The official languages of the Philippines are English and Pilipino, which is basically the same as Tagalog (spoken by the inhabitants of the region surrounding Manila). In Cebu, the vernacular is a language called Cebuano, or Bisaya. These two terms are used interchangeably, but there is a subtle difference. Cebuano is the dialect that has evolved in the cities, especially Cebu City. It is a blend of ancient Visayan, Arabic, Spanish, Tagalog, and English. Bisaya, meanwhile, is the relatively pure strain spoken in the rural areas, especially the mountains, where the original Visayan inhabitants of these islands continue to survive. Bisaya has far fewer words borrowed from other vocabularies, and its speakers have intermarried less with successive invaders.
The educated city folk refer to those who - in terms of complexion, language, and habits - carry a larger proportion of the Visyan heritage as "Bisaya dako," or Bisdak (meaning "very Bisaya"). This term is disparaging, and you should not use it to the face of someone who is actually Bisdak. However, the term Bisdak has lately been undergoing a subtle change, and, confusingly, it is now often used by city-dwelling mestizo Cebuanos to describe themselves, and in this sense imparts a connotation of pride - even though the city folk are in most cases not Bisdak at all.
Whereas all inhabitants of Cebu use Bisaya in conversation, the city folk, especially the better-educated ones, often have a far more limited vocabulary than the rural Visayans who continue to speak the original Bisaya. City folk describe Bisaya words that they are unfamiliar with as "deep." Since educated Cebuanos rely almost exclusively on English-language media - radio stations and newspapers - they may be confounded by numerous words used in an article in the Bisaya-language tabloid, Super Balita. "I don't know this word, it's very deep already," they'll readily admit. One common complaint is that Cebuanos are not taught their own language in school, since the curriculum relies entirely on the official languages of Tagalog and English.
Here's an example. "This is for Mark" would be "Para ni kang Mark" in Cebuano, and "Alang ni kang Mark" in Bisaya. In Cebuano, the Spanish term para, meaning "for," has replaced the original Bisayan word alang. City folk will tell you that alang is "deep," but that's the term commonly used by the "real" Visayans, the rural and urban poor.
Let us now consider the difference between Tagalog and Bisaya. The languages are not mutually intelligible. I'd guess that less than 20 percent of the vocabulary is shared. Sometimes the same word may have different meanings. For example, langgam means "ant" in Tagalog and "bird" in Cebuano. (People here like to brag that we're more advanced because here it's already flying while in Manila it's still crawling.) Grammar seems to be essentially the same in both languages, but intonation is completely different. After a while, you'll be able to tell if a person is a Tagalog or a Visayan just from the accent when he or she is speaking in English.
There is one interesting trait that distinguishes a speaker of Cebuano, no matter what language she is using. A Cebuano will not help but pepper all utterances with references to the addressee. Whereas you might say, "It's so hot," a Cebuano will say, "Friend, it's so hot, friend." We will use someone's name, or call her girl, friend, cousin, boss, or just about anything, as long as we call her something. Here's a brief list of the more common terms.
DAY YOUNGER OR INFERIOR FEMALE
MISS POLITER FORM OF "DAY"
DONG YOUNGER OR INFERIOR MALE
BAY FRIEND. USED FOR ANY MALE PERSON
AMIGO FRIEND
AMIGA FRIEND
MAM MADAM
SIR SIR
BOSSING INFORMAL ADDRESS FOR SUPERIORS, SUCH AS CUSTOMERS
KUYA OLDER BROTHER. USED FOR ANY YOUNG BUT ELDER-BROTHER
NANG MIDDLE-AGED OR ELDERLY WOMAN
NONG MIDDLE-AGED OR ELDERLY MAN
NOY RESPECTFUL TERM FOR OLDER MALE
CHOY MATE, PAL
MARI FEMALE PAL
References may be based on the profession of the addressee. Doctors are called "Doc." It may seem cumbersome, but lawyers are referred to as "attorney" and engineers are referred to as "engineer." Hence: "Attorney, listen Attorney, you know I've been having problems with my landlord, Attorney, and the other day, Attorney, I was just a little late with my rent, Attorney, and now he sent me this eviction notice, Attorney, what should I do, Attorney? Attorney, I really need your help, Attorney." You may think I'm exaggerating, but this is how Cebuanos talk, even when conversing in English.
