The Cebuano/Bisaya word mao means “that's it / yes, that's the one / it is so”. Pronounced MA-o, it is used as a adverb across Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, and much of Mindanao. This guide covers what mao 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), mao translates to “that's it / yes, that's the one / it is so”. The word has multiple closely related meanings: that's it, yes, that's the one, it is so, all used depending on context.
Usage note: One of the most useful Cebuano words — confirms identity, agreement, or accuracy. 'Mao na' = that's already it.
Bisaya word
mao
English meaning
that's it
Part of speech
Adverb
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 mao, put the main stress on the uppercase syllable in MA-o. Practice by saying it slowly first, then gradually speed up to natural conversational pace.
Mao! Mao gyud na!
That's it! That's exactly it!
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