TalkBisaya — Cebuano language guide
Talk Bisaya, the language of 22 million Filipinos.
Free Cebuano lessons, a 10,000+ word dictionary, grammar guides, side-by-side Visayan comparisons, and quizzes. Built and reviewed by native Cebuano speakers.
- Speakers
- 22M+
- Dictionary
- 10,000+
- Lessons
- 40+
- 1Travel
Bisaya for Travelers in Cebu: The Ultimate First-Trip Phrasebook
- 2Basics
How Do You Say 'Hi' in Cebu? Bisaya Greetings for Every Time of Day
- 3Culture
The Visayan Language Family Tree: All 30+ Bisayan Languages, Mapped
- 4Basics
How to Say 'Thank You' in Bisaya: Salamat and All the Ways Cebuanos Express Gratitude
- 5Romance
How to Say 'I Love You' in Bisaya: 25 Romantic Cebuano Phrases
- 1Travel
Bisaya for Travelers in Cebu: The Ultimate First-Trip Phrasebook
- 2Basics
How Do You Say 'Hi' in Cebu? Bisaya Greetings for Every Time of Day
- 3Culture
The Visayan Language Family Tree: All 30+ Bisayan Languages, Mapped
- 4Basics
How to Say 'Thank You' in Bisaya: Salamat and All the Ways Cebuanos Express Gratitude
- 5Romance
How to Say 'I Love You' in Bisaya: 25 Romantic Cebuano Phrases
Explore
Story-Based Learning
Learn Bisaya Through Real Cebu Situations
Jun Rides the Jeepney
“Lugar lang, Manong.”
14 commuter phrases · Beginner
Ate Liza at Carbon Market
“Hangyo lang ko — palubag gamay?”
14 bargaining phrases · Beginner
Lolo Berto's Sugilanon
“Kaniadto, dugay na kaayo...”
14 past-tense phrases · Intermediate
Inday Calls Her Lola
“Gimingaw ko nimo, Lola.”
16 family phrases · Beginner
Boy at the Sari-Sari Store
“Naa may asin? Tingi lang.”
14 everyday phrases · Beginner
Did you know?
6 things that make Bisaya fascinating
From ancient trade routes to the chieftain who stopped Europe's first world voyage — the Bisaya language carries centuries of history.
More native speakers than Tagalog
Bisaya has ~22 million native speakers — more than Tagalog's ~14 million — yet Tagalog (as Filipino) is the national language. Bisaya dominates the southern half of the country.
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LanguageA language, not a dialect
Bisaya is officially classified as a separate language (ISO 639-3 code: ceb), not a Tagalog dialect. The 2020 PSA Census counted 24.2 million native Bisaya/Cebuano speakers, and a monolingual Tagalog speaker cannot understand Bisaya without studying it.
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HistoryA Bisaya chieftain killed Magellan
On April 27, 1521, Lapu-Lapu — chieftain of Mactan island — defeated and killed Ferdinand Magellan. He is celebrated as the first Filipino to resist European colonization.
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CultureVisayans had their own alphabet before Spain
Pre-colonial Visayans used Badlit, an Indic-derived script related to (but distinct from) the Tagalog Baybayin. Spanish colonization began in 1565, and within a generation — by the early 1600s — Badlit's everyday use had ended.
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WordSalamat
Salamat traces to Arabic
The Bisaya word for thank you — salamat — derives from the Arabic salāmah (peace, safety), arriving via Malay trade routes that reached the Visayas by the 14th century, roughly 200 years before Spanish contact in 1521.
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WordPadayon
Padayon: the Bisaya spirit in one word
Padayon means "continue" or "press on." It is the rallying cry of Bisaya speakers — shouted at Sinulog, written on walls, said to friends who are struggling. No single English word captures it fully.
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Why Learn Bisaya?
Unlock authentic experiences in the beautiful Visayas and Mindanao regions
22+ Million Speakers
Bisaya is the second most spoken language in the Philippines, used throughout the Visayas and Mindanao.
Travel Confidently
Visit Cebu, Bohol, Davao, and other beautiful destinations while connecting with locals in their language.
Connect Deeper
Build stronger relationships with Filipino friends, family, or colleagues by speaking their native language.
Sugod na ta
Ready to start your Bisaya journey?
Pick up your first phrases, browse the 529-word dictionary, or jump straight into a quiz. The whole library is free to use.