The Cebuano/Bisaya word lolo means “grandfather”. Pronounced LO-lo, it is used as a noun across Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, and much of Mindanao. This guide covers what lolo 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), lolo translates to “grandfather”.
Bisaya word
lolo
English meaning
grandfather
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 lolo, put the main stress on the uppercase syllable in LO-lo. Practice by saying it slowly first, then gradually speed up to natural conversational pace.
Moadto mi sa balay ni lolo ugma.
We'll go to grandfather's house tomorrow.
Lolo is both a noun and a title of address. Showing respect to grandparents is deeply important in Cebuano culture.
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