Waray to Hiligaynon 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

Hiligaynon to Waray

Search the phrasebook

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.

Greetings: Waray phrases with Hiligaynon and English translations
Waray	Hiligaynon	English
Maupay nga agapending review	Maayong 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.
Maupay nga kuloppending review	Maayong hapon	Good afternoon
Maupay nga gab-ipending review	Maayong gab-i	Good evening
Maupay nga adlawpending review	Maayong adlaw	Good day
Kumusta ka?pending review	Kamusta 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.
Maupay manpending review	Maayo man	I'm fine
Pag-ihapending review	Halong	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.
Maupay nga gab-ipending review	Maayong 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.
Maiha na kita waray magkitapending review	Dugay na kita wala magkitaay	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: Waray phrases with Hiligaynon and English translations
Waray	Hiligaynon	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.
Damo nga salamatpending review	Madamo gid 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'.
Waray sapayanpending review	Wala sang anuman	You're welcomeWaray's own name comes from this construction — 'waray' is the word for 'none', and the language is named after how often outsiders heard it.
Oopending review	Huo	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.
Diripending review	Indi	NoIlocano also uses 'saan' for no, which is a genuine trap: 'saan' is 'where' in Tagalog. Hiligaynon 'indi' and Waray 'diri' look alike but Waray 'diri' collides with Hiligaynon 'diri', meaning 'here'.
Pasayloa akopending review	Patawara 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.
Alayonpending review	Palihog	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 anaypending 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.
Waray problemapending review	Wala problema	No problemThe word for 'none' is the giveaway: wala, awan, walay, waray, mayo. Waray-speakers are named after theirs.
Pag-ayo-ayopending review	Halong	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: Waray phrases with Hiligaynon and English translations
Waray	Hiligaynon	English
Ano an imo ngaran?pending review	Ano ang ngalan mo?	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.
An akon ngaran…pending review	Ang ngalan ko…	My name is…
Nalipay ako nga makilala kapending review	Nalipay ako nga makilala ka	Nice to meet you
Taga-hain ka?pending review	Taga-diin 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: Waray phrases with Hiligaynon and English translations
Waray	Hiligaynon	English
Diri ako nakakaintindipending review	Wala ko makaintiendi	I don't understand
Maaram ka mag-English?pending review	Kabalo 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'.
Alayon utrohapending review	Palihog liwata	Please say it again
Alayon hinay-hinaypending review	Palihog hinay-hinay	Please speak slowly
Ano ini?pending review	Ano ini?	What is this?
Nakakaintindi akopending review	Nakaintiendi ako	I understand
Ano an tawag hini?pending review	Ano ang tawag sini?	What is this called?
Paonan-o ini yakanon?pending review	Paano ini hambalon?	How do you say this?

Numbers

Native numerals one to ten, which diverge sharply between the Luzon and Visayan languages.

Numbers: Waray phrases with Hiligaynon and English translations
Waray	Hiligaynon	English
Usapending review	Isa	OneCebuano and Waray 'usa' is a false friend of the highest order: in Tagalog 'usa' is a deer.
Duhapending review	Duha	Two
Tulopending review	Tatlo	Three
Upatpending review	Apat	Four
Limapending review	Lima	FiveThe one numeral that survives intact across all eight — and in Pangasinan 'lima' is also the word for 'hand', which is where the numeral came from in the first place.
Unompending review	Anum	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 usapending review	Napulo kag isa	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.
Karuhaanpending 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.
Usa ka gatospending review	Isa 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.
Usa ka libopending review	Isa 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: Waray phrases with Hiligaynon and English translations
Waray	Hiligaynon	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.
Hin-opending review	Sin-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.
Hainpending review	Diin	WhereSeven distinct words. Cebuano 'asa' is a false friend in Tagalog, where it means to hope or depend on someone.
Kakan-opending review	San-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.
Kay anopending review	Ngaa	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.
Tagpira?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.
Pira?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.
gin-anopending review	anhon	How

Time & days

Today, tomorrow, day and night.

