The Cebuano/Bisaya word lawas means “body / physical body”. Pronounced LA-was, it is used as a noun across Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, and much of Mindanao. This guide covers what lawas 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), lawas translates to “body / physical body”. The word has multiple closely related meanings: body, physical body, all used depending on context.
Bisaya word
lawas
English meaning
body
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 lawas, put the main stress on the uppercase syllable in LA-was. Practice by saying it slowly first, then gradually speed up to natural conversational pace.
Bantayi ang imong lawas, mag-ehersisyo ka.
Take care of your body, exercise.
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