English → Bisaya · Expressions
How to Say “Friend” in Bisaya: bai
The Bisaya (Cebuano) word for “friend” is bai, pronounced BAI. It's used as a noun in everyday Cebuano conversation across the Visayas and Mindanao, where over 22 million people speak Bisaya as their native language.
Bisaya translation
bai
BAI
- English meaning
- friend / mate (informal term of address)
- Part of speech
- noun
How to pronounce bai
Say it as BAI. 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
Sige na, bai, molaag ta!
“Come on, friend, let's hang out!”
Usage note
Gender-neutral casual address, equivalent to 'dude', 'pal', or 'mate'. Very common in Cebu City.
“Friend” across Visayan languages
Bisaya is part of a larger family. Here's how the same word appears in five major Visayan languages:
- Cebuanohigala
- Hiligaynonabyan
- Waraysangkay
- Kinaray-aabyan
- Tausugbagay
Related Bisaya words
Frequently asked questions
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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.