ENGLISH IN CEBU
English is one of the official languages, and is used in court cases and in school. Almost everything written is in English, and if you put a Cebuano behind a microphone, she won't think of speaking in Cebuano. Educated Cebuanoes get their news and entertainment in English. I suppose Cebuano is considered a vulgar tongue, as was the case with English when Latin was prevalent in Europe. However, very few Cebuanos are fluent speakers of English; even college grads who have a good knowledge of English vocabulary may still have a hard time conducting a conversation. Of course, there is an elite comprised of mostly graduates of the best universities, who speak fluent English. [DETAILED ASSESSMENT]
Lack of English fluency in all but the highest social classes is exarcebated by the fact that in the Philippines it is not a crime to freely mix indigenous languages with English. The reverse is true; Cebuanos are expected to spice up their sentences with English words and phrases. When making a phone call, even those who barely speak any English at all will at first greet the other person in English ("Good Morning") and then lapse into Cebuano. In most conversations, every now and then an English phrase or word will pop up.
You CAN get by on English alone. But you will have an easier time if you know some Cebuano. Irrespective of how well they speak it, for most Cebuanos using English is more tiring than the local dialect.
Cebuano English is based on American English, and, on the whole, the two are pretty much the same. However, there are some expressions which have evolved locally and are used only here.
HELPER SERVANT
FISCAL PROSECUTOR
GIMMICKS HAPPENINGS, NIGHTLIFE, PARTY
RUBBER SHOES SNEAKERS (US); TRAINERS (UK)
BROWN-OUT POWER OUTAGE
BOLD STAR BUXOM ACTRESS PARTIAL TO SKIMPY ATTIRE
BOLD MOVIE MOVIE FEATURING BOLD STARS
SAFETY BOX SAFE
SERVICE MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION, USUALLY A CAR
TRICYCLE MOTORCYCLE WITH A SIDECAR
TRISIKAD PEDICAB
TO ASK [SOMETHING] TO REQUEST TO HAVE [SOMETHING]
SOFT DRINK SODA
SOCIAL CLASSY, EXPENSIVE
CONCRETE HOLLOW BLOCKS CINDER BLOCKS
SHABU METH
I/WE WILL GO AHEAD BYE, SEE YOU
COPY-CHECKER PROOFREADER
DAD COUNCILOR
SALVAGING SUMMARY EXECUTION
MULTICAB A TYPE OF VEHICLE. SEE " TYPES OF JEEP"
SALA LIVING ROOM
TANOD UNARMED NEIGHBORHOOD COP
EXPRESSIONS AND GESTURES
There is one gesture in Cebu that you may find disconcerting. The more Bisdak the person, he or she will express incomprehension - when asked a question - by staring at you, raising the eyebrows, opening the mouth as far as it will go, and stretching the lips taught. It just means, "What did you just say? I didn't get it. Can you please repeat that?" Since people will probably have a hard time understanding your accent until you have a chance to adapt a little, you will initially come across this gesture a lot.
I'm sure that, when asked for the location of a thing or person, people in your country point with the hand, the finger, or a quick tilt of the head. But when it comes to pointing, Cebuanos are in a league of their own. When asked where something is, they might point with their lips. If something is on the left of the person, the lips jerk all the way to the left, while the head stays completely motionless. Similarly, if something is straight ahead of a person, the lips will come forward in a quick pout.
A rapid momentary raising of the eyebrows means "yes.". Sometimes, the mouth may accompany this gesture by forming a quick O, since "yes" in Cebuano is o-o. The chin may also be raised slightly, tilting the head back a little - a reverse nod, if you will.
"No" is the same as in most countries - the head is shaken sideways - but in Cebu the lower lip may also protrude to accentuate the negation.
Forming a circle with your thumb and index finger signifies money, rather than "OK." I guess the circle thus formed symbolizes a coin. To signal OK, just give a thumbs up.
