The Cebuano/Bisaya word Mama / Nanay / Inahan means “Mother / Mom”. Pronounced MAH-mah / NAH-nai, it is used as a noun across Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, and much of Mindanao. This guide covers what Mama / Nanay / Inahan 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), Mama / Nanay / Inahan translates to “Mother / Mom”. The word covers closely related meanings — Mother, Mom — the right one depends on context.
Bisaya word
Mama / Nanay / Inahan
English meaning
Mother
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 Mama / Nanay / Inahan, put the main stress on the uppercase syllable in MAH-mah / NAH-nai. Practice by saying it slowly first, then gradually speed up to natural conversational pace.
Asa ang imong mama?
Where is your mother?
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