The Cebuano/Bisaya word pares means “pair / couple (of things)”. Pronounced PA-res, it is used as a number across Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, and much of Mindanao. This guide covers what pares 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), pares translates to “pair / couple (of things)”. The word has multiple closely related meanings: pair, couple (of things), all used depending on context.
Bisaya word
pares
English meaning
pair
Part of speech
Number
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 pares, put the main stress on the uppercase syllable in PA-res. Practice by saying it slowly first, then gradually speed up to natural conversational pace.
Usa ka pares nga sapatos ang akong gipalit.
I bought one pair of shoes.
If our free Bisaya resources helped you today, consider buying the team a coffee ☕ — it keeps the site alive and growing.