Lastly, the gesture for "come here." This can be confusing, especially when used by traffic wardens. The hand, relaxed and palm downwards, will be brought down in a very quick - almost violent - motion, as if to swat a fly in mid-air. The gesture is usually repeated several times, with an interval of about a second. You can also get someone's attention with the sound made by pouting and sucking in air through the mouth, or a quick Pssst! These are only slightly rude.
PRONOUNCIATION
Except for speakers of fluent English - a highly educated minority - Cebuanos tend to use the same pronunciation for English and Cebuano. The number of sounds in Cebuano is limited and this makes it fairly easy to learn to pronounce; however, it does make people's English a bit hard to interpret if you're not familiar with Cebuano pronunciation.
You only need to know how to pronounce three vowel sounds: A, I, and O. The A is pronounced as the vowel in the English word duck. The I sound is halfway between the I in "pit" and E in "pet"; sometimes it is more like the I and sometimes it is more like the E. However, the sounds may be used interchangeably. In fact, in Cebu you can say melk instead of milk, or pin instead of pen, and nobody will know. Moreover, there is no difference between the long and short E. You can get away with saying deenner instead of dinner, or spikker instead of speaker. The O and the U are also interchangeable. Doog and dog, foot and fot sound exactly the same to Visayan ears. When Cebuano is written - which is rare - either spelling is correct; as in Shakespearean English, the writer's preference determines the spelling.
Some consonants are interchangeable as well. There is no F in the original Visayan language. The closest is the P, and consequently Cebuanos are always getting confused between the two. Another pair of interchangeable consonants is V and B. English speakers may call it the Visayas, but in Cebu we call it the Bisayas.
What Cebuanos will not let you get away with is improper intonation and accenting. For example, bangko can mean either bank or chair, depending on how it is pronounced. I'm sorry; I can't help in this regard. The only practical way you can learn intonation and accenting is by conversing with Cebuanos and aping their speech.
It should be noted that Cebuano is not a written language; it exists in written format only in the form of text messages, posts on the Internet, and the Super Balita, a tabloid. Hence, no standardized spelling exists for Cebuano words. Where vowels or diphtongs are interchangeable, any spelling can be used.
Lastly, in Cebuano - but not Bisaya - an L separated by two vowels often becomes a W. Hence, ulan is often pronounced as uwan. Incidentally, when the W follows an A or I, it functions like a vowel, just like the Y.
CEBUANO ENGLISH APPROXIMATION EXAMPLE [PRONUNCIATION]
A PUCK; HUT BATI [BUTTY] KANDING [CUN DING]
O/U FOOT; OH ONYA [OON YAH] MONGOS [MOON GOOSE]
E/I CHICK; PET KINSA [KEEN SUH] SIPON [SIP OON]
J HAND; DEHUT JAPON [HUP OON] JUAN [WHO UN]
DY JEEP; SOJOURN DYIS [JISS] MEDYAS [MIJUSS]
TS/CH CHOP; MUCH TSINELAS [CHINN ILL USS] VETSIN [BITCH INN]
SY/SH SHIP; FISH SYUDAD [SHOE DUD] VETSIN [BITCH INN]
W MOO; SUE SABAW [SUBBOW] BINALIW [BINN UH LYOO]
NUMBERS
The numbering system is a bit of a mess. Viayan numbers are used only up to number 10. However, even if the number is less than ten, if money or time is being counted, Spanish is used. For numbers of 11 and above, either Spanish or English is used - but there are exceptions, namely 100 and 1000, for which only the Bisaya is used. The larger or the more complicated the number, the more likely it is that English is preferred. For example, Spanish may still be used for 2000, but English is more likely for 2753. Numbers are often abbreviated, in whatever language. 1500 is usually "one-five". Lastly, as if things weren't complicated enough, Tagalog numbers are sometimes used instead of the Visayan numbers.
