Hiligaynon to Cebuano Phrasebook

402 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: 402
Categories: 24
Cited sources: 4
Pending review: 402

Cebuano to Hiligaynon

Search the phrasebook

Showing all 402 phrases across 24 categories.

Greetings

The opener changes in every one of these languages — this is the fastest way to tell them apart.

Greetings: Hiligaynon phrases with Cebuano and English translations
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)The word for good behaves here as it does in every greeting on this site; it is the second half worth looking at. Rabii, gabii, gab-i, banggi, bengi and labi are six forms that rhyme more than they match.
Dugay na kita wala magkitaaypending review	Dugay na ta wala magkita	Long time no seeCebuano and Hiligaynon both build this on dugay. Waray reaches for maiha instead — and its sentence carries waray itself, the negator the language is named after.

Courtesy

Thank you, sorry, yes and no.

Courtesy: Hiligaynon phrases with Cebuano and English translations
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 meTabi is the shared form: Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Waray and Bikol all build on it and differ only in what follows — lang, anay, po. Tagalog makikiraan and Ilocano umisu man share nothing with it, or with each other.
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 careCebuano ayo-ayo and Hiligaynon halong appear again as those languages' entry for goodbye. A Visayan farewell is usually an instruction to look after yourself rather than a word for parting.

Introductions

Names and first meetings.

Introductions: Hiligaynon phrases with Cebuano and English translations
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.

Understanding: Hiligaynon phrases with Cebuano and English translations
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.

Numbers: Hiligaynon phrases with Cebuano and English translations
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	SevenPito is unchanged in six of the eight. The two that look different are not: Kapampangan pitu is the u-for-o that runs through its whole numeral set, and Pangasinan pitora is pito carrying the -ra counting suffix that makes its numerals longer than everyone else's.
Walopending review	Walo	EightWalo survives untouched in six languages. Kapampangan walu and Pangasinan walora are the same word wearing each language's habits — the u for o, and the -ra that Pangasinan attaches to every numeral.
Siyampending review	Siyam	NineSiyam everywhere, and the differences are spelling rather than vocabulary: Ilocano writes siam without the y, Pangasinan siamira adds its counting suffix to the same root. Nine is one of the numerals no language here replaced.
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	TwelveTwo ways of building it. Tagalog labindalawa, Kapampangan labingadwa and Pangasinan labinduara use a labi- prefix; the Visayan languages and Ilocano spell it out as ten and two — napulog duha, sangapulo ket dua. Bikol kagduwa contracts the same idea.
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	ThirtyThe Visayan languages wrap the root for three in ka- and -an and get katloan. Everyone else counts it out as three tens: tatlumpu, tallopulo, tulong pulo, atlungpulu, talomplo.
Kalim-anpending review	Kalim-an	FiftyKalim-an is the same Visayan ka- -an circumfix seen on thirty, this time around lima. The others say five tens, and Ilocano limapulo shows that construction at its plainest.
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 thousandSeven of the eight share libo and differ only in the counter in front of it — isang, usa ka, isa ka, sang-, san-. Ilocano sangaribu swaps the l for an r; Kapampangan drops the counter and says libu on its own.

Question words

Who, what, where and when — the words that differ most and trip up readers most.

Question words: Hiligaynon phrases with Cebuano and English translations
Hiligaynon	Cebuano	English
Anopending review	Unsa	WhatAno covers Tagalog, Hiligaynon, Waray and Bikol, and Pangasinan anto is close enough to guess. Cebuano unsa, Kapampangan nanu and Ilocano ania are separate words entirely. Question words open most sentences, which is why this is where comprehension between these languages tends to fail first.
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	WhenSix of the eight begin with ka-, and three of those carry a glottal stop written as a hyphen — kanus-a, san-o, kakan-o. Bikol nuarin is the outlier, sharing its shape with none of them.
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?Two different questions. Tagalog magkano and Kapampangan magkanu ask about price directly. Cebuano and Hiligaynon tagpila, Waray tagpira, Bikol pira, Pangasinan pigara and Ilocano mano are all built on that language's word for 'how many' instead.
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.
anhonpending review	unsaon	How

Time & days

Today, tomorrow, day and night.

