English → Bisaya · Adjectives

“Dead” in Bisaya: patay

The Bisaya (Cebuano) word for “dead” is patay, pronounced PA-tay. It's used as a adjective in everyday Cebuano conversation across the Visayas and Mindanao, where over 22 million people speak Bisaya as their native language.

Bisaya translation

patay

PA-tay

English meaning
dead / off (lights/electricity)
Part of speech
adjective

How to pronounce patay

Say it as PA-tay. 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

  • Patay ang kuryente sa kagabii.

    “The electricity was out last night.”

Usage note

Patay covers both 'dead' and 'switched off' — 'patay ang suga' means 'the light is off'.

Related Bisaya words

buhi

alive / living

BU-hi

kandila

candle

kan-DI-la

Frequently asked questions

How do you say "dead" in Bisaya?
The Bisaya (Cebuano) word for "dead" is patay, pronounced PA-tay.
How do you pronounce "patay"?
Pronounce it as PA-tay. Capitalized syllables indicate stress.
What does "patay" mean in English?
"patay" means "dead / off (lights/electricity)" in English. It functions as a adjective in everyday Cebuano conversation.
How do you use "patay" in a sentence?
Example: "Patay ang kuryente sa kagabii." — The electricity was out last night.
Is Bisaya the same as Cebuano?
Yes — Bisaya and Cebuano are two names for the same language. Cebuano is the more formal linguistic name, while Bisaya is the everyday name used by speakers themselves. Both refer to the language spoken by 22+ million Filipinos. Read more in our Bisaya vs Binisaya guide.

Continue learning Bisaya

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Browse the full Bisaya dictionary, compare words across all five Visayan languages, or jump into our beginner's guide.

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