Making Comparisons in Bisaya
How to say more, most, less, and equal using mas, labing, and kaysa
Overview
Bisaya uses short words placed before adjectives to make comparisons — similar to how English uses "more" and "most" before long adjectives. COMPARATIVE (more than) → MAS + adjective + KAYSA "Mas mahal kini kaysa niadto." — This is more expensive than that. SUPERLATIVE (the most) → LABING + adjective "Siya ang labing maganda." — She is the most beautiful. EQUALITY (same as / as…as) → SAMA + KAAYO or KAPAREHA "Sama kamahal nila." — They're the same price. "Kapareha mi og taas." — We're the same height. INFERIORITY (less than) → DILI KAAYO + adjective KAYSA "Dili kaayo mahal kini kaysa niadto." — This is less expensive than that. Common adjectives used in comparisons: • dako — big (mas dako = bigger, labing dako = biggest) • gamay — small (mas gamay = smaller) • mahal — expensive (mas mahal = more expensive) • barato — cheap (mas barato = cheaper) • maayo — good (mas maayo = better, labing maayo = best) • taas — tall/high (mas taas = taller) • paspas — fast (mas paspas = faster) • hinay — slow (mas hinay = slower)
Examples
Mas dako si Kuya kaysa nako.
My older brother is bigger than me.
💡 Mas + adjective + kaysa = comparative
Labing maayo kini nga dalan.
This is the best road.
💡 Labing + adjective = superlative
Mas mahal ang karne kaysa isda.
Meat is more expensive than fish.
💡 Comparing two nouns with kaysa
Siya ang labing gamay sa tanan.
She is the smallest of all.
💡 Labing + adjective + sa tanan = superlative among a group
Kapareha mi og tulog.
We sleep the same amount.
💡 Kapareha = equal / the same
Mas paspas ang bus kaysa jeep.
The bus is faster than the jeepney.
💡 Mas + adjective + kaysa comparing two things
Labing gusto nako ang lechon.
Lechon is my favorite (most liked).
💡 Labing + gusto = most preferred
💡 Tips to Remember
- •Mas always comes before the adjective: mas dako, mas maayo, mas paspas.
- •Kaysa means 'than' — it comes after the first item being compared.
- •Labing is like saying 'the most' in English: labing dako = the biggest.
- •You can drop kaysa in casual speech: Mas dako siya. (She's bigger.) — bigger than implied.
- •Labing maayo (best) and mas maayo (better) are extremely common in daily Bisaya.