Learn how to negotiate prices politely in Cebuano — perfect for travelers riding motorcycle taxis in the Philippines! 🛵💬
In this lesson, you will:
- Practice useful Cebuano phrases for asking the fare (“Pila imo pangayo…?”).
- Learn how to say prices, respond, and bargain politely.
- Improve your confidence when riding a motorcycle taxi (habal-habal).
- Review your skills with a comprehension quiz and practice exercises.
Ideal for travelers, beginners, and language learners who want to communicate better in real-life situations.
VOCABULARY
Directions: Listen and repeat after your teacher.
Cebuano Word: sakay
Part of speech:
Verb / Noun
Meaning:
Situations where it is used:
- Everyday conversation when talking about transportation (jeepney, bus, motorcycle, boat).
- As a verb, it refers to the act of getting into or onto a mode of transport.
- As a noun, it can refer to the ride itself or to a passenger.
- Common in travel and commuting contexts.
Example sentences:
- Asa ka mosakay? → Where will you ride/get on?
- Mosakay ta og jeep padulong sa plasa. → We will ride a jeepney going to the plaza.
- Daghan og pasahero ang bus. → The bus has many passengers.
Cebuano Word: pangayo
Part of speech:
Verb (actor-focus, root form)
Meaning:
Situations where it is used:
- Used when requesting an object, help, or favor.
- Can be polite (mangayo og tabang = to ask for help) or more forceful depending on tone.
- Common in daily conversation, especially when asking someone to give or share something.
- Related forms: mangayo (will ask/request), ipangayo (to ask for, object-focus).
Example sentences:
- Mangayo ko og tubig. → I will ask for water.
- Pangayo og tabang sa imong maestro. → Ask for help from your teacher.
- Wala siya mangayo og pasaylo. → He did not ask for forgiveness.
Cebuano Word: ya / kuya
Part of speech:
Noun (title of respect / kinship term)
Meaning:
- kuya → older brother (in Filipino/Tagalog, borrowed into Cebuano)
- ya → shortened or casual form of kuya
Situations where it is used:
- Commonly used to address or refer to an older male sibling.
- By extension, can also be used to respectfully address a slightly older male (not necessarily a brother), similar to “big brother” in English.
- Kuya is more polite and standard, while ya is informal and often used among children or within families.
Example sentences:
- Kuya, tabangi ko bi. → Big brother, please help me.
- Asa si Kuya Ron? → Where is big brother Ron?
- Ya, manglaag ta unya. → Bro, let’s hang out later.
Cebuano Word: day
Part of speech:
Noun / Term of address (endearment or respect)
Meaning:
- a familiar or affectionate way to address a younger girl, daughter, or young woman
- short for “Inday”, a common nickname in the Visayas for young girls
Situations where it is used:
- Parents or elders use it when calling or speaking to a younger female.
- Can also be used by men addressing younger women in a friendly or affectionate way.
- Sometimes used by older women to address young ladies politely.
- Not usually formal; it carries a tone of warmth, closeness, or endearment.
Example sentences:
- Day, asa ka paingon? → Young lady, where are you going?
- Salamat kaayo, day. → Thank you very much, dear (girl).
- Day, tabangi ko diri. → Please help me here, girl.
Cebuano Word: kamahal
Part of speech:
Adjective (descriptive, formed with the prefix ka-)
Meaning:
- very expensive, too costly
Situations where it is used:
- Commonly used when reacting to high prices.
- Often appears in exclamations of surprise or complaint.
- Related to the root mahal = expensive; the ka- prefix intensifies the adjective (kamahal = “so/very expensive”).
Example sentences:
- Kamahal ba sa pagkaon diri! → The food here is so expensive!
- Dili nako paliton, kamahal. → I won’t buy it, too expensive.
- Kamahal sa pliti karon. → The fare is very expensive now.
Cebuano Word: plite
Part of speech:
Noun
Meaning:
- fare, the payment for transportation (bus, jeepney, tricycle, taxi, etc.)
Situations where it is used:
- Very common in daily life, especially when commuting.
- Refers specifically to the money you pay for a ride.
- Sometimes also used as a verb (magplite) meaning “to pay the fare.”
Example sentences:
- Tagpila ang plite sa dyip? → How much is the jeepney fare?
- Wala koy plite, maglakaw lang ko. → I don’t have fare, I’ll just walk.
- Ihatag na ang plite sa konduktor. → Give the fare to the conductor.
Cebuano Word: pagniagi
Part of speech:
Verb (gerund/infinitive form with prefix pag-)
Meaning:
- the act of passing by, passing through, going along a way, the time when something happened, or during the passing of an event/experience.
Situations where it is used:
- Refers to the action of passing by/through a place, or an event.
- Often used when explaining movement along a road or route or when telling about a past event/experience.
- The root is agi = to pass by; adding pag- turns it into a noun-like or verbal action form (the act of passing by).
Example sentences:
- Pasensya pagniagi nako. → Sorry for passing by.
- Naabtan nako siya pagniagi sa merkado. → I met him while passing through the market.
- Daghan kaayo og sakyanan pagniagi sa dalan. → There were many vehicles along the road.