Time & days: Waray phrases with Hiligaynon and English translations
Waray	Hiligaynon	English
Yanapending review	Subong	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.
Buwaspending review	Buas	TomorrowIlocano builds tomorrow out of 'bigat', the word for morning — the same root as in 'Naimbag a bigat'.
Kakuloppending review	Kahapon	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.
Miyerkulespending review	Miyerkoles	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.
Dominggopending review	Domingo	SundayTagalog is the outlier: 'Linggo' where the rest kept 'Domingo'. Pangasinan went further and uses 'Simba', from the word for churchgoing — the same root Tagalog uses for the verb 'to attend mass'.
Udtopending review	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.
Niyanpending review	Karon	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.
Pirmipending review	Pirme	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: Waray phrases with Hiligaynon and English translations
Waray	Hiligaynon	English
Iroypending review	Iloy	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.
Bugtopending review	Utod	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.
Sangkaypending review	Abyan	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.
Ngaranpending 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.
Amyawpending review	Kaingod	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.
Minasusopending review	Lapsag	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.

Food & eating: Waray phrases with Hiligaynon and English translations
Waray	Hiligaynon	English
Bugaspending review	Bugas	Rice (uncooked)All eight distinguish uncooked grain from cooked rice with separate words — a distinction English has to spell out.
Lutopending 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.
Bunaypending 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.
Kumaonpending review	Magkaon	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.
Marasapending review	Namit	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.
Mahalangpending review	Maharang	Spicy
Maalatpending review	Maasin	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.

Drinks: Waray phrases with Hiligaynon and English translations
Waray	Hiligaynon	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
Uminompending review	Mag-inom	To drink
Alayon hin tubigpending review	Palihog sang tubig	Water, please
Tsapending review	Tsa	Tea
Beerpending review	Beer	Beer
Mapaso nga tubigpending review	Mainit nga tubig	Hot water
Mahagkot nga tubigpending review	Mabugnaw nga tubig	Cold water

Market & money

Prices, haggling, paying.

Market & money: Waray phrases with Hiligaynon and English translations
Waray	Hiligaynon	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.
Pumalitpending review	Magbakal	To buyCebuano 'palit' is to buy; in Tagalog 'palit' is to exchange or swap. Same root, opposite ends of a transaction.
Merkadopending review	Tiendahan	Market
Tagpira ini?pending review	Tagpila ini?	How much is this?
Mahal hinduropending review	Mahal gid	That's too expensive
Pwede ba pakubaan?pending review	Pwede hangyo?	Can you lower the price?
Magbaligyapending review	Magbaligya	To sell

Directions

Left, right, here, there and how far.

Directions: Waray phrases with Hiligaynon and English translations
Waray	Hiligaynon	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.
Toopending review	Tuo	Right
Didipending review	Diri	HereHiligaynon 'diri' is 'here'. Waray 'diri' is 'not'. The two languages are neighbours and this pair catches people constantly.
Didtopending review	Didto	There
Hirayopending review	Malayo	Far
Hiranipending review	Malapit	Near
Hain an kasilyas?pending review	Diin ang kasilyas?	Where is the toilet?
Kumadtopending review	Magkadto	To go
Diretsopending review	Diretso	Straight ahead
Igbawpending review	Ibabaw	Up
Ilarompending review	Idalom	Down
Sulodpending review	Sulod	Inside
Gawaspending review	Guwa	Outside

Health & emergency

The phrases worth knowing before you need them.

Health & emergency: Waray phrases with Hiligaynon and English translations
Waray	Hiligaynon	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
May sakit akopending review	Masakit ako	I am sick
Maul-ulpending review	Masakit	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!
Pag-ampingpending review	Maghalong	Be careful
Nawara akopending review	Nadula ako	I am lost
Hilanatpending review	Hilanat	Fever
Ul-ul han ulopending review	Sakit sang ulo	Headache

The body

Head to foot, where several of these languages share nothing at all.

The body: Waray phrases with Hiligaynon and English translations
Waray	Hiligaynon	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
Talingapending review	Dulunggan	Ear
Irongpending 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.
Kasingkasingpending review	Tagipusuon	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
tinaipending review	tinae	Guts
liogpending review	liog	Neck
likodpending review	likod	Back
susopending review	suso	Breast
ataypending review	atay	Liver

Nature & weather

Sun, rain, sea and mountain.

