Bisaya Grammar · Lesson 24 of 30
Days, Months & Dates in Bisaya
Learn the Bisaya names for days of the week, months, and how to say dates
Overview
Examples & Usage
Karon Lunes.
Today is Monday.
Karon = today, used with the day name
Kita ta sa Biyernes.
Let's meet on Friday.
Sa + day name = on that day
Natawo ko sa Marso.
I was born in March.
Sa + month = in that month
Sunod nga Sabado ang iyahang birthday.
His birthday is next Saturday.
Sunod nga + day = next [day]
Niadtong Miyerkules nakit-an nako siya.
I saw her last Wednesday.
Niadtong + day = last [day] (past reference)
Pila na ka adlaw hangtod Disyembre?
How many days until December?
Hangtod = until
Sa Enero magsugod ang klase.
Classes start in January.
Sa + month + verb = action in that month
Key Tips
- 1All Bisaya days and months come from Spanish — if you know Spanish, you already know these.
- 2Sa is the all-purpose preposition for time: sa Lunes, sa Marso, sa alas-dos.
- 3Sunod (next) and niadtong (last/that past) are key for navigating weeks.
- 4Cebuanos often say the Spanish-style date: 'Kinse de Agosto' for August 15th.
- 5To ask what day it is: 'Unsang adlawa karon?' (What day is today?)
Mini Quiz
Test your knowledge
5 questions · select the best answer for each
1.What day is 'Miyerkules' in Bisaya?
2.How do you say 'next Saturday' in Bisaya?
3.'Niadtong Martes.' What does this mean?
4.What month is 'Nobyembre'?
5.How do you ask 'What day is today?' in Bisaya?
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are the days and months in Bisaya Spanish words?
The Philippines was colonized by Spain for over 300 years (1565–1898), during which Spanish vocabulary deeply influenced everyday life — especially the calendar, religion, and commerce. Days of the week and months were introduced through the Catholic Church calendar and Spanish administration. These Spanish-derived words replaced or supplemented native Bisaya time vocabulary so thoroughly that modern Bisaya has no widely used native-language alternatives for calendar terms.
How do I say 'next Monday' and 'last Tuesday'?
'Sunod nga + day' = next day: 'Sunod nga Lunes' (next Monday). 'Niadtong + day' = last day: 'Niadtong Martes' (last Tuesday). Full examples: 'Kita ta sa sunod nga Biyernes' (Let's meet next Friday). 'Niadtong Sabado mibalik siya' (He came back last Saturday). 'Sunod' means 'next/following' and 'niadtong' marks past reference to a specific named day.
How do I ask what day of the week it is?
'Unsang adlawa karon?' (What day is today? — literally: What-day today?) is the standard question. 'Adlaw' means day. More casual: 'Kanus-a?' (When?) followed by context can also prompt the day. The answer: 'Lunes karon' (Today is Monday) or 'Karon Miyerkules' (Today is Wednesday). You can also ask about dates: 'Pila na ka adlaw sa bulan?' (What date of the month?) — literally 'how many days of the month.'
How do I talk about someone's birthday in Bisaya?
'Birthday' is commonly used in Bisaya speech alongside 'adlawng natawhan' (native term: day-of-birth). 'Kanus-a ang imong birthday?' (When is your birthday?). 'Ang akong birthday sa Marso' (My birthday is in March). More formal: 'Sa unsa nga petsa natawo ka?' (On what date were you born?). 'Natawo ko sa ika-15 sa Hunyo' (I was born on June 15th). In casual Bisaya, 'birthday' is the dominant word used.
How do I say 'this coming Friday' versus 'this past Friday'?
For the upcoming (future) one: 'Niining Biyernes' (this Friday coming) or 'sa Biyernes' (on Friday — implying the next one). For the past one: 'Niadtong Biyernes' (that/last Friday). A fuller phrase: 'Niadtong Biyernes nga milabay' (This past Friday that just passed). 'Milabay' (that passed/just went by) makes it unambiguous that you mean the most recent past Friday.
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