The Cebuano/Bisaya word Kumusta means “How are you / Hello”. Pronounced koo-moos-TAH, it is used as a greeting across Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, and much of Mindanao. This guide covers what Kumusta 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), Kumusta translates to “How are you / Hello”. The word covers closely related meanings — How are you, Hello — the right one depends on context.
Usage note: Universal Filipino greeting that works in any situation.
Bisaya word
Kumusta
English meaning
How are you
Part of speech
Greeting
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 Kumusta, put the main stress on the uppercase syllable in koo-moos-TAH. Practice by saying it slowly first, then gradually speed up to natural conversational pace.
Kumusta ka? Maayo man ko.
How are you? I'm fine.
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