Cebuano Word: duol
Part of speech:
Adjective / Verb
Meaning:
- Adjective: near, close (in distance, sometimes in time or relationship)
- Verb: to approach, to come near
Situations where it is used:
- As an adjective, it describes something or someone that is not far.
- As a verb, it describes the action of moving closer.
- Can be used literally (distance) or figuratively (relationship, closeness to a person).
Example sentences:
- Duol ra ang eskuylahan sa balay. → The school is near the house.
- Duol na ang pista. → The fiesta is near/coming soon.
- Duol siya sa akong lamesa. → He came near my table.
Cebuano Word: pun-i
Part of speech:
Verb (imperative / command form)
Meaning:
- add (something), put more, increase
Situations where it is used:
- Commonly said when asking someone to add more of something (food, money, items, etc.).
- The root word is punô = full.
- The suffix -i makes it an imperative (“do this to it”).
- Everyday usage, especially in food sharing, shopping, or tasks requiring more quantity.
Example sentences:
- Pun-i og tubig ang baso. → Add water to the glass.
- Pun-i pa og asin ang sabaw. → Add more salt to the soup.
- Pun-i og kwarta aron makompleto ang bayad. → Add money to complete the payment.
Cebuano Word: mangita
Part of speech:
Verb (actor-focus, future/intentional form)
Meaning:
Situations where it is used:
- Used when someone is actively searching for something or someone.
- The root word is kita = to see/find.
- With the prefix mang-, it takes on the sense of intentionally looking for.
- Common in daily life when talking about finding objects, people, or even opportunities.
Example sentences:
- Mangita ko og trabaho. → I will look for a job.
- Asa ka mangita og isda? → Where will you look for fish?
- Mangita sila sa iyang balay ugma. → They will look for his house tomorrow.
FLASHCARDS
DIALOGUE PRACTICE
Directions: Listen and repeat after your teacher.
Cebuano Version
Driver: Sakay ka habal-habal day?
Leah: Pila imo pangayo Ayala ya?
Driver: Dos syentos lang day.
Leah: Hala! Kamahal ana ya oi.
Driver: Mao naman jud nay plite paadto day.
Leah: Pagsure ya oi! Syento baynte raman to akong plite pagniagi.
Driver: Basin duol raka ato.
Leah: Dili ya. Diri ra gihapon ko ato nanukad. Tisa to Ayala. Syento baynte lang ya oi.
Driver: Syento singkwenta lang.
Leah: Kamahal sad ya oi. Duol raman ang Ayala. Sige ya ayaw na lang ya oi. Mangita na lang kog laen.
Driver: Aw sige day! day! pun-i lang nag dyes day. Syento traynta na lang.
Leah: Aw sige ya syento traynta.
Driver: Aw sakay na! Adto nata!
English Version
Driver: Miss, do you want to ride a motorcycle taxi (habal-habal)?
Leah: How much is the fare to Ayala?
Driver: 200 pesos only, Ms.
Leah: What! That’s so expensive.
Driver: That’s the usual fare to Ayala.
Leah: Are you sure? I paid 120 pesos before.
Driver: Maybe you were near.
Leah: No. I started from here too. From Tisa to Ayala. How about 120 pesos?
Driver: 150 pesos only.
Leah: It’s so expensive. Ayala is near. Okay never mind. I’ll find another one.
Driver: Okay Ms! Just add 10 pesos. 130 pesos only.
Leah: Oh okay, 130 pesos only.
Driver: Okay hop on! Let’s go!
LESSON
When you’re negotiating the price, you should sound polite and kind. Now, let’s learn some questions and expressions to use when negotiating the price.
⚫ Pila
Pila imo pangayo Ayala ya?
How much is the fare to Ayala?
Pila ang kilo sa mangga?
How much is a kilogram of mango?
⚫ Kamahal ana ya oi.
It’s so expensive.
⚫ Amount
You say the amount that you prefer, which is lower than the price given.
Syento baynte lang ya oi?
How about 120 pesos?
Otsenta lang day?
How about 80 pesos?
*Another way to negotiate the price is to say that you don’t have enough money.
COMPREHENSION QUIZ
Directions: Choose the correct answer.
- How do you say ‘fare’ in Cebuano?
a. duol
b. plite
c. pun-i
d. pangayo - How do you say ‘to ride’ in Cebuano?
a. plite
b. pun-i
c. sakay
d. pangayo - Should you sound polite and kind when negotiating the
price?
a. o
b. dili
c. ayaw
d. ambot lang - How do you say ‘expensive’ in Cebauno?
a. kamahal
b. kabarato
c. pila
d. plite - How do you say ‘120’?
a. otsenta
b. syento diyes.
c. dos syentos
d. syento baynte
EXERCISE
Directions: Arrange the words to make sentences.
- Ayala / imo / ya / pila / pangayo / ?
- oi / baynte / lang / syento / ya / ?
- habal-habal / sakay / day / ka / ?
- ana / oi / kamahal / ya
- kilo / ang / mangga / pila / sa / ?
REVIEW
Directions: Let’s do a role play.
Passenger: Pila imo _ SM ya?
Driver: _ lang day. Passenger: _ ana ya oi.
Driver: Mao naman jud na’y _ paadto day. Passenger: __ lang ya.
Driver: Pun-I lang og _ day.
Passenger: Sige ya.
Comment