Nature & weather: Waray phrases with Hiligaynon and English translations
Waray	Hiligaynon	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.
Bitoonpending review	Bituon	Star
Uranpending 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.
Salogpending review	Suba	RiverWaray and Bikol 'salog' looks close to Tagalog 'ilog' but is a separate root — and in Cebuano 'salog' is a floor.
Tunapending review	Duta	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
Bukadpending 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
kaguranganpending review	kagulangan	Forest
ablongpending review	lipak	Stick (of wood)
bungapending review	bunga	Fruit
binhipending review	binhi	Seed
dahonpending review	dahon	Leaf
gamotpending review	gamot	Root
panitpending review	panit sang kahoy	Bark (of tree)
banwapending review	hilamon	Grass
danawpending review	danaw	Lake
dagatpending review	dagat	Sea (as in ocean)
buhanginpending review	balas	Sand
alikabokpending review	yab-ok	Dust
tunapending review	duta	Earth (as in soil)
panganuronpending review	panganod	Cloud
burongpending review	gamhon	Fog
hanginpending review	hangin	Wind (as in breeze)
niyebepending review	niyebe	Snow
yelopending review	yelo	Ice
usokpending review	aso	Smoke
abopending review	abo	Ash
adlawpending review	adlaw	Day (daytime)

Describing things

Big, small, good, beautiful.

Describing things: Waray phrases with Hiligaynon and English translations
Waray	Hiligaynon	English
Dakopending review	Daku	Big
Gutiaypending review	Gamay	Small
Maupaypending review	Maayo	Good
Maraotpending review	Malain	Bad
Mahusaypending review	Matahum	BeautifulBikol 'magayon' is the root behind Mayon, the volcano. Waray 'mahusay' means beautiful; in Tagalog the same word means skilled or well-arranged.
Mapasopending review	Mainit	Hot
Mahagkotpending review	Mabugnaw	Cold
Madagmitpending review	Madasig	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.
Lagaspending 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.
Damopending review	Madamo	Many
Gutiaypending review	Diutay	Few
Halabapending review	Malaba	Long
Halipotpending review	Malip-ot	Short
Mabug-atpending review	Mabug-at	Heavy
Limpyopending review	Matinlo	Clean
Mahugawpending review	Mahigko	Dirty
ngatananpending review	tanan	All
magutiaypending review	iban	Some
ibapending review	iban	Other
halagpadpending review	lapad	Wide
dakmolpending review	madamol	Thick
haligotpending review	makitid	Narrow
gamaypending review	nipis	Thin
initpending review	mainit	Warm (as in weather)
tugnawpending review	malamig	Cold (as in weather)
daanpending review	daan	Old
matarompending review	matalom	Sharp (as a knife)
basapending review	basa	Wet
mamarapending review	kigas	Dry (adjective)
tuopending review	tuo	Right (side)
walapending review	wala	Left (side)

Feelings

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

Feelings: Waray phrases with Hiligaynon and English translations
Waray	Hiligaynon	English
Hinihigugma ko ikawpending review	Palangga ta ka	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
Mabidopending review	Masubo	Sad
Kapoypending review	Kapoy	Tired
Nasinapending review	Akig	Angry
Ginhihidlaw ako ha imopending review	Ginahidlaw ako sa imo	I miss you
Nahahadlokpending review	Hadlok	Afraid
Nakuratanpending review	Nakibot	Surprised
Naumodpending review	Natak-an	Bored

Colours

Basic colour terms.

