Question
Sinulog-ManThe Filipino families are relatively large with many brothers and sisters, aren’t they? How do you say “parent”, “brother”, “sister” etc. in Bisaya (Cebuano)?
Answer You Will Get
StephLet’s take a look at family members (parents, siblings and relatives) in Bisaya (Cebuano)! You can learn them together with phrases asking if the person you are talking to has family members like brothers or sisters!
Bisaya (Cebuano) Vocabulary Words for Members of the Family
Here are the Bisaya (Cebuano) vocabulary words that describe family members. Let’s focus on the “you” in the following picture to understand the family members around you.
You can also check out the table below to see the Bisaya (Cebuano) vocabulary words for family members.
| Bisaya (Cebuano) | English |
|---|---|
| pamilya | family |
| igsoon | sibling |
| kadugo, paryente | relative |
| ginikanan | parent |
| anak | child |
| tatay, amahan, papa | father |
| nanay, inahan, mama | mother |
| maguwang nga lalaki | older brother |
| manghud nga lalaki | younger brother |
| maguwang nga babae | older sister |
| manghud nga babae | younger sister |
| lolo | grand father |
| lola | grand mother |
| apo nga lalaki | grandson |
| apo nga babae | granddaughter |
| anak nga lalaki | sun |
| anak nga babaye | daughter |
| bana | husband |
| asawa | wife |
| pag-umangkon nga lalaki | nephew |
| pag-umangkon nga babaye | niece |
| igagaw | cousin |
| tiyo | grandfather |
| tiya | grandmother |
TakashiThe Bisaya (Cebuano) word for “older brother” is “maguwang nga lalaki”. That is very long! The word for “younger sister” is “manghud nga babae,” which is also long!
Steph“nga lalaki” for male and “nga babae” for feamale, so you don’t have to try to memorize them all. See, you can also find them in Bisaya (Cebuano) words for “son”, “daughter”, “nephew” and “niece”, right?
TakashiI see! I guess I should start with remembering that “maguwang” is older and “manghud” is younger?
StephYeah. Even if you memorize it like a spell, definitely, you’ll forget it soon.
Asking/Answering How Many Family Members You Have in Bisaya (Cebuano)
Let’s look at the phrases that ask/answer how many family members are in your family.
Pila mo kabuok sa imong pamilya?（How many people are in your family?）
Upat mi kabuok sa akong pamilya.（There are four people in my family.）
pila＝how many
mo＝you (a short form of “kamo”）
kabuok＝piece
sa＝in or of (“sa” has a various meanings)
imong＝your
pamilya＝family
upat＝4
mi＝we (a short form of “kami”）
akong＝my
Asking/Answering If You Have Siblings in Bisaya (Cebuano)
Let’s look at the phrases that ask/answer if you have brothers or sisters.
Naa ka’y igsoon nga lalaki or babae?（Do you have brothers and sisters?）
Naa ko’y duha ka igsoon nga lalaki/babae.（I have two brothers/sisters.）
Naa ko’y usa ka igsoon nga lalaki ug usa ka igsoon nga babae.（I have one older/younger brother and one older/younger sister.）
naa＝have
ka’y＝you
igsoon nga lalaki/babae=brothers/sisters
ko’y＝I
duha＝2
usa＝1
To Close
TakashiI know many Filipinos have large families, so it’s going to be hard to understand every member of a family!
StephYes, it may be hard for you, but make sure you remember that family is frequently a topic of conversation in your personal life and also at work in the Philippines.
Have you ever heard of Filipinos working in a foreign country sending money to the Philippines for their families?
The Filipinos really love their families!
TakashiI see. Take note of that!
Exercise
Here are Bisaya vocabulary cards in this post. Try it!
