Hiligaynon to Waray Phrasebook
380 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.
Partly, and less than the geography suggests. Both are Bisayan, but Hiligaynon sits in the Western group and Waray in the Eastern, and the everyday words diverge exactly where it matters. The sharpest trap is diri: in Hiligaynon it means 'here', in Waray it means 'not'. A sentence can parse cleanly and mean the opposite of what was intended.
- Phrases
- 380
- Categories
- 24
- Cited sources
- 4
- Pending review
- 380
Showing all 380 phrases across 24 categories.
Greetings
The opener changes in every one of these languages — this is the fastest way to tell them apart.
| Hiligaynon | Waray | English |
|---|---|---|
| Maayong agapending review | Maupay nga aga | 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 | Maupay nga kulop | Good afternoon |
| Maayong gab-ipending review | Maupay nga gab-i | Good evening |
| Maayong adlawpending review | Maupay nga 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 | Maupay man | I'm fine |
| Halongpending review | Pag-iha | 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 | Maupay nga gab-i | 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 | Maiha na kita waray 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.
| Hiligaynon | Waray | 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 | Damo nga 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 | Waray 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 | Diri | 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 ako | 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 | Alayon | 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 anay | 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 | Waray problema | No problemThe word for 'none' is the giveaway: wala, awan, walay, waray, mayo. Waray-speakers are named after theirs. |
| Halongpending review | Pag-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.
| Hiligaynon | Waray | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ano ang ngalan mo?pending review | Ano an imo ngaran? | 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 | An akon ngaran… | My name is… |
| Nalipay ako nga makilala kapending review | Nalipay ako nga makilala ka | Nice to meet you |
| Taga-diin ka?pending review | Taga-hain 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 | Waray | English |
|---|---|---|
| Wala ko makaintiendipending review | Diri ako nakakaintindi | I don't understand |
| Kabalo ka mag-English?pending review | Maaram ka mag-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 | Alayon utroha | Please say it again |
| Palihog hinay-hinaypending review | Alayon hinay-hinay | Please speak slowly |
| Ano ini?pending review | Ano ini? | What is this? |
| Nakaintiendi akopending review | Nakakaintindi ako | I understand |
| Ano ang tawag sini?pending review | Ano an tawag hini? | What is this called? |
| Paano ini hambalon?pending review | Paonan-o ini yakanon? | How do you say this? |
Numbers
Native numerals one to ten, which diverge sharply between the Luzon and Visayan languages.
| Hiligaynon | Waray | 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 | Napulo kag 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 | Napulo kag 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 | Karuhaan | 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.
| Hiligaynon | Waray | English |
|---|---|---|
| Anopending review | Ano | 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 | Hin-o | 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 | Hain | WhereSeven distinct words. Cebuano 'asa' is a false friend in Tagalog, where it means to hope or depend on someone. |
| San-opending review | Kakan-o | 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 | Kay ano | 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 | Tagpira? | 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 | Pira? | 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 | gin-ano | How |
Time & days
Today, tomorrow, day and night.
| Hiligaynon | Waray | English |
|---|---|---|
| Subongpending review | Yana | 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 | Buwas | TomorrowIlocano builds tomorrow out of 'bigat', the word for morning — the same root as in 'Naimbag a bigat'. |
| Kahaponpending review | Kakulop | 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 | Gab-i | 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 | Aga | 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 | Niyan | 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 | Pirmi | 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.
| Hiligaynon | Waray | English |
|---|---|---|
| Iloypending review | Iroy | 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 | Amay | 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 | Bata | Child'Anak' is the offspring relationship in all eight; Bikol 'aki' is the exception and is a child in general. |
| Utodpending review | Bugto | 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 | Sangkay | 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 | Ngaran | 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 | Amyaw | 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 | Minasuso | Baby |
| Tiyopending review | Tiyo | 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 | Tiya | 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 | anak | 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.
| Hiligaynon | Waray | 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 | Luto | 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 | Bunay | 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 | Kumaon | 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 | Gutom na ako | 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 | Marasa | 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 ako | 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 | Tinapay | BreadTinapay in seven languages. Cebuano alone says pan — Spanish, and shorter. |
| Asukarpending review | Asukar | 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 | Matam-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 | Maaslom | 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 | Mahalang | Spicy |
| Maasinpending review | Maalat | 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 | Pinggan | 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.
| Hiligaynon | Waray | 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 | Uminom | To drink |
| Palihog sang tubigpending review | Alayon hin tubig | Water, please |
| Tsapending review | Tsa | Tea |
| Beerpending review | Beer | Beer |
| Mainit nga tubigpending review | Mapaso nga tubig | Hot water |
| Mabugnaw nga tubigpending review | Mahagkot nga tubig | Cold water |
Market & money
Prices, haggling, paying.
| Hiligaynon | Waray | 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 | Pumalit | 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 | Tagpira ini? | How much is this? |
| Mahal gidpending review | Mahal hinduro | That's too expensive |
| Pwede hangyo?pending review | Pwede ba pakubaan? | Can you lower the price? |
| Magbaligyapending review | Magbaligya | To sell |
Directions
Left, right, here, there and how far.
