Question
Sinulog-ManMangoes, pineapples, durians, papayas…
The Philippines is full of fruits peculiar to tropical climates! What do you call fruits in Bisaya (Cebuano)?
Answer You Will Get
StephIn this post, let’s take a look at 24 popular fruits vocabulary in Bisaya. We’ll also introduce some fruits that you can only find in Southeast Asia, so learn them along with Bisaya! You will be able to recognize them at a glance when you see them on the streets or in the markets in the Philippines!
24 Popular Fruits Vocabulary
Let’s look at what each fruit is called in Bisaya with the picture. All are common vegetables in the Philippines.
You can also check out the table below to see the Bisaya (Cebuano) vocabulary words for fruits.
| Bisaya | English |
|---|---|
| prutas | fruit |
| mansanas | apple |
| saging | banana |
| pakwan | watermelon |
| mangga | mango |
| kahil | orange |
| istroberi | strawberry |
| ubas | grape |
| kaymito | star apple |
| pinya | pineapple |
| abana | soursop |
| lansones | lanzones |
| atis | sugar apple |
| duryan | durian |
| rambutan | rambutan |
| peras | pear |
| manggostan | mangosteen |
| buungon | grapefruit |
| kapayas | papaya |
| bayabas | gwava |
| nangka | jackfruit |
| lubi | coconut |
| butong | young coconut |
| letsiyas | lychee |
| santol | santol |
TakashiWhat kind of fruit is Soursop? I have never heard of it!
StephIt’s a fruit like the one in this picture. It looks like the head of a Buddha statue and popular fruit in Taiwan.
TakashiHeh! Looks like some kind of “Devil fruit” from a popular Japanese anime! haha Then, Suger apple? Lanzones? Rambutan? Santol? I’ve never seen or heard of those fruits even in English. They sound like magic names haha
StephSoutheast Asian fruits are unique not only in shape but also in name. Well, this is not a fruit store so we won’t explain everything. Btw, of course you know this fruit, right?
TakashiThis is “Sudachi (Japanese lime),” which tastes best when mixed with soy sauce!
StephSudachi…no it’s different. This is “Calamansi”!
It is a type of lime popular in the Philippines, also called “Philippine lime”. It’s called “Kalamansi” in Tagalog and you’ll see it everywhere in the Philippines, so remember it.
TakashiAh, I saw the restaurant staff was squeezing that into the food.
Bisaya Phrases When Buying Fruits at Grocery Stores and Markets
Here are useful Bisaya phrases when you buy fruits at grocery stores and markets. Let’s check them out and tell a seller to the number of fruits you want to buy.
You: Usa ka pakwan ug duha ka mansanas. (Can I get a watermelon and two apples?)
Seller: Unsa pa? (What else?)
You: Maora. (That’s all.)
usa=1
duha=2
ka=quantifier
unsa = what
pa=still, yet
maora=That’s all.
If you want to know how to say numbers in Bisaya, please kindly see this post.
To Close
TakashiI have a question. How do you ask for the price of fruits in Bisaya? For example, how can I say when I want to ask the price of watermelon?
StephYou can say “Tag pila ang pakwan? (How much is an watermelon?)”.
TakashiAlright! I’ll go to a market and try to buy some vegetables!
Exercise
Here are Bisaya vocabulary cards in this post. Try it!
