Anak' is the offspring relationship in all eight; Bikol 'aki' is the exception and is a child in general. |
| Utodpending review | Igsoon | SiblingSix unrelated roots. Only Tagalog 'kapatid' and Kapampangan 'kapatad' match, and that is a loan rather than shared inheritance. |
| Lolapending review | Lola | Grandmother |
| Lolopending review | Lolo | GrandfatherPangasinan 'laki' is a grandfather. In Tagalog, Cebuano and most of the rest, 'lalaki' is simply a man — close enough to mislead. |
| Abyanpending review | Higala | 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 | Babaye | 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 | Ngalan | Name |
| Kaingodpending review | Silingan | Neighbour |
| Lapsagpending review | Masuso | Baby |
| Tiyopending review | Uyoan | Uncle |
| Tiyapending review | Iyaan | Aunt |
Food & eating
Meals, ingredients and asking for them.
| Hiligaynon | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Bugaspending review | Bugas | Rice (uncooked)All eight distinguish uncooked grain from cooked rice with separate words — a distinction English has to spell out. |
| Kan-onpending review | Kan-on | Rice (cooked)Kapampangan 'nasi' is a Malay-shaped word that none of its neighbours share. |
| Isdapending review | Isda | 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 | Utan | Vegetable |
| Magkaonpending review | Mokaon | 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'. |
| Gutom na akopending review | Gigutom ko | I'm hungry |
| Namitpending review | Lami | 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 akopending review | Busog na ko | I'm full |
| Tinapaypending review | Pan | Bread |
| Asukarpending review | Asukal | Sugar |
| Sagingpending review | Saging | Banana |
| Lubipending review | Lubi | Coconut |
| Manggapending review | Mangga | Mango |
| Maispending review | Mais | Corn |
| Ahospending review | Ahos | GarlicThe Visayan languages took the Spanish 'ajos'; the Luzon languages kept the native 'bawang'. |
| Sabawpending review | Sabaw | Soup, broth |
| Matam-ispending review | Tam-is | Sweet |
| Maaslompending review | Aslom | Sour |
| Maharangpending review | Halang | Spicy |
| Maasinpending review | Parat | Salty |
| Maglutopending review | Magluto | To cook |
| Pingganpending review | Plato | Plate |
| Kutsarapending review | Kutsara | Spoon |
Drinks
Water, coffee and what to order.
| Hiligaynon | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Tubigpending review | Tubig | 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 |
| Mag-inompending review | Moinom | To drink |
| Palihog sang tubigpending review | Palihug ug tubig | Water, please |
| Tsapending review | Tsa | Tea |
| Beerpending review | Beer | Beer |
| Mainit nga tubigpending review | Init nga tubig | Hot water |
| Mabugnaw nga tubigpending review | Bugnaw nga tubig | Cold water |
Market & money
Prices, haggling, paying.
| Hiligaynon | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Kwartapending review | Kwarta | MoneyTagalog took 'pera' from Spanish 'perra'; everything north and south of it took 'cuarta' instead. The two are not interchangeable outside Manila. |
| Mahalpending review | Mahal | 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 | Barato | CheapFour of the eight reach for the Spanish 'barato' rather than a native word, while Tagalog and Ilocano kept their own. |
| Magbakalpending review | Mopalit | To buyCebuano 'palit' is to buy; in Tagalog 'palit' is to exchange or swap. Same root, opposite ends of a transaction. |
| Tiendahanpending review | Merkado | Market |
| Tagpila ini?pending review | Tagpila ni? | How much is this? |
| Mahal gidpending review | Mahal kaayo | That's too expensive |
| Pwede hangyo?pending review | Pwede hangyo? | Can you lower the price? |
| Magbaligyapending review | Mobaligya | To sell |
Directions
Left, right, here, there and how far.
| Hiligaynon | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Walapending review | Wala | 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 | Tuo | Right |
| Diripending review | Dinhi | HereHiligaynon 'diri' is 'here'. Waray 'diri' is 'not'. The two languages are neighbours and this pair catches people constantly. |
| Didtopending review | Didto | There |
| Malayopending review | Layo | Far |
| Malapitpending review | Duol | Near |
| Diin ang kasilyas?pending review | Asa ang banyo? | Where is the toilet? |
| Magkadtopending review | Moadto | To go |
| Diretsopending review | Diretso | Straight ahead |
| Ibabawpending review | Taas | Up |
| Idalompending review | Ubos | Down |
| Sulodpending review | Sulod | Inside |
| Guwapending review | Gawas | Outside |
Health & emergency
The phrases worth knowing before you need them.
