Learn how to talk about your daily routine in Cebuano (Bisaya) with this practical lesson! 🌞
In this video, you will:
- Discover useful verbs and vocabulary for everyday activities
- Practice with a dialogue and exercises
- Test your knowledge with a comprehension quiz
- Be able to describe your own daily routine in Cebuano
Whether you are a beginner or just want to improve your speaking, this lesson will help you speak Cebuano more naturally.
VOCABULARY
Here you go!
sayoha (from sayo/sayu “early” + emphatic ha)
Meaning (EN): so early! / how early (exclamatory)
Part of speech: interjection; exclamatory adverbial
Usage & nuance:
- sayo/sayu = “early.” Adding ha makes an exclamation of surprise/emphasis: Sayoha… = “So early…!”
- Often followed by who/what is early: Sayoha nimo/niya/ninyo…; frequently ends with softening particles like oi/uy.
- Common in everyday reactions—praise, surprise, or mild complaint about earliness.
- Alternatives: Kasayo nimo! (exclamatory with ka-), Sayo kaayo. (very early).
Example sentences (with translations):
- Sayoha nimo oi—alas-sais pa. — You’re so early—it’s only six.
- Sayoha nimog mata karon. — You woke up so early today.
- Sayoha pa sa buntag; wala pay daghang tawo. — It’s still so early in the morning; there aren’t many people yet.
kinahanglan
Meaning (EN): need; must/have to; necessary/required; (n.) need/necessity
Part of speech: modal-like verb; adjective; noun
Usage & nuance:
- Need (thing): kinahanglan + pronoun + og + noun → Kinahanglan ko og tubig. (“I need water.”)
- Need to do: kinahanglan kong + verb / kinahanglan ko nga + verb → Kinahanglan kong molakaw.
- Impersonal “it is necessary”: Kinahanglan nga + clause.
- Required (adj.): gikinahanglan = “required/needed”; mga kinahanglanon = “requirements/necessities”; panginahanglan = “(general) needs/demand.”
- Intensify with jud/gyud (“really/indeed”): Kinahanglan jud ni.
Example sentences (with translations):
- Kinahanglan ko og sinsilyo para sa plete. — I need small change for the fare.
- Kinahanglan nimong motabang sa proyekto karong hapon. — You need to help with the project this afternoon.
- Ang ID gikinahanglan sa pagsulod sa building. — An ID is required to enter the building.
sayo (also: sayu / sayó)
Meaning (EN): early; earlier; ahead of time
Part of speech: adjective; adverb; (verb-like idiom: magsayo/nisayo “to go/leave early”)
Usage & nuance:
- Very common with times/activities: sayo sa buntag (early in the morning), magsayo ta’g lakaw (let’s leave early).
- Degrees & comparison: sayo kaayo (very early), mas sayo (earlier), pinakasayo (earliest).
- Exclamatory forms: Sayoha nimo! (“How early you are!”), Kasayo nimo!
- Antonym: ulahi (late). Related: sayo pa (“still early”).
Example sentences (with translations):
- Sayo kaayo siya miabot sa eskwelahan. — She arrived at school very early.
- Magsayo ta’g lakaw ugma aron malikayan ang trapiko. — Let’s leave early tomorrow to avoid traffic.
- Sayo pa kaayo; alas-sais pa sa buntag. — It’s still early; it’s only six in the morning.
ehersisyo
Meaning (EN): exercise; workout; (book/class) exercise/drill; (formal) the exercise of (a right)
Part of speech: noun; verb via affixes (mag-ehersisyo/nag-ehersisyo/ni-ehersisyo “to exercise”; pag-ehersisyo gerund; i-ehersisyo patient-focus “to exercise [something]”)
Usage & nuance:
- Physical fitness: daily workouts, warm-ups, rehab, etc.
- Academic practice: “exercises/drills” in textbooks or class.
- Rights/abilities: formal style: i-ehersisyo ang katungod “exercise one’s right.”
- Related terms: praktis (“practice,” esp. skills), ehersisyo sa libro (“book exercises”).
Example sentences (with translations):
- Mag-ehersisyo ta kada buntag aron manindot ang panglawas. — Let’s exercise every morning to improve our health.
- Gibuhat nako ang mga ehersisyo sa katapusan nga pahina sa libro. — I did the exercises on the last page of the book.
