The Cebuano/Bisaya word duyan means “hammock / baby cradle / swing”. Pronounced DU-yan, it is used as a noun across Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, and much of Mindanao. This guide covers what duyan means in Bisaya, how to pronounce it, when to use it, common example sentences, and how it compares to similar Cebuano words.
In Bisaya (Cebuano), duyan translates to “hammock / baby cradle / swing”. The word has multiple closely related meanings: hammock, baby cradle, swing, all used depending on context.
Bisaya word
duyan
English meaning
hammock
Part of speech
Noun
Capital letters mark the stressed syllable — say it louder and slightly longer.
Bisaya stress is phonemic, meaning the wrong stress can change a word's meaning or make it unrecognisable to native speakers. For duyan, put the main stress on the uppercase syllable in DU-yan. Practice by saying it slowly first, then gradually speed up to natural conversational pace.
Gihigda ang bata sa duyan.
The baby was laid in the cradle.
The duyan (hammock cradle) is iconic in Cebuano lullabies. The song 'Sa Ugoy ng Duyan' is known by every Filipino.
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