Time & days: Hiligaynon phrases with Cebuano and English translations
Hiligaynon	Cebuano	English
Subongpending review	Karon	TodayEight words and no agreement, and two of them are the trap on this site's Cebuano-Hiligaynon page: Cebuano karon means today, while Hiligaynon reaches for subong instead — because karon in Hiligaynon means later.
Buaspending review	Ugma	TomorrowIlocano builds tomorrow out of 'bigat', the word for morning — the same root as in 'Naimbag a bigat'.
Kahaponpending review	Gahapon	YesterdayKahapon, gahapon and kasuhapon are one word with the prefix shifting. Waray kakulop, Ilocano idi kalman and Kapampangan napun stand outside it entirely.
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	NightGabi is also the Tagalog for taro, separated only by stress — one of the few places where a core time word collides with a vegetable. Ilocano rabii, Bikol banggi, Kapampangan bengi and Pangasinan labi are the same word pulled through each language's consonants.
Semanapending review	Semana	WeekThree Spanish routes to one word. The Visayan languages and Bikol took semana; Tagalog linggo and Kapampangan dominggo both come from domingo, the Sunday that bounds the week. Pangasinan simba arrived the same way — and it is why simba means a week there and 'to attend mass' in Tagalog.
Tuigpending review	Tuig	YearTuig across all three Visayan languages, taon in Tagalog, Bikol and Pangasinan, with Ilocano tawen the same word carrying its w. Kapampangan banwa belongs to neither group.
Lunespending review	Lunes	MondayAll eight took the Spanish weekday names wholesale. Only Sunday diverges — see below.
Martespending review	Martes	TuesdayIdentical in all eight. The Spanish weekday names arrived as a set, and none of these languages had a competing seven-day cycle to defend.
Miyerkolespending review	Miyerkules	WednesdayThe only variation is spelling. Ilocano, Hiligaynon and Pangasinan write -koles; the other five write -kules.
Huwebespending review	Huwebes	ThursdayHuebes in Ilocano and Pangasinan, huwebes in the rest — the same choice between u and w those two make on Wednesday and again on Friday.
Biyernespending review	Biyernes	FridayBiernes in Ilocano and Pangasinan, biyernes elsewhere. Three weekdays running where those two languages spell the Spanish the same way against the other six.
Sabadopending review	Sabado	SaturdaySabado in all eight with no variation whatsoever — the one weekday where even Ilocano and Pangasinan write it exactly as everyone else does.
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	NoonUdto across the Visayan languages and Bikol, with Kapampangan ugtu the same word. Tagalog tanghali stands alone, and Ilocano does not use a single word at all: tengnga ti aldaw is 'the middle of the day'.
Agapending review	Buntag	MorningAga in Hiligaynon, Waray and Bikol, and Tagalog umaga is that root under a prefix. Cebuano buntag, Ilocano bigat, Kapampangan abak and Pangasinan kabuasan are four separate answers — which is why the greetings built on them share so little.
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	HourOras in all eight, from Spanish horas, with no language keeping an alternative alongside it.
Pirmepending review	Kanunay	AlwaysPirme and pirmi in Hiligaynon, Waray and Bikol are Spanish firme. Cebuano kanunay and Ilocano kanayon are one word between them; Tagalog lagi, Kapampangan pane and Pangasinan naynay are each on their own.

Family & people

Relationships and forms of address.