CEBUANO NUMBERS
B I S A Y A S P A N I S H
USA 1 SEE TEXT
DUHA 2 DOS
TULO 3 TRES
UPAT 4 KWATRO
LIMA 5 SINKO
UNUM 6 SEIS
PITO 7 SIYETE
WALO 8 OTSO
SIYAM 9 NUEBE
NAPOLO, NAPO 10 DYIS
11 ONSE
12 DOSE
13 TRESE
14 KATORSE
15 KINSE
16 DISI-SAYS
17 DISI-SIYETE
18 DISI-OTSO
19 DISI-NUEBE
20 BAINTE
21 BAINTE-UNO
22 BAINTE-DOS
23 BAINTE-TRES
30 TRAINTA
31 TRAINTA-Y-UNO
32 TRAINTA-Y-DOS
33 TRAINTA-Y-TRES
40 KWARENTA
50 SIKWENTA, KWENTA
60 SAYSINTA
70 SITENTA
80 OTSINTA
90 NUBENTA
USAKA GATOS 100
200 DOS SINTOS
300 TRES SINTOS
USAKA LIBO 1000
2000 DOS MIL
3000 TRES MIL
10000 DYIS MIL
When counting money, 1 is simply piso. For time, one o'clock is ala una; all other hours are Spanish preceded by alas. For example, 3:00 is alas tres. Used only for time, the Spanish y medya indicates the 30-minute-mark. Hence, 4:30 is pronounced alas kwatro y medya. AM and PM are sa buntag and sa hapon respectively.
When counting things, Cebuanos always specify the object being counted. For example, three sacks of rice is "tulo ka sako." In most cases, "buok," the word for pieces, will suffice. It even works for humans. So instead of just saying "tulo," say "tulo ka buok."
BASIC EXPRESSIONS
THANKS SALAMAT
YOU'RE WELCOME WALA'Y SAPAYAN; WA'Y SAPAYAN
OK SIGE [SEE GAY]
NO PROBLEM WALA'Y PROBLIMA; WA'Y BLIMA
YES O-O / O
REALLY? / NO KIDDING? MAO BA? [MOW BUH]
THIS / THAT KINI, NI / KANA, NA
YOU IKAW, KA [EECOW]
I, ME AKO / KO
SHOPPING
HOW MUCH [IS THIS]? TAGPILA [NI]?
ONE PESO / TEN PESOS TAG PISO / TAG DYIS
I'LL TAKE FIVE / I'LL TAKE 20 LIMA KA BUOK / BAINTE KA BUOK
I'LL TAKE ALL OF THAT KUHAON NA KO TANAN
WHAT'S THAT? UNSA NA?
THE RED ONE KANANG PULA / KANANG RED
WHAT'S THIS CALLED? UNSA'Y TAWAG ANI?
GOT ANYTHING BIGGER? SMALLER? WA'Y DAGKO? WA'Y GAGMAY?
GOT ANYTHING ELSE? WA'Y LAIN?
CAN I HAVE A BAG? PWEDE MANGAYO UG PLASTIK?
GIVE ME 1/4 OF A KILO ONE-FOURTH LANG
GIVE ME 1/2 A KILO TUNGA LANG
TOO EXPENSIVE! MAHAL RA KA-AYO
THAT'S ALL MAO RA
NEVER MIND AYAW NA LANG
I'LL BE BACK [LATER] [SOON] MUBALIK KO [UNYA] [TAOD-TAOD]
LOCATIONS
WHERE? ASA?
WHERE ARE YOU? ASA KA DAPIT?
WHERE ARE YOU NOW? ASA KA KARON?
AT HOME / AT CHURCH SA BALAY / SA SIMBAHAN
I'M/WE'RE ON THE WAY PADONG NA KO/MI
HERE DIRI; DINHI; NGARI
THERE (WITHIN SIGHT) DIHA
THERE (OUT OF SIGHT) DIDTO
GO STRAIGHT DIRETSO PA
TAKE A LEFT/RIGHT LEFT TURN / RIGHT TURN
FAR / NEAR LAYU / DO-OL
NEXT TO THE GAS STATION KILID SA GASOLINAHAN
BEHIND THE GAS STATION LUYO SA GASOLINAHAN
FACING THE GAS STATION ATBANG SA GASOLINAHAN
IN FRONT OF THE GAS STATION ATUBANGAN SA GASOLINAHAN
GO UP / GO DOWN SA TA-AS / SA OBUS
RIGHT HERE DIRI RA
GO THAT WAY DIHA
NEXT DOOR SA PIKAS
ALONG THE ROAD DAPLIN SA KARSADA
AT THE CORNER SA ESKINA
SMALL TALK
WHAT'S YOUR NAME? UNSA IMONG PANGALAN?