| Hiligaynon | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Bulig!pending review | Tabang! | 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 |
| Masakit akopending review | Masakiton ko | I am sick |
| Masakitpending review | Sakit | It hurtsWaray 'maul-ul' and Bikol 'makulog' share nothing with the 'sakit' the other six use. |
| Pulispending review | Pulis | Police |
| Sunog!pending review | Sunog! | Fire!Bikol shouts 'Kalayo!', which in Tagalog would be parsed as 'distance'. In an emergency that is the worst possible ambiguity. |
| Kawatan!pending review | Kawatan! | Thief! |
| Maghalongpending review | Pag-amping | Be careful |
| Nadula akopending review | Nawala ko | I am lost |
| Hilanatpending review | Hilanat | Fever |
| Sakit sang ulopending review | Labad sa ulo | Headache |
The body
Head to foot, where several of these languages share nothing at all.
| Hiligaynon | Cebuano | 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 | Kamot | 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 | Tiil | Foot |
| Babapending review | Baba | 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 | Tiyan | Stomach |
| Buhokpending review | Buhok | Hair |
| Dulungganpending review | Dalunggan | Ear |
| Ilongpending review | Ilong | Nose |
| Ngiponpending review | Ngipon | Tooth |
| Dugopending review | Dugo | BloodIlocano and Kapampangan both say 'daya' for blood — and in Tagalog and Cebuano the same word means cheating. Worth care in any medical setting. |
| Tagipusuonpending review | Kasingkasing | Heart |
Nature & weather
Sun, rain, sea and mountain.
| Hiligaynon | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Adlawpending review | Adlaw | 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 | Bituon | Star |
| Ulanpending review | Ulan | RainIlocano is alone here. 'Tudo' shares nothing with the ulan/uran the other seven use. |
| Dagatpending review | Dagat | Sea |
| Bukidpending review | Bukid | 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 | Kalayo | FireVisayan 'kalayo' is fire; Tagalog 'kalayo' would be parsed as 'distance'. The Luzon languages all keep apoy/apuy. |
| Subapending review | Suba | RiverWaray and Bikol 'salog' looks close to Tagalog 'ilog' but is a separate root — and in Cebuano 'salog' is a floor. |
| Dutapending review | Yuta | 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 | Kahoy | Tree |
| Bulakpending review | Bulak | 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 | Hangin | 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 | Linog | Earthquake |
| Bagyopending review | Bagyo | Typhoon |
Describing things
Big, small, good, beautiful.
| Hiligaynon | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Dakupending review | Dako | Big |
| Gamaypending review | Gamay | Small |
| Maayopending review | Maayo | Good |
| Malainpending review | Dautan | Bad |
| Matahumpending review | Gwapa | BeautifulBikol 'magayon' is the root behind Mayon, the volcano. Waray 'mahusay' means beautiful; in Tagalog the same word means skilled or well-arranged. |
| Mainitpending review | Init | Hot |
| Mabugnawpending review | Bugnaw | Cold |
| Madasigpending review | Paspas | Fast |
| Bag-opending review | Bag-o | 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 | Tigulang | 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. |
| Madamopending review | Daghan | Many |
| Diutaypending review | Gamay | Few |
| Malabapending review | Taas | Long |
| Malip-otpending review | Mubo | Short |
| Mabug-atpending review | Bug-at | Heavy |
| Matinlopending review | Limpyo | Clean |
| Mahigkopending review | Hugaw | Dirty |
Feelings
Saying how you are, and how you feel about someone.
| Hiligaynon | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Palangga ta kapending review | Gihigugma tika | 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 | Malipayon | Happy |
| Masubopending review | Guol | Sad |
| Kapoypending review | Gikapoy | Tired |
| Akigpending review | Nasuko | Angry |
| Ginahidlaw ako sa imopending review | Gimingaw ko nimo | I miss you |
| Hadlokpending review | Nahadlok | Afraid |
| Nakibotpending review | Nakuratan | Surprised |
| Natak-anpending review | Gilaayan | Bored |
Colours
Basic colour terms.
| Hiligaynon | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Pulapending review | Pula | Red |
| Putipending review | Puti | White |
| Itompending review | Itom | BlackKapampangan 'matuling' is black. Tagalog 'matulin' — one letter apart — means fast. |
| Asulpending review | Asul | Blue |
| Dalagpending review | Dalag | 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 | Abuhon | 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.