Family & people: Hiligaynon phrases with Cebuano and English translations
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	FatherAma holds in Tagalog, Ilocano, Bikol and Pangasinan. Cebuano amahan and the Hiligaynon and Waray amay are the same root extended; Kapampangan ibpa is the only one that shares nothing, which is the pattern Kapampangan sets across this whole list.
Nanaypending review	Nanay	MumNanay is the near-universal informal form. Ilocano nanang keeps the same shape with its own ending, and Kapampangan ima stands apart — the formal ina sits behind most of these, but nanay is what people actually say.
Tataypending review	Tatay	DadTatay runs through six of the eight, with Ilocano and Kapampangan both saying tatang. That pairing is worth noticing: the two languages agree here while disagreeing on almost every other kinship term on this page.
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	GrandmotherLola is Spanish, and it has taken over Tagalog and all three Visayan languages plus Bikol. What it has not displaced is instructive — Ilocano apong baket, Kapampangan apu and Pangasinan bai all survive in the Luzon languages outside Tagalog.
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	ManLalaki, unchanged in seven of the eight. Pangasinan laki is the same word with the first syllable worn away, which it also does to babae — bii.
Babayepending review	Babaye	WomanBabae with local spellings — babai, babaye, babayi — in seven languages. Pangasinan bii is the outlier, and it is the same clipping that turns lalaki into laki.
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	NameNo single word here, which matters because 'what is your name' is the first sentence anyone learns. Ngalan and ngaran run through the Visayan languages and Bikol, Ilocano nagan is close, and Kapampangan lagyu shares nothing with any of them.
Kaingodpending review	Silingan	NeighbourEight languages, eight words, no two alike. Everyday social vocabulary diverges far more than the numbers or the animals do, and this row is the clearest example of it on the site.
Lapsagpending review	Masuso	Baby
Tiyopending review	Uyoan	UncleTiyo is Spanish and has taken Tagalog, Hiligaynon, Waray and Bikol. The native terms survive where Spanish reached less deeply: Ilocano and Pangasinan both keep uliteg, Cebuano uyoan, Kapampangan bapa.
Tiyapending review	Iyaan	AuntThe same split as uncle, and the same languages resist. Tiya covers Tagalog, Hiligaynon, Waray and Bikol; Ilocano and Pangasinan both keep ikit, exactly as they both keep uliteg.
lalakipending review	lalaki	Man (adult male)Lalaki with no variation at all until Pangasinan, which clips it to laki — the same thing it does to the word for woman.
tawopending review	tawo	Man (human being)Tao and tawo are one word: the Visayan languages and Bikol keep the w, Tagalog and Ilocano drop it. Pangasinan too and Kapampangan tau are the same again with their own vowels.
anakpending review	bata	Child (a youth)Two different words competing. Anak means offspring and covers most of the list; Tagalog and Cebuano bata means a young person regardless of whose child they are. Bikol aki is a third. Which one a language chose is a choice about what 'child' means.
asawapending review	asawa	WifeAsawa in seven of the eight, and it is gender-neutral in all of them — the same word appears as the entry for husband. Bikol agom is the only language here using a separate term.
banapending review	bana	HusbandThe interesting row is this one against wife. Tagalog, Ilocano, Kapampangan and Pangasinan use asawa for both; Cebuano, Hiligaynon and Waray keep a distinct bana for a husband. Bikol agom covers both, like asawa does.

Food & eating

Meals, ingredients and asking for them.