HOW OLD ARE YOU? PILA IMONG IDAD?
DO YOU HAVE KIDS? NA'A KA'Y MGA ANAK?
WHAT DO YOU DO? UNSA IMONG TRABAHO?
DO YOU HAVE A BUSINESS? NA'A KA'Y NEGOSYO?
WHERE DO YOU LIVE? ASA KA NAGPUYO?
WHERE ARE YOU FROM? TAGA ASA KA?
WHAT ABOUT YOU? IKAW?
BASIC GRAMMAR
Cebuanos are not that bothered by the accuracy of their utterances if the implication is fairly obvious. Hence, you can say you will go buy "egg," without specifying the number; since eggs are usually bought in a larger number than one, the listener will understand that you mean multiple eggs, rather than just one egg. However, if it is important, it can be made clear that the noun is plural. Instead of attaching S as a suffix, as we do in English, precede the noun by mga. If you have a hard time pronouncing this word, just say mugger.
MGA LIBRO BOOKS
ESTUDYANTE STUDENT
MGA ESTUDYANTE STUDENTS
NGIPUN TOOTH
MGA NGIPUN TEETH
Pronouns are a bit hard in Cebuano. Let's take "you" as an example. In English, the word "you" is used for both "You are so beautiful" and "I'll kill you". The Cebuano language distinguishes between the two usages because in the first instance, "you" is the object, while in the second instance, "you" is the subject. Moreover, as in many other languages, a distinction is made between the singular and plural you.
I/ME
AKO/KO I/ME
NAKO/KO MINE
AKONG
YOU [SINGULAR]
IKAW/KA YOU [SINGULAR]
NIMO/MO YOUR [SINGULAR]
IMONG
YOU [PLURAL]
KAMO/MO YOU [PLURAL]
NINYO YOUR [PLURAL]
INYONG
HE/SHE
SIYA/SYA HER/HIM
NIYA HERS/HIS
IYANG
THEY
SILA THEM
NILA THEIR
ILANG
WE [INCLUDING LISTENER]
KITA US [INCLUDING LISTENER]
NATO/TO OUR [INCLUDING LISTENER]
ATONG
WE [EXCLUDING LISTENER]
KAMI/MI US [EXCLUDING LISTENER]
NAMO OUR [EXCLUDING LISTENER]
AMONG
As you can see, Cebuano makes no distinction between "his" and "her." Consequently even Cebuanos fluent in English inevitably get their genders wrong. They'll say, without realizing their mistake, things like "My brother and her wife are coming over" and so on.
There are two words that are essential in Cebuano, na and pa. The former means "already" and the latter means "still" or "yet"; together these two terms indicate tense and time.
KAON PA KO I'LL BE EATING [LATER]
Tense and time are also indicated by the prefix attached to verbs, which is mi for past tense and mo for future tense. The exception is when something hasn't taken place, when mo is used for a past occurrence (that hasn't actually occurred).
In addition, the form of negation also changes according to space in time. There are two forms of "no." While wala is for things that happened in the past, dili is for things in the future. Hence, the negative response to "Did you eat?" is "Wala" and the negative response to "Do you speak Cebuano?" is "Dili." Wala and dili can also mean "didn't" or "won't."
MIDAGAN NA SILA THEY ALREADY RAN
WALA PA KO MODAGAN I HAVEN'T RUN YET
MODAGAN PA TA WE'LL STILL RUN
Describing things is fairly easy. The word meaning "very" or "excessive" (ka-ayo) goes behind the adjective. Otherwise, describe something by putting the adjective in front and using nga. If the adjective ends in a vowel, nga may be abbreviated into ng and attached to the end of the adjective. Now, nga is pronounced exactly as it is spelled, which makes it a bit hard for Anglophones. Practice by saying NNNG!Ha! and squeezing everything together as quickly as possible.
