English → Bisaya · Celebrations
How to Say “Congratulations” in Bisaya: Maayong dagan
The Bisaya (Cebuano) word for “congratulations” is Maayong dagan, pronounced mah-AH-yong DAH-gahn. It's used as a phrase in everyday Cebuano conversation across the Visayas and Mindanao, where over 22 million people speak Bisaya as their native language.
Bisaya translation
Maayong dagan
mah-AH-yong DAH-gahn
- English meaning
- Congratulations
- Part of speech
- phrase
How to pronounce Maayong dagan
Say it as mah-AH-yong DAH-gahn. Capitalized syllables in the pronunciation guide indicate stress — the part of the word you emphasize when speaking. Bisaya stress is meaningful: putting it on the wrong syllable can change the meaning of a word, so it's worth practicing out loud.
Example sentences
Maayong dagan sa imong graduation!
“Congratulations on your graduation!”
Maayong dagan sa bag-ong trabaho, bai!
“Congratulations on the new job, bro!”
Cultural context
Cebuanos celebrate loudly — graduations, birthdays, and promotions are community events. Saying 'Maayong dagan' to someone signals pride in their achievement.
Usage note
Literal meaning: 'good run / well done.' The most natural Bisaya congratulations. For informal celebrations, Cebuanos also say 'Congrats!' (English-borrowed) freely. 'Parangalan ta' (let's celebrate you) is used when throwing a party.
Synonyms and alternatives
You may also hear Congrats, Maayong dagan kaayo as alternative ways to express “congratulations” in Bisaya.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "congratulations" in Bisaya?
How do you pronounce "Maayong dagan"?
What does "Maayong dagan" mean in English?
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Is Bisaya the same as Cebuano?
Continue learning Bisaya
More than just translations.
Browse the full Bisaya dictionary, compare words across all five Visayan languages, or jump into our beginner's guide.