| Hiligaynon | Waray | 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 | Too | Right |
| Diripending review | Didi | 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 | Hirayo | Far |
| Malapitpending review | Hirani | Near |
| Diin ang kasilyas?pending review | Hain an kasilyas? | Where is the toilet? |
| Magkadtopending review | Kumadto | To go |
| Diretsopending review | Diretso | Straight ahead |
| Ibabawpending review | Igbaw | Up |
| Idalompending review | Ilarom | Down |
| Sulodpending review | Sulod | Inside |
| Guwapending review | Gawas | Outside |
Health & emergency
The phrases worth knowing before you need them.
| Hiligaynon | Waray | English |
|---|---|---|
| Bulig!pending review | Bulig! | 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 | May sakit ako | I am sick |
| Masakitpending review | Maul-ul | 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 | Nawara ako | I am lost |
| Hilanatpending review | Hilanat | Fever |
| Sakit sang ulopending review | Ul-ul han ulo | Headache |
The body
Head to foot, where several of these languages share nothing at all.
| Hiligaynon | Waray | 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 | Talinga | Ear |
| Ilongpending review | Irong | 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 | tulan | Bone |
| tambokpending review | tambok | Fat (noun) |
| dilapending review | dila | Tongue |
| kukopending review | kuko | Fingernail |
| tiilpending review | tiil | Leg |
| tuhodpending review | tuhod | Knee |
| tiyanpending review | tiyan | Belly |
| tinaepending review | tinai | Guts |
| liogpending review | liog | Neck |
| likodpending review | likod | Back |
| susopending review | suso | Breast |
| ataypending review | atay | Liver |
Nature & weather
Sun, rain, sea and mountain.
| Hiligaynon | Waray | 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 | Bitoon | Star |
| Ulanpending review | Uran | 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 | Salog | RiverWaray and Bikol 'salog' looks close to Tagalog 'ilog' but is a separate root — and in Cebuano 'salog' is a floor. |
| Dutapending review | Tuna | 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 | Bukad | 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 | kagurangan | Forest |
| lipakpending review | ablong | Stick (of wood) |
| bungapending review | bunga | Fruit |
| binhipending review | binhi | Seed |
| dahonpending review | dahon | Leaf |
| gamotpending review | gamot | Root |
| panit sang kahoypending review | panit | Bark (of tree) |
| hilamonpending review | banwa | Grass |
| danawpending review | danaw | Lake |
| dagatpending review | dagat | Sea (as in ocean) |
| balaspending review | buhangin | Sand |
| yab-okpending review | alikabok | Dust |
| dutapending review | tuna | Earth (as in soil) |
| panganodpending review | panganuron | Cloud |
| gamhonpending review | burong | Fog |
| hanginpending review | hangin | Wind (as in breeze) |
| niyebepending review | niyebe | Snow |
| yelopending review | yelo | Ice |
| asopending review | usok | Smoke |
| abopending review | abo | Ash |
| adlawpending review | adlaw | Day (daytime) |
Describing things
Big, small, good, beautiful.
| Hiligaynon | Waray | English |
|---|---|---|
| Dakupending review | Dako | Big |
| Gamaypending review | Gutiay | Small |
| Maayopending review | Maupay | Good |
| Malainpending review | Maraot | Bad |
| Matahumpending review | Mahusay | 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 | Mapaso | Hot |
| Mabugnawpending review | Mahagkot | Cold |
| Madasigpending review | Madagmit | 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 | Lagas | 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 | Damo | Many |
| Diutaypending review | Gutiay | Few |
| Malabapending review | Halaba | Long |
| Malip-otpending review | Halipot | Short |
| Mabug-atpending review | Mabug-at | Heavy |
| Matinlopending review | Limpyo | Clean |
| Mahigkopending review | Mahugaw | Dirty |
| tananpending review | ngatanan | All |
| ibanpending review | magutiay | Some |
| ibanpending review | iba | Other |
| lapadpending review | halagpad | Wide |
| madamolpending review | dakmol | Thick |
| makitidpending review | haligot | Narrow |
| nipispending review | gamay | Thin |
| mainitpending review | init | Warm (as in weather) |
| malamigpending review | tugnaw | Cold (as in weather) |
| daanpending review | daan | Old |
| matalompending review | matarom | Sharp (as a knife) |
| basapending review | basa | Wet |
| kigaspending review | mamara | Dry (adjective) |
| tuopending review | tuo | Right (side) |
| walapending review | wala | Left (side) |
Feelings
Saying how you are, and how you feel about someone.
| Hiligaynon | Waray | English |
|---|---|---|
| Palangga ta kapending review | Hinihigugma ko ikaw | 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 | Mabido | Sad |
| Kapoypending review | Kapoy | Tired |
| Akigpending review | Nasina | Angry |
| Ginahidlaw ako sa imopending review | Ginhihidlaw ako ha imo | I miss you |
| Hadlokpending review | Nahahadlok | Afraid |
| Nakibotpending review | Nakuratan | Surprised |
| Natak-anpending review | Naumod | Bored |
Colours
Basic colour terms.