INIT KA-AYO VERY HOT
MAHAL KA-AYO TOO EXPENSIVE
ITUM NGA IRING BLACK CAT
PULANG KABAYO RED HORSE
LALAKI NGA IGSO-ON BROTHER
TIGUWANG NGA MEKANIKO OLD MECHANIC
ARIEL NGA TIDE ARIEL-BRAND DETERGENT
Let's try descriptive sentences. Use ang if the object being described is a thing, or si if you are describing something with a proper name, such as a person or a pet.
MAHAL ANG ISDA. THE FISH IS EXPENSIVE.
DATO SI IMELDA. IMELDA IS RICH.
DAWTAN SI FERDINAND. FERDINAND IS EVIL.
Similarly, "of" is either sa if the possessor is a thing, or ni if the possessor has a proper name.
ISDA SA DAGAT FISH FROM THE OCEAN
MGA IRO SA SILINGAN THE NEIGHBOR'S DOGS
SAKYANAN NI JUAN JUAN'S CAR
MGA UYAB NI JOANNE JOANNE'S BOYFRIENDS
Just one more lesson and you'll be up and running (or sputtering). You can think of "the" as being ug or sa. This may be confusing because both of these words have other meanings (ug means "and"; sa means "of" or "at"). Though ug and sa are interchangeable, it seems that ug is slightly more common, so I usually stick to ug.
MODALA KO UG MGA PLATO I'LL BRING PLATES
INUM UG GATAS DRINK THE MILK
PALIT UG GAPAS SA TINDAHAN SA AKONG SILINGAN BUY COTTON AT MY NEIGHBOR'S STORE
Congratulations! You've just completed a crash course in colloquial Cebuano. Since Cebuano reading material is limited, and instructive literature is hard to come by and of questionable quality, you'd better enroll at a language school if you want to take it to the next level. There are plenty to choose from. Market rates seem to be about 2500 - 5000 pesos per month, and courses last about six months. I've come across Mormon missionaries who speak beautiful Cebuano despite having arrived fairly recently, so I guess it is possible to rapidly become fluent if you work hard at it.
____
A
ADLAW DAY; SUN
ADTO TO GO
AGAY OUCH
A-HUS GINGER [THE VEGETABLE]
ALIMANGO CRAB
AMAHAN FATHER
ANAK CHILD
APAS TO CATCH UP
APO GRANDCHILD
ASAWA WIFE
ASUKAR SUGAR
ASIN SALT
ATUP ROOF
AYAW DON'T
B/V
BABA MOUTH
BABAE WOMAN; FEMALE
BABOY PIG; PORK
BADUY IN BAD TASTE
BAHO FOUL-SMELLING
BAKA COW/BULL; BEEF
BAKI FROG
BALAY HOUSE, HOME
BALIGYA TO SELL
BANA HUSBAND
BANGGA ACCIDENT,CRASH
BANGKO BANK; CHAIR
BANTAY GUARD; TO WATCH
BANYO BATHING ROOM
BARATO CHEAP
BARKO BOAT
BATO STONE
BASA WET
BASA TO READ
BASTOS LECHEROUS
BASURA GARBAGE
BASO GLASS, CUP
BASTOS LECHEROUS, HORNY
BATA BABY; TODDLER
BATI UGLY; CRAPPY
BAYUT A GAY; TRANSVESTITE
BAYBAYON BEACH
BILBIL BELLY
BINTANA WINDOW
BISITA VISITOR
BITAW SURE, RIGHT, OF COURSE
VETSIN MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE
BODEGA WAREHOUSE
BUG-AS UNCOOKED RICE
BUGNAW COLD [THING]. see BUGNAW
BOGO STUPID
BUHOK HAIR
BUKID MOUNTAIN, HILL
BUKO YOUNG COCONUT
BULAN MOON; MONTH
BULINGON SOILED [FOR CLOTHING]
BUNTAG MORNING
BUSLOT HOLE
BUSOG SATED
BUTO VAGINA
BULAD, BUWAD DRIED FISH
D
DABONG BAMBOO SHOOT
DAGAN TO RUN
DAGAT OCEAN
DAKO LARGE
DALA TO BRING
DALAN STREET
DALI QUICKLY
DAPIT LOCATION
DATO WEALTHY
DAWTAN WICKED
DAYON! COME IN!