Food & eating: Hiligaynon phrases with Cebuano and English translations
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	MeatKarne in all eight without a single spelling change. That is unusual for a loan on this list — most leave at least one language holding its own word, and meat left none.
Manokpending review	Manok	ChickenManok in all eight, with only Kapampangan manuk differing and only in the vowel it always changes. Unlike karne directly above it, nothing displaced this one.
Baboypending review	Baboy	PigBaboy in seven. Bikol urig is the only language here that kept something else, and Kapampangan babi is baboy with its usual syllable lost.
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	VegetableUtan across the three Visayan languages, gulay in Tagalog and Bikol with Kapampangan gule beside them. Ilocano nateng and Pangasinan pising are each alone.
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 hungryGutom is the shared root through Tagalog, the Visayan languages and Bikol. The three Luzon languages outside Tagalog each have their own — and each folds the 'I' into the verb rather than saying it separately: mabisinak, danupan ku na, naerasan ak.
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 fullBusog runs through Tagalog, the Visayan languages and Bikol. Ilocano nabsogakon is the same root with the person attached to it — the construction the pronouns guide sets out, where a whole sentence fits inside one word.
Tinapaypending review	Pan	BreadTinapay in seven languages. Cebuano alone says pan — Spanish, and shorter.
Asukarpending review	Asukal	SugarAsukal or asukar, and the split is one consonant: Tagalog, Cebuano, Kapampangan and Pangasinan take the l; Ilocano, Hiligaynon, Waray and Bikol take the r. Four against four.
Sagingpending review	Saging	BananaSaging in five. Ilocano and Pangasinan both say saba, which in Tagalog names one particular cooking variety rather than the fruit in general. Bikol batag is its own word.
Lubipending review	Lubi	CoconutLubi across all three Visayan languages; niyog in Tagalog, Bikol and Pangasinan with Ilocano niog alongside. Kapampangan ungut belongs to neither group.
Manggapending review	Mangga	MangoMangga in all eight with no variation, which on a page where sweet, sour and salty all splinter is worth noticing.
Maispending review	Mais	CornMais in all eight, from Spanish maíz. Maize is a New World crop that reached these islands through Spain, and the word came with the plant.
Ahospending review	Ahos	GarlicThe Visayan languages took the Spanish 'ajos'; the Luzon languages kept the native 'bawang'.
Sabawpending review	Sabaw	Soup, brothSabaw in six, with Kapampangan sabo the same word shortened. Ilocano digo is the only real outlier.
Matam-ispending review	Tam-is	SweetTam-is is the root, and almost every language wraps it in its own adjective prefix — ma-, na-. Bikol mahamis differs by a single consonant; Kapampangan mayumu is the one form here unrelated to the rest.
Maaslompending review	Aslom	SourOne root under everyone's adjective prefix, and the vowels do the moving: aslom, aslam, alsem, alsom. The consonants hold. Tagalog maasim is the same word with the l dropped.
Maharangpending review	Halang	Spicy
Maasinpending review	Parat	SaltyMaalat in Tagalog, Waray, Bikol and Kapampangan. Hiligaynon maasin builds it on asin — salt itself — while Cebuano parat and Ilocano naapgad are separate words again.
Maglutopending review	Magluto	To cookLuto is the root in every one; only the prefix changes — mag-, ag-, man-. Ilocano agluto takes the ag- that marks actor focus, the same prefix the verb table sets out.
Pingganpending review	Plato	PlateA clean split between the Spanish word and the native one. Tagalog, Cebuano and Bikol took plato; Ilocano, Hiligaynon, Waray, Kapampangan and Pangasinan all kept pinggan. Five to three, and geography does not predict which.
Kutsarapending review	Kutsara	SpoonKutsara in all eight, from Spanish cuchara — and it sits beside plate, where five languages kept pinggan rather than take plato. The spoon was borrowed everywhere; the plate was not.

Drinks

Water, coffee and what to order.

Drinks: Hiligaynon phrases with Cebuano and English translations
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.

Market & money: Hiligaynon phrases with Cebuano and English translations
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.

Directions: Hiligaynon phrases with Cebuano and English translations
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.

Health & emergency: Hiligaynon phrases with Cebuano and English translations
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.

The body: Hiligaynon phrases with Cebuano and English translations
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
panitpending review	panit	Skin (of a person)
unodpending review	unod	Meat (as in flesh)
tulanpending review	bukog	Bone
tambokpending review	tambok	Fat (noun)
dilapending review	dila	Tongue
kukopending review	kuko	Fingernail
tiilpending review	paa	Leg
tuhodpending review	tuhod	Knee
tiyanpending review	tiyan	Belly
tinaepending review	tinae	Guts
liogpending review	liog	Neck
likodpending review	likod	Back
susopending review	tutoy	Breast
ataypending review	atay	Liver

Nature & weather

Sun, rain, sea and mountain.

Nature & weather: Hiligaynon phrases with Cebuano and English translations
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
kagulanganpending review	lasang	Forest
lipakpending review	pupot	Stick (of wood)
bungapending review	bunga	Fruit
binhipending review	binhi	Seed
dahonpending review	dahon	Leaf
gamotpending review	gamot	Root
panit sang kahoypending review	upak	Bark (of tree)
hilamonpending review	balili	Grass
danawpending review	lanaw	Lake
dagatpending review	dagat	Sea (as in ocean)
balaspending review	balas	Sand
yab-okpending review	abog	Dust
dutapending review	yuta	Earth (as in soil)
panganodpending review	panganod	Cloud
gamhonpending review	gabon	Fog
hanginpending review	hangin	Wind (as in breeze)
niyebepending review	niyebe	Snow
yelopending review	yelo	Ice
asopending review	aso	Smoke
abopending review	abo	Ash
adlawpending review	adlaw	Day (daytime)

Describing things

Big, small, good, beautiful.