- I-ehersisyo ang imong katungod sa pagboto ugma. — Exercise your right to vote tomorrow.
human
Meaning (EN): finished; done; already over; (v.) to finish/complete; (prep./conj.) after
Part of speech: adjective/stative verb; verb; preposition/conjunction (“human (sa) …” = after …)
Usage & nuance:
- State/result: human na (ko/siya/ang trabaho) = “I/they/the task is already done.”
- Not yet finished: wala pa (ko) mahuman = “I’m not finished yet.” (mahuman = “to be finished/come to completion”).
- “After …” linker: human sa + noun / clause or pagkahuman (sa) … = “after …”.
- Imperative/object-focus: humana (ang …) / humanon (nako/nimo …) = “finish (it).”
- Related: tiwas/tiwason (“to finish/complete” — very common synonym).
Example sentences (with translations):
- Human na ang report; pwede na nimo tan-awon. — The report is finished; you can look at it now.
- Wala pa ko mahuman sa akong trabaho. — I have not finished my work yet.
- Human sa klase, mokaon ta sa karenderya. — After class, let’s eat at the eatery.
pamahaw
Meaning (EN): breakfast; (v.) to have/eat breakfast
Part of speech: noun; verb via mag-/nag-/ni- forms (e.g., magpamahaw, nagpamahaw, nipamahaw)
Usage & nuance:
- Core word for the morning meal.
- Verb-like use is common: magpamahaw (will eat breakfast), nipamahaw (ate breakfast), nagpamahaw (is/was eating breakfast).
- Compare meals: paniudto (lunch), panihapon (dinner).
- You may also hear almusal (loan from Tagalog/Spanish); pamahaw is the native Cebuano term.
Example sentences (with translations):
- Magpamahaw sa ta bago ta molakaw. — Let’s have breakfast first before we go.
- Nipamahaw mi sa karenderya duol sa terminal. — We had breakfast at the eatery near the terminal.
- Kape ug pan ra akong pamahaw kada buntag. — Coffee and bread are just my breakfast every morning.
- Unsay imong pamahaw karon? — What’s your breakfast today?
trabaho
Meaning (EN): work; job; task; (v.) to work
Part of speech: noun; verb (via mag-/nag-/ni-/mo- forms)
Usage & nuance:
- As a noun: general “work/tasks” or one’s employment: daghang trabaho (a lot of work), pangita og trabaho (look for a job).
- As a verb: magtrabaho/nagtrabaho/motrabaho/nitrabaho = work (will/is/was).
- Common collocations: oras sa trabaho (work hours), trabaho sa balay (housework), kauban sa trabaho (coworker).
Example sentences (with translations):
- Daghan kog trabaho karon buntag. — I have a lot of work this morning.
- Nagtrabaho siya isip teknisyan sa pabrika. — She works as a technician at a factory.
- Human sa trabaho, molakaw ta sa merkado. — After work, let’s go to the market.
karon
Meaning (EN): now; at present; today/this (time period)
Part of speech: adverb; temporal noun/modifier
Usage & nuance:
- Core “now/at the moment”: Karon busy ko.
- With time units: karong + N (= karon + linker -ng) → karong adlawa (today), karong gabii (tonight), karong semana/buwana/tuiga (this week/month/year).
- Fixed phrases: karon ra (“just now”), karon pa (“only now / not until now”), sa karon (“for now / as of now”).
- Contrast words: kagahapon (yesterday), ugma (tomorrow), karon-karon (now and then/occasionally).
Example sentences (with translations):
- Naa ko sa balay karon. — I’m at home now.
- Karong adlawa, naa tay miting alas-dos. — Today, we have a meeting at two o’clock.
- Karon ra ko nakaabot. — I just arrived now.
karong adlawa
Meaning (EN): today; this day
Part of speech: adverbial time phrase / temporal noun phrase
Usage & nuance:
- Sets the time frame specifically to today (the whole day), often at the start of a sentence.
- Pattern karong + time-noun(-a): karong buntaga (this morning), karong hapona (this afternoon), karong gabhiona (tonight), karong semanaha/buwana/tuiga (this week/month/year).
- Short, more general alternative: karon (“now/today” depending on context).
