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“Life” in Bisaya: kinabuhi

The Bisaya (Cebuano) word for “life” is kinabuhi, pronounced ki-na-BU-hi. 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

kinabuhi

ki-na-BU-hi

English meaning
life / livelihood / existence
Part of speech
noun

How to pronounce kinabuhi

Say it as ki-na-BU-hi. 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 kinabuhi ang akong gusto para sa akong pamilya.

    “I want a good life for my family.”

Related Bisaya words

buhi

alive / living

BU-hi

Pamilya

Family

pah-MEEL-yah

Trabaho

Work

trah-BAH-ho

Frequently asked questions

How do you say "life" in Bisaya?
The Bisaya (Cebuano) word for "life" is kinabuhi, pronounced ki-na-BU-hi.
How do you pronounce "kinabuhi"?
Pronounce it as ki-na-BU-hi. Capitalized syllables indicate stress.
What does "kinabuhi" mean in English?
"kinabuhi" means "life / livelihood / existence" in English. It functions as a noun in everyday Cebuano conversation.
How do you use "kinabuhi" in a sentence?
Example: "Maayong kinabuhi ang akong gusto para sa akong pamilya." — I want a good life for my family.
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

More than just translations.

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

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