Describing things: Hiligaynon phrases with Cebuano and English translations
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
tananpending review	tanan	All
ibanpending review	ubay-ubay	Some
ibanpending review	lain	Other
lapadpending review	lapad	Wide
madamolpending review	baga	Thick
makitidpending review	gip-ot	Narrow
nipispending review	nipis	Thin
mainitpending review	init	Warm (as in weather)
malamigpending review	tugnaw	Cold (as in weather)
punopending review	puno	Full
daanpending review	daan	Old
gabokpending review	lata	Rotten (as a log)
tadlongpending review	tarong	Straight
bilogpending review	lingin	Round
matalompending review	hait	Sharp (as a knife)
habolpending review	habul	Dull (as a knife)
hinlopending review	hamis	Smooth
basapending review	basa	Wet
kigaspending review	uga	Dry (adjective)
sibopending review	tinuod	Right (correct)
tuopending review	tuo	Right (side)
walapending review	wala	Left (side)

Feelings

Saying how you are, and how you feel about someone.

Feelings: Hiligaynon phrases with Cebuano and English translations
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.

Colours: Hiligaynon phrases with Cebuano and English translations
Hiligaynon	Cebuano	English
Pulapending review	Pula	RedPula covers Tagalog, all three Visayan languages and Bikol. The three that break from it — Ilocano nalabaga, Kapampangan malutu, Pangasinan ambalanga — are exactly the three Luzon languages that sit outside the Central Philippine branch. The family tree showing through a colour word.
Putipending review	Puti	WhitePuti is the base, and two languages keep it under a prefix: Kapampangan maputi, Pangasinan amputi. The two that abandon it are Ilocano puraw and Waray busag — and busag is one of the words that marks Waray off from its Bisayan neighbours, which both say puti.
Itompending review	Itom	BlackKapampangan 'matuling' is black. Tagalog 'matulin' — one letter apart — means fast.
Asulpending review	Asul	BlueIdentical in all eight. That is what a loanword looks like: nothing native survives here, so there is nothing for the languages to disagree about. Compare red, where the native words hold and almost nothing matches.
Dalagpending review	Dalag	YellowThree groups, and they follow geography rather than Tagalog. The Visayan languages all say dalag. Ilocano and Pangasinan, both Northern Luzon, both say duyaw. Tagalog dilaw and Kapampangan dilo are what is left over.
Berdepending review	Berde	GreenOnly Kapampangan kept a native word. The other seven took the Spanish 'verde' and never replaced it.
Kahelpending review	Kahel	OrangeThe same word in all eight, which on this list is true only of orange and blue. Borrowed colour terms travel intact; the native ones — red, white, yellow — are where these languages part company.
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.

Everyday verbs: Hiligaynon phrases with Cebuano and English translations
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
kagatpending review	paak	To bite
supsoppending review	supsop	To suck
duplapending review	luwa	To spit
sukapending review	suka	To vomit
huyoppending review	huyop	To blow (as wind)
ginhawapending review	ginhawa	To breathe
kadlawpending review	katawa	To laugh
pamatipending review	dungog	To hear
hibalopending review	kahibalo	To know (a fact)
dumdompending review	hunahuna	To think
simhotpending review	simhot	To smell (sense odour)
sin-opending review	hadlok	To fear
buhipending review	buhi	To live
mataypending review	matay	To die
pataypending review	buno	To kill
awaypending review	away	To fight
mangayampending review	mangayam	To hunt (transitive)
lampuspending review	igo	To hit
putolpending review	putol	To cut
bis-akpending review	pikas	To split
dugkalpending review	dunggab	To stab (or stick)
kalotpending review	katol	To scratch (an itch)
suk-aypending review	kalot	To dig
langoypending review	langoy	To swim
lupadpending review	lupad	To fly
abotpending review	ari	To come
higdapending review	higda	To lie (as on one's side)
likopending review	liko	To turn (change direction)
hulogpending review	hulog	To fall (as in drop)
kupotpending review	hawid	To hold (in one's hand)
pisilpending review	pisa	To squeeze
kuskospending review	banyos	To rub
pahidpending review	pahid	To wipe
butongpending review	bitad	To pull
tulodpending review	tuklod	To push
haboypending review	labay	To throw
higotpending review	hikot	To tie
tahipending review	tahi	To sew
isippending review	ihap	To count
ambapending review	awit	To sing
hampangpending review	dula	To play
lutawpending review	lutaw	To float
iligpending review	agas	To flow
daludopending review	burot	To swell
sunogpending review	sunog	To burn (intransitive)

Months

The Spanish-derived month names, and where the spellings part company.

