The Cebuano/Bisaya word sayo means “early”. Pronounced SA-yo, it is used as an adverb across Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, and much of Mindanao. This guide covers what sayo 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), sayo translates to “early”.
Bisaya word
sayo
English meaning
early
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 sayo, put the main stress on the uppercase syllable in SA-yo. Practice by saying it slowly first, then gradually speed up to natural conversational pace.
Sayo kaayo siya miabot.
She arrived very early.
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