| Hiligaynon | Waray | 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 | Busag | 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.
| Hiligaynon | Waray | English |
|---|---|---|
| Magtulogpending review | Katurog | To sleep |
| Makitapending review | Makita | To see |
| Isilingpending review | Sumatan | To sayIlocano and Pangasinan share 'ibaga' — but in Tagalog 'baga' is an ember, and in Ilocano it is the colour red. |
| Kabalopending review | Maaram | To know |
| Gustopending review | Karuyag | To wantKapampangan 'buri' is to want or like. In Tagalog 'buri' is a species of palm. |
| Maghatagpending review | Humatag | To give |
| Magtrabahopending review | Magtrabaho | To work |
| Maglakatpending review | Lumakat | To walk |
| Maghambalpending review | Magyakan | 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 | Pamati | To listen |
| Magsulatpending review | Sumurat | To write |
| Magbasapending review | Magbasa | To read |
| Maglingkodpending review | Lumingkod | To sit |
| Magtindogpending review | Tumindog | To stand |
| Magdalaganpending review | Dumalagan | To run |
| Maghulatpending review | Maghulat | To wait |
| Buksanpending review | Abrihan | To open |
| Sirhanpending review | Sarhan | To close |
| Maghugaspending review | Maghugas | To wash |
| Magkaripending review | Kumadi | To come here |
| kagatpending review | kagat | To bite |
| supsoppending review | humod | To suck |
| duplapending review | tupra | To spit |
| sukapending review | digwa | To vomit |
| huyoppending review | tayhop | To blow (as wind) |
| ginhawapending review | ginhawa | To breathe |
| kadlawpending review | tawa | To laugh |
| pamatipending review | dungog | To hear |
| hibalopending review | aram | To know (a fact) |
| dumdompending review | hunahuna | To think |
| simhotpending review | amyon | To smell (sense odour) |
| sin-opending review | hadlok | To fear |
| buhipending review | buhi | To live |
| mataypending review | matay | To die |
| pataypending review | patay | To kill |
| awaypending review | away | To fight |
| mangayampending review | anop | To hunt (transitive) |
| lampuspending review | bakdong | To hit |
| putolpending review | bari | To cut |
| bis-akpending review | lasi | To split |
| dugkalpending review | buno | To stab (or stick) |
| kalotpending review | kalot | To scratch (an itch) |
| suk-aypending review | hunggad | To dig |
| langoypending review | langoy | To swim |
| lupadpending review | lupad | To fly |
| abotpending review | abot | To come |
| higdapending review | higda | To lie (as on one's side) |
| likopending review | likdo | To turn (change direction) |
| hulogpending review | mahulog | To fall (as in drop) |
| sunogpending review | sunog | To burn (intransitive) |
Months
The Spanish-derived month names, and where the spellings part company.
| Hiligaynon | Waray | 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 | Waray | 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 | Baroto | Boat |
| Salakyanpending review | Awto | Car |
| Magsakaypending review | Sumakay | To ride |
| Para langpending review | Para anay | 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 | Hain ka makadto? | Where are you going? |
| Tiketpending review | Tiket | Ticket |
Somewhere to stay
Rooms, doors, keys — a category where almost nothing carries between languages.
| Hiligaynon | Waray | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yabipending review | Yawi | KeyAnother row where nothing carries over. Ilocano 'tulbek' and Tagalog 'susi' share no history at all. |
| Puertahanpending review | Purtahan | 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 | Waray | English |
|---|---|---|
| Panaptonpending review | Bado | 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 | Waray | English |
|---|---|---|
| Idopending review | Ayam | 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 | Uding | 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 | Karabaw | 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 | Halas | 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 | Tamsi | 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 | Yatot | 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 | Namok | 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 | hayop | 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 | budyong | 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 | barahibo | 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.
- dirihigh risk
- In Hiligaynon
- Here.
- In Waray
- Not, no.
Two neighbouring languages, one word, and the meanings are 'here' and 'not'. A sentence can parse cleanly and come out reversed.
- balaodhigh risk
- In Hiligaynon
- Dysentery — written balaód, with the stress on the final syllable.
- In Waray
- 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.
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 Waray. Categories are our own; the comparison ignores punctuation and casing. Neither Hiligaynon nor Waray 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 Waray for 57.8% of 287 phrases. The rest were partly or entirely wrong.
Least reliable
- Everyday verbs5%
- Introductions25%
- Understanding25%
- Getting around29%
- Feelings33%
Most reliable
- The body100%
- Months83%
- Time & days79%
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.
- Waray phrasebook — Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-08-13.
- Appendix: Waray-Waray Swadesh list — Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-08-17.
Last updated 2026-08-06. 380 entries are marked “pending review” — carried on general reference and awaiting confirmation from a native speaker.