DIDTO OVER THERE
DINHI; DIRI HERE
DINHA; DIHA THERE
DIOS GOD
DIRETSO STRAIGHT
DUGAY LONG IN DURATION, DELAYED, SLOW
DUGO BLOOD
DUGOS HONEY
DOKTOR DOCTOR
G
GABI-I EVENING; NIGHT
GAHI HARD (NOT SOFT)
GAKUS HUG; TO HUG
GAMAY SMALL; A LITTLE
GANAHAN PREFERRED, FAVORITE
GANINA EARLIER
GAMIT TO USE
GAPAS COTTON
GASOLINAHAN GAS STATION
GATAS MILK
GASTADOR GENEROUS
GAWAS OUTSIDE; TO EXIT
GIKAN SA FROM
GINIKANAN PARENT
GINO-O JESUS
GUBA BROKEN
GUGMA LOVE
GUSTO TO LIKE, TO WANT
GWAPA PRETTY
GWAPO HANDSOME
H
HABOL BLANKET
HADLOK AFRAID
HALANG HOT/SPICY
HANGIN AIR; WIND
HANGTOD SA UP TO
HAPON AFTERNOON
HAPIT ALMOST
HARINA FLOUR
HILAK TO WEEP
HILAW UNDER-RIPE
HILUM QUIET
HINAY SLOW; WEAK
HUGAW DIRTY, FILTHY
HULAM TO BORROM
HULAT/HUWAT TO WAIT
HUMOK SOFT
HUMOT REDOLENT
HUWES A JUDGE
I/E
IGSO-ON SIBLING
IBABAW ABOVE
ILAWON UNDERNEATH
INIT HOT; NOT COLD
INUM TO DRINK
INAHAN MOTHER
EPHAT TO COUNT
IRING CAT
IRO DOG
IG-AGAW COUSIN
ISDA FISH
ESKINA CORNER
ESKWELAHAN SCHOOL
ISOG FIERCE; AGGRESSIVE
ESTUDYANTE STUDENT
ITUM BLACK
IYUT SEX; TO HAVE SEX
K
KA-AYU VERY
KABALO TO KNOW [SOMETHING]
KABAYO HORSE
KABIT SECRET LOVER
KAMATES TOMATO
KAMOT HAND
KADIYOT MOMENT, SECOND
KAILA TO KNOW [SOMEONE]
KAHOY TREE; WOOD
KALAYU FIRE
KANDILA CANDLE
KANDING GOAT
KAN-ON BOILED RICE
KANTA SONG; TO SING
KAON TO EAT
KAPOY TIRED, TIRING
KARNE MEAT
KARON NOW
KARSADA ROAD
KASABUT TO UNDERSTAND
KASAL WEDDING
KATABANG SERVANT
KATAWHAN THE PEOPLE
KATRE BED
KAWAYAN BAMBOO
KINSA WHO
KISAME CEILING
KOCHARA SPOON
KODAKAN PHOTOGRAPHER
KUHA TO GET/FETCH/TAKE
KORIPUT FRUGAL
KOTSILYO KNIFE
KUSOG FAST; STRONG; INTENSE
KUSGAN STRONG [PERSON]
KUGIHAN HARD-WORKING
KUSINA KITCHEN
KUYOG TO ACCOMPANY
KWARTA MONEY
KWARTO ROOM
L
LABA TO LAUNDER
LABANDERA WASHERWOMAN
LABAY TO THROW AWAY
LAKAW TO WALK; TO GO OUT
LALAKI, LAKI MAN; MALE
LAMAW LEFT-OVERS
LAMISA TABLE
LAMI DELICIOUS
LAMISA TABLE
LAMOK MOSQUITO
LANGAW FLY (THE INSECT)
LANGGAM BIRD
LANSAN METAL NAIL
LAPIS PENCIL
LAPOK MUD
LATA CAN
LIBRE FREE, GRATIS
LIBRO BOOK
LIG-ON STRONG [THING]
LINGAW FUN
LIMPYO CLEAN; TO CLEAN
LINGKUD TO SIT
LISUD DIFFICULT
LOBOT ASS, BUTT
LO-OD GROSS; DISGUSTING
LUGAR PLACE
LUGAW RICE GRUEL
LOLA/LOLO GRANDPARENT (F/M)
LUTO TO COOK
M
MA-AYU GOOD
MAESTRA/MAESTRO TEACHER (M/F)
MAHAL EXPENSIVE
MALINAWON PEACEFUL, QUIET
MALIPAYON HAPPY
MANOK CHICKEN
MINGAW LONELY; TO MISS
MAKINA MACHINE
MAS MORE
MASAHE MASSAGE
MASAHISTA MASSEUSE
MEDYAS SOCKS
MEKANIKO MECHANIC
MERKADO MARKET
MUBO SHORT
MATRES WOMB, UTERUS
MATA EYE; TO AWAKEN
N
NEGOSYANTE BUSINESSMAN/WOMAN
NEGOSYO BUSINESS
NGANO MAN? WHY?
