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“Lost” in Bisaya: Nawala

The Bisaya (Cebuano) word for “Lost” is Nawala, pronounced nah-WAH-lah. It's used as a verb in everyday Cebuano conversation across the Visayas and Mindanao, where over 22 million people speak Bisaya as their native language.

Bisaya translation

Nawala

nah-WAH-lah

English meaning
Lost
Part of speech
verb

How to pronounce Nawala

Say it as nah-WAH-lah. 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

  • Nawala ang akong wallet.

    “I lost my wallet.”

  • Nawala ko.

    “I'm lost.”

  • Nawala ang akong phone.

    “I lost my phone.”

Related Bisaya words

Tabang!

Help!

TAH-bahng

Asa

Where

AH-sah

Frequently asked questions

How do you say "Lost" in Bisaya?
The Bisaya (Cebuano) word for "Lost" is Nawala, pronounced nah-WAH-lah.
How do you pronounce "Nawala"?
Pronounce it as nah-WAH-lah. Capitalized syllables indicate stress.
What does "Nawala" mean in English?
"Nawala" means "Lost" in English. It functions as a verb in everyday Cebuano conversation.
How do you use "Nawala" in a sentence?
Example: "Nawala ang akong wallet." — I lost my wallet.
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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