The Cebuano/Bisaya word ginhawa means “breath / to breathe”. Pronounced gin-HA-wa, it is used as a noun across Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, and much of Mindanao. This guide covers what ginhawa 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), ginhawa translates to “breath / to breathe”. The word covers closely related meanings — breath, to breathe — the right one depends on context.
Bisaya word
ginhawa
English meaning
breath
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 ginhawa, put the main stress on the uppercase syllable in gin-HA-wa. Practice by saying it slowly first, then gradually speed up to natural conversational pace.
Huwata ang imong ginhawa.
Catch your breath.
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