The Cebuano/Bisaya word sayang means “what a waste / what a pity / too bad”. Pronounced SA-yang, it is used as a interjection across Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, and much of Mindanao. This guide covers what sayang 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), sayang translates to “what a waste / what a pity / too bad”. The word has multiple closely related meanings: what a waste, what a pity, too bad, all used depending on context.
Bisaya word
sayang
English meaning
what a waste
Part of speech
Interjection
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 sayang, put the main stress on the uppercase syllable in SA-yang. Practice by saying it slowly first, then gradually speed up to natural conversational pace.
Sayang, wala ka niadto sa pista.
What a pity, you weren't at the fiesta.
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