Cebuano Polite Words and Phrases with Tagalog Translations
10 courtesy in Cebuano, each with its Tagalog equivalent and an English gloss. Entries come from our phrasebook, compiled from published references rather than produced by the translation engine. Cebuano entries are marked pending review until a native speaker has confirmed them.
Courtesy
Thank you, sorry, yes and no.
| Cebuano | Tagalog | 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. |
| Daghang salamatpending review | Maraming 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'. |
| Walay sapayanpending review | Walang 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 | 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. |
| Dilipending review | Hindi | NoIlocano also uses 'saan' for no, which is a genuine trap: 'saan' is 'where' in Tagalog. Hiligaynon 'indi' and Waray 'diri' look alike but Waray 'diri' collides with Hiligaynon 'diri', meaning 'here'. |
| Pasayloa kopending review | Paumanhin | SorryIn everyday speech 'sorry' and 'pasensya' are what most speakers actually say in all eight; the native forms above are what you will see written. |
| Palihugpending review | Pakiusap | 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 | Makikiraan po | 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. |
| Walay problemapending review | Walang problema | No problemThe word for 'none' is the giveaway: wala, awan, walay, waray, mayo. Waray-speakers are named after theirs. |
| Ayo-ayopending review | Ingat ka | 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. |
More Cebuano word lists
- Cebuano Numbers17
- Cebuano Days, Months and Time Words19
- Cebuano Family and People Words22
- Cebuano Food and Eating Words28
- Cebuano Directions and Travel Words13
- Cebuano Emergency and Health Phrases12
- Cebuano Words for Parts of the Body26
- Cebuano Words for Nature and Weather38
- Cebuano Adjectives and Describing Words40
- Cebuano Everyday Verbs66
- Cebuano Months of the Year12
- Cebuano Words for Animals17
Sources
- Cebuano phrasebook — Wikivoyage. Accessed 2026-08-13.
- Appendix: Austronesian Swadesh lists — Wiktionary. Accessed 2026-08-17.
- Tagalog phrasebook — Wikivoyage. Accessed 2026-08-13.