The Cebuano/Bisaya word mahal means “expensive / dear / loved”. Pronounced MA-hal, it is used as an adjective by native Cebuano speakers across Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, and much of Mindanao. This page covers what mahal means in Bisaya, how to pronounce it correctly, how to use it in a sentence, and related words in the same category.
Bisaya word
mahal
English meaning
expensive
Part of speech
Adjective
In Bisaya (Cebuano), mahal translates to “expensive / dear / loved”. The word covers a range of closely related meanings — expensive, dear, loved — and the right choice depends on context.
As an adjective in the Adjectives category, “mahal” is part of the core Bisaya vocabulary that learners encounter early on. Native speakers use it across all registers — casual home conversations in Cebu, busy marketplaces in Bohol, and everyday interactions throughout the Visayas and Mindanao.
Capital letters mark the stressed syllable — say it louder and slightly longer.
Bisaya stress is phonemic — the wrong stress can make a word hard for native speakers to recognise. For mahal, put the main stress on the uppercase syllable in MA-hal. A good technique is to clap on the stressed syllable as you say the word: ma-hal. Once the rhythm is natural, drop the clapping and let muscle memory take over.
Bisaya adjectives like "mahal" (expensive) typically come before the noun they describe, similar to English. You can intensify them using "kaayo" — for example, "mahal kaayo" means "very expensive". Negation is done with "dili" (not) or "wala" depending on context. Mastering descriptive adjectives like "mahal" is one of the quickest ways to make your Bisaya sentences richer and more expressive.
Expand your vocabulary by learning other Bisaya adjectives in the same category as “mahal”.
If our free Bisaya resources helped you today, consider buying the team a coffee ☕ — it keeps the site alive and growing.