- Antonyms: kagahapon (yesterday), ugma (tomorrow).
Example sentences (with translations):
- Karong adlawa, naa tay miting alas-dos. — Today, we have a meeting at two o’clock.
- Busy ko karong adlawa, pero libre ko ugma. — I am busy today, but I’m free tomorrow.
- Karong adlawa ra ba ang deadline sa report. — Today is the deadline for the report, you know.
maayo nuon
Meaning (EN): “good actually,” “better that way,” “that’s fine then” (sometimes mildly ironic: “well, good for you then”)
Part of speech: predicate adjective (maayo “good”) + discourse particle (nuon ≈ “actually/after all”; more formal hinuon)
Usage & nuance:
- Expresses a positive/relieved evaluation that contrasts with an earlier expectation: “turns out okay / even better after all.”
- Often followed by a reason with kay …: Maayo nuon kay …
- As a standalone reaction, Maayo nuon. = “Good then / That’s actually fine.”
- Variant: maayo hinuon (more careful/formal).
- Not to confuse with maayo unta (“I hope it would be good / if only it were good”).
Example sentences (with translations):
- Maayo nuon nga wala ta modayon sa lakaw; kusog kaayo ang ulan. — It’s actually good we didn’t proceed with the trip; the rain is very heavy.
- Na-cancel ang klase—maayo nuon kay kapoy na kaayo ta. — Class was canceled—actually good, since we’re very tired.
- Nausab ang plano; maayo nuon kay mas sayon ang bag-ong schedule. — The plan changed; that’s better actually because the new schedule is easier.
FLASHCARDS
DIALOGUE PRACTICE
Directions: Listen and repeat after your teacher.
Cebuano
Joyce: Mata na, Leah.
Leah: Sayuha sad oi.
Joyce: Kinahanglan jud nga momata ka og sayo aron daghan ka og mabuhat.
Leah: Mag-unsa diay ka?
Joyce: Mag-ehersisyo unya mangapi inig human.
Leah: Sige. Magluto lang ko sa atong pamahaw.
Joyce: Naa kay trabaho karon?
Leah: Wala. Off nako karon.
Joyce: Maayo nuon. Manglimpyo ta sa balay karong adlawa.
Leah: Sige
English
Joyce: Wake up, Leah.
Leah: It’s too early.
Joyce: You have to wake up early so you can do a lot of things.
Leah: What are you going to do?
Joyce: I’m going to exercise and then have a cup of coffee after.
Leah: Okay. I’ll just cook our breakfast.
Joyce: Do you have work now?
Leah: No. It’s my day off now.
Joyce: That’s good. Let’s clean the house today.
Leah: Okay.
LESSON
We use verbs for our actions. Let’s learn some verbs that
describe our daily routine and the question;
Nag-unsa ka? / Ga-unsa ka?
What are you doing?
Momata sayo sa buntag
To wake up early in the morning.
Nag ehersisyo
To have an exercise/ Exercising
Mangapi
Having a cup of coffee
Nanilhig
Sweeping the floor
Nanglaba
Washing the clothes
Nagluto
Cooking
Mokaon
To eat
Nagtrabaho
Working
COMPREHENSION QUIZ
Directions: Choose the correct answer.
- How do you say ‘have to’ in Cebuano?
a. sayo
b. kinahanglan
c. human
d. karon - Is it correct to say ‘Ga-unsa ka’?
a. o
b. dili
c. ayaw
d. ambot lang - What do you do first early in the morning?
a. manilhig
b. manglaba
c. magluto
d. momata og sayo - How do you say ‘have a cup of coffee’ in Cebuano?
a. nanglaba
b. mangapi
c.nagluto
d. nagtrabaho - How do you say ‘work/working’ in Cebuano?
a. nanglaba
b. mangapi
c.nagluto
d. nagtrabaho
EXERCISE
Directions: Arrange the words to make sentences.
- buntag / sa / momata / sayo
- pamahaw / lang / sa / magluto / atong / ko
- inig / unya / mangapi / mag-ehersisyo / human /
- balay / ta / adlawa / manglimpyo / karong / sa
- diay / mag-unsa / ka / ?
REVIEW
Directions: Share to your teacher your daily routine.
For example:
Momata sayo sa buntag.
To wake up early in the morning.
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