| Hiligaynon | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Magtulogpending review | Matulog | To sleep |
| Makitapending review | Makita | To see |
| Isilingpending review | Isulti | To sayIlocano and Pangasinan share 'ibaga' — but in Tagalog 'baga' is an ember, and in Ilocano it is the colour red. |
| Kabalopending review | Kabalo | To know |
| Gustopending review | Gusto | To wantKapampangan 'buri' is to want or like. In Tagalog 'buri' is a species of palm. |
| Maghatagpending review | Mohatag | To give |
| Magtrabahopending review | Motrabaho | To work |
| Maglakatpending review | Molakaw | To walk |
| Maghambalpending review | Mosulti | 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. |
| Mamatipending review | Maminaw | To listen |
| Magsulatpending review | Mosulat | To write |
| Magbasapending review | Mobasa | To read |
| Maglingkodpending review | Molingkod | To sit |
| Magtindogpending review | Motindog | To stand |
| Magdalaganpending review | Modagan | To run |
| Maghulatpending review | Maghulat | To wait |
| Buksanpending review | Ablihan | To open |
| Sirhanpending review | Sirad-an | To close |
| Maghugaspending review | Manghugas | To wash |
| Magkaripending review | Moanhi | To come here |
Months
The Spanish-derived month names, and where the spellings part company.
| Hiligaynon | Cebuano | 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 | Hunyo | June |
| Hulyopending review | Hulyo | July |
| Agostopending review | Agosto | August |
| Setyembrepending review | Septiyembre | September |
| Oktubrepending review | Oktubre | October |
| Nobyembrepending review | Nobyembre | November |
| Disyembrepending review | Disyembre | December |
Getting around
Roads, boats, jeepneys and how to get off one.
| Hiligaynon | Cebuano | 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'. |
| Barotopending review | Bangka | Boat |
| Salakyanpending review | Sakyanan | Car |
| Magsakaypending review | Mosakay | To ride |
| Para langpending review | Para lang | Stop here, please'Para' comes from Spanish 'parar', to stop, and is the universal way to get off a jeepney anywhere in the country. |
| Diin ka makadto?pending review | Asa ka paingon? | Where are you going? |
| Tiketpending review | Tiket | Ticket |
Somewhere to stay
Rooms, doors, keys — a category where almost nothing carries between languages.
| Hiligaynon | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yabipending review | Yawi | KeyAnother row where nothing carries over. Ilocano 'tulbek' and Tagalog 'susi' share no history at all. |
| Puertahanpending review | Pultahan | Door |
| Bintanapending review | Bintana | WindowIlocano 'tawa' is a window. In Tagalog it is laughter. |
| Kuwartopending review | Kuwarto | Room |
| Katrepending review | Katre | Bed |
| Kasilyaspending review | Kasilyas | Toilet |
Things to buy
Everyday items you might need to ask for.
| Hiligaynon | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Panaptonpending review | Sinina | Clothes |
| Sapatospending review | Sapatos | Shoes |
| Bulongpending review | Tambal | 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.
| Hiligaynon | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Idopending review | Iro | 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. |
| Kuringpending review | Iring | Cat |
| Karabawpending review | Kabaw | CarabaoThe national animal, and three of the eight have their own word for it — Ilocano nuang, Kapampangan damulag, Pangasinan dueg. |
| Kandingpending review | Kanding | Goat |
| Bakapending review | Baka | Cow |
| Kabayopending review | Kabayo | Horse |
| Man-ugpending review | Bitin | SnakeFive unrelated words, and the one worth memorising before you need it. Ilocano and Pangasinan share 'uleg', which is unusual — the two rarely agree. |
| Pispispending review | Langgam | 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 | Ilaga | 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. |
| Namokpending 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.
- tabanghigh risk
- In Hiligaynon
- Bland, tasteless — written tab-ang. The word for help is bulig.
- In Cebuano
- Help.
Worth knowing before you need it: shouting for help in the wrong Visayan language reads as a complaint about the seasoning.
- karonhigh risk
- In Hiligaynon
- Later, in a while. The word for 'now' is subong.
- In Cebuano
- Now, today.
The single most consequential word on this list, because it moves appointments. Cebuano karon means now; Hiligaynon karon means later. Both speakers think they have agreed a time.
How often the machine gets these right
We ran 287 Hiligaynon entries from the phrasebook below through the same engine this site uses, and compared each result against the human-written Cebuano. Categories are our own; the comparison ignores punctuation and casing. Neither Hiligaynon nor Cebuano 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 Cebuano for 60.3% of 287 phrases. The rest were partly or entirely wrong.
Least reliable
- Everyday verbs0%
- Market & money33%
- Somewhere to stay33%
- Things to buy33%
- Understanding38%
Most reliable
- The body92%
- Health & emergency92%
- Months83%
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.