NGIPUN TOOTH
NGIT-NGIT DARK
NINDUT NICE
NIWANG THIN
NAWONG FACE
O/U
OBUS BELOW
UDTO NOON
UG AND
ULAN, UWAN RAIN
UNGGOY MONKEY
UNSA WHAT
UNYA LATER; THEN
OPISINA OFFICE
UTAN/UTANON VEGETABLES
UTANG DEBT; CREDIT
OTEN PENIS
UYAB BOYFRIEND, GIRLFRIEND
P
PABOR A FAVOR
PADONG ON THE WAY
PAGKAON FOOD
PAIT BITTER
PAKITA TO SHOW
PALIT TO BUY
PALTIK LOCAL GUN
PAN BREAD
PANGALAN, NGALAN NAME
PANIHAPON DINNER, SUPPER
PANIUDTO LUNCH
PAPIL PAPER, DOCUMENTS
PARAT SALTY
PASKO CHRISTMAS
PATAY DEAD
PISO CHICK (YOUNG BIRD)
PLATO PLATE
PULA RED
PULTAHAN DOOR
PUNO FULL
PUTI WHITE
PUTOL CUT, SEVERED
PRENDA TO PAWN
PROBLIMA, BLIMA PROBLEM
PRUTAS FRUIT
R
RELOH WRISTWATCH
S
SABA NOISY
SABAW SOUP
SABON SOAP
SAGING BANANA
SAKAY TO RIDE
SAKIT PAINFUL; ILL
SAKYANAN VEHICLE, CAR
SALIDA SHOW
SAMOK ANNOYING
SANINA CLOTHING
SAPATOS SHOE
SAYANG WASTE, PITY
SAYAW TO DANCE
SAYO EARLY
SAYON EASY
SAYOP MISTAKE
SHAGGIT TO SHOUT
SIGE OK, FINE
SIMBAHAN CHURCH
SINE MOVIE
SIPON A COLD; THE FLU
SUBRA EXCESS
SUGA LIGHT
SULAT TO WRITE
SUL-OB TO WEAR
SULOD, SUD INSIDE; TO ENTER
SUKLI CHANGE (MONEY)
SOROY TO GO OUT [FOR FUN]
T
TA-AS LONG; TALL; HIGH UP
TAB-ANG BLAND, UNDERSALTED
TABIAN TALKATIVE
TABON LID, COVER
TAMBOK FAT
TAM-IS SWEET
TAMBAL MEDICINE
TAN-AW TO LOOK
TAOD-TAOD SOON
TAPULAN LAZY
TAWAG TO CALL; TO PHONE
TAWO PERSON
TENIDOR FORK
TIGULANG OLD PERSON
TI-IL FOOT, FEET
TIHIK STINGY, MISERY
TINDAHAN STORE
TINDERA/TINDERO SALES CLERK (F/M)
TINDOG TO STAND
TINUOD TRUE; TRUTH
TIYAN TUMMY
TRABAHO TO WORK \
TSINELAS SLIPPER
TUBIG WATER
TUGNAW [TO BE] COLD. see BUGNAW
TULOG, TUG TO SLEEP
TUNGA HALF
TUNGOD SA BECAUSE OF
Y
YAWA DEMON
YAWI KEY
YUTA LAND; SOIL