Months: Hiligaynon phrases with Cebuano and English translations
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.

Getting around: Hiligaynon phrases with Cebuano and English translations
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.

Somewhere to stay: Hiligaynon phrases with Cebuano and English translations
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.

Things to buy: Hiligaynon phrases with Cebuano and English translations
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.

Animals: Hiligaynon phrases with Cebuano and English translations
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	CatThe one domestic animal with no agreement at all. Pusa covers Tagalog, Ilocano, Kapampangan and Pangasinan; the Visayan languages each have their own word — iring, kuring, uding — and Bikol ikos shares with none of them.
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	GoatKanding across the Visayan languages, Bikol and Pangasinan; kambing in Tagalog and Kapampangan; Ilocano kalding sits between the two with its own consonant. Three shapes of what looks like one word.
Bakapending review	Baka	CowBaka in all eight without variation. Spanish vaca arrived with the animal itself, so there was no native word for it to displace — which is why this row is flat while cat is not.
Kabayopending review	Kabayo	HorseKabayo everywhere, from Spanish caballo, with only spelling separating them: Ilocano kabalyo keeps the Spanish ll, Kapampangan kabayu takes its usual u. Another animal that arrived with its name.
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	MosquitoLamok in most, but Hiligaynon and Waray both say namok. The l-to-n shift between those two and their neighbours turns up elsewhere in Bisayan and is regular enough to guess at.
hayoppending review	mananap	AnimalHayop covers Tagalog, Hiligaynon, Waray and Bikol, with Ilocano ayup and Pangasinan ayep as the same word reduced. Cebuano mananap is its own; the Kapampangan cell reads animal, which is worth a speaker's eye before it is trusted.
kutopending review	kuto	LouseKuto in all eight, with only Kapampangan kutu differing and only in its usual vowel. Head lice are old and universal, and the word for them has not moved.
ulodpending review	ulod	WormUlod across the Visayan languages and Bikol, uod in Tagalog. Ilocano igges and Pangasinan biges share nothing with them or, on the face of it, with each other. Kapampangan bulati is a fourth answer.
sungaypending review	sungay	HornSungay holds in Tagalog and most of the Visayas, then falls apart: Ilocano sara, Waray budyong, Kapampangan sagu, Pangasinan saklor. Waray breaking from Cebuano and Hiligaynon here is its habit rather than an exception.
ikogpending review	ikog	TailIkog runs through the Visayan languages and Bikol, and Pangasinan ikol and Kapampangan iki are recognisably the same. Tagalog buntot and Ilocano ipus are the two that stand outside it.
balahibopending review	balhibo	FeatherBalahibo, balhibo and barahibo are one word — the Waray r for l is the shift that language applies regularly. Ilocano dutdut, Kapampangan bulbul and Pangasinan bago are separate answers, and Bikol balukag is a fourth.
pakpakpending review	pako	WingPakpak in five languages, and Cebuano and Waray pako is the same root without the doubling. Ilocano payak is the only form that has moved far from it.

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.
balaodhigh risk
In Hiligaynon
Dysentery — written balaód, with the stress on the final syllable.
In Cebuano
Law; a rule, act, edict or ordinance.
Cebuano and Waray both use it for law, so the Hiligaynon sense is the outlier — which is exactly why a reader assumes the legal one and stops thinking about it.
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

Hiligaynon phrasebook — Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-08-13.
Appendix: Hiligaynon Swadesh list — Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-08-17.
Cebuano phrasebook — Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-08-13.
Appendix: Austronesian Swadesh lists — Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-08-17.

Last updated 2026-08-06. 402 entries are marked “pending review” — carried on general reference and awaiting confirmation from a native speaker.