Colours: Waray phrases with Hiligaynon and English translations
Waray	Hiligaynon	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.
Busagpending 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: Waray phrases with Hiligaynon and English translations
Waray	Hiligaynon	English
Katurogpending review	Magtulog	To sleep
Makitapending review	Makita	To see
Sumatanpending review	Isiling	To sayIlocano and Pangasinan share 'ibaga' — but in Tagalog 'baga' is an ember, and in Ilocano it is the colour red.
Maarampending review	Kabalo	To know
Karuyagpending review	Gusto	To wantKapampangan 'buri' is to want or like. In Tagalog 'buri' is a species of palm.
Humatagpending review	Maghatag	To give
Magtrabahopending review	Magtrabaho	To work
Lumakatpending review	Maglakat	To walk
Magyakanpending review	Maghambal	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.
Pamatipending review	Mamati	To listen
Sumuratpending review	Magsulat	To write
Magbasapending review	Magbasa	To read
Lumingkodpending review	Maglingkod	To sit
Tumindogpending review	Magtindog	To stand
Dumalaganpending review	Magdalagan	To run
Maghulatpending review	Maghulat	To wait
Abrihanpending review	Buksan	To open
Sarhanpending review	Sirhan	To close
Maghugaspending review	Maghugas	To wash
Kumadipending review	Magkari	To come here
kagatpending review	kagat	To bite
humodpending review	supsop	To suck
tuprapending review	dupla	To spit
digwapending review	suka	To vomit
tayhoppending review	huyop	To blow (as wind)
ginhawapending review	ginhawa	To breathe
tawapending review	kadlaw	To laugh
dungogpending review	pamati	To hear
arampending review	hibalo	To know (a fact)
hunahunapending review	dumdom	To think
amyonpending review	simhot	To smell (sense odour)
hadlokpending review	sin-o	To fear
buhipending review	buhi	To live
mataypending review	matay	To die
pataypending review	patay	To kill
awaypending review	away	To fight
anoppending review	mangayam	To hunt (transitive)
bakdongpending review	lampus	To hit
baripending review	putol	To cut
lasipending review	bis-ak	To split
bunopending review	dugkal	To stab (or stick)
kalotpending review	kalot	To scratch (an itch)
hunggadpending review	suk-ay	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)
likdopending review	liko	To turn (change direction)
mahulogpending review	hulog	To fall (as in drop)
sunogpending review	sunog	To burn (intransitive)

Months

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

Months: Waray phrases with Hiligaynon and English translations
Waray	Hiligaynon	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
Septiyembrepending review	Setyembre	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: Waray phrases with Hiligaynon and English translations
Waray	Hiligaynon	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
Awtopending review	Salakyan	Car
Sumakaypending review	Magsakay	To ride
Para anaypending 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.
Hain ka makadto?pending review	Diin ka makadto?	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: Waray phrases with Hiligaynon and English translations
Waray	Hiligaynon	English
Yawipending review	Yabi	KeyAnother row where nothing carries over. Ilocano 'tulbek' and Tagalog 'susi' share no history at all.
Purtahanpending review	Puertahan	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: Waray phrases with Hiligaynon and English translations
Waray	Hiligaynon	English
Badopending review	Panapton	Clothes
Sapatospending review	Sapatos	Shoes
Tambalpending review	Bulong	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: Waray phrases with Hiligaynon and English translations
Waray	Hiligaynon	English
Ayampending review	Ido	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.
Udingpending review	Kuring	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.
Halaspending review	Man-ug	SnakeFive unrelated words, and the one worth memorising before you need it. Ilocano and Pangasinan share 'uleg', which is unusual — the two rarely agree.
Tamsipending review	Pispis	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.
Yatotpending 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	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.
budyongpending 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.
barahibopending review	balahibo	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.
pakopending review	pakpak	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 Waray
Not, no.
In Hiligaynon
Here.
Two neighbouring languages, one word, and the meanings are 'here' and 'not'. A sentence can parse cleanly and come out reversed.
balaodhigh risk
In Waray
Law; a rule, act, edict or ordinance.
In Hiligaynon
Dysentery — written balaód, with the stress on the final syllable.
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 Waray entries from the phrasebook below through the same engine this site uses, and compared each result against the human-written Hiligaynon. Categories are our own; the comparison ignores punctuation and casing. Neither Waray nor Hiligaynon 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 Hiligaynon for 49.5% of 287 phrases. The rest were partly or entirely wrong.

Least reliable

Greetings0%
Everyday verbs20%
Market & money22%
Introductions25%
Things to buy33%

Most reliable

Drinks78%
Months75%
Question words71%

Sources

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.
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.

Last updated 2026-08-06. 380 entries are marked “pending review” — carried on general reference and awaiting confirmation from a native speaker.