The Cebuano/Bisaya word hala means “watch out! / uh-oh! / expression of warning or taunting”. Pronounced HA-la, it is used as a interjection across Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, and much of Mindanao. This guide covers what hala 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), hala translates to “watch out! / uh-oh! / expression of warning or taunting”. The word has multiple closely related meanings: watch out!, uh-oh!, expression of warning or taunting, all used depending on context.
Usage note: Context-dependent: can warn, taunt, or react with alarm. 'Hala ka!' means 'now you're in trouble'.
Bisaya word
hala
English meaning
watch out!
Part of speech
Interjection
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 hala, put the main stress on the uppercase syllable in HA-la. Practice by saying it slowly first, then gradually speed up to natural conversational pace.
Hala, mosumbong ko nimo!
Just you wait, I'll tell on you!