Learning Bisaya

Just like other countries, the Philippines has a lot of dialect. Bisaya language, also known as Binisaya, Cebuano or Visayan Language is a common language spoken in the Philippines by about 20 million people, mostly in Central Visayas, eastern Negros Island Region, western parts of Eastern Visayas and most parts of Mindanao. It is the most widely spoken of the languages within the so-named Visayan language family and is closely related to other Filipino languages.

In my case, I am from Iligan City which is a city in Lanao del Norte located in Mindanao. Most of the people here speaks Bisaya. So if you ever get the chance to travel in Visayas and Mindanao, you'll find out how common Bisaya is. 

Learning Bisaya is the same as learning other languages. You have to be patient, diligent and attentive. You have to be careful as well, because some of the Bisaya words are used widely and can mean another thing in other places or to other people. Some of the words are cut in short and there are also new words that are being used in Bisaya. In addition, you will also notice that there are English words that are also being borrowed. 

Although learning the language can be difficult for you, you will still find it worthwhile. If you know the language, you no longer have to ask someone to translate the words for you, you can easily communicate with people and make friends with them, you no longer have to worry if there is someone who is talking bad about you and you will be able to understand more about the language and culture of people.

Here are some useful Bisaya words you can learn and familiarize yourself with:

NOTE: *** you can use the english word, since it is also commonly used in Bisaya

ENGLISH	BISAYA
good	maayo
morning	buntag
noon/lunchtime	udto
afternoon	hapon
evening/night	gabii
dawn	kadlawon
day	adlaw
Good morning	Maayong buntag
Good noon	Maayong udto
Good afternoon	Maayong hapon
Good evening/ Good night	Maayong gabii
Good day	Maayong adlaw
Good bye	Babay/ Bye Bye/ Bye
Till we meet again	Sa sunod natong pagkita
See you	Kita-kits
How are you?	Kumusta ka?/ Kumusta?/Musta?
I am fine, thank you	Maayo ra man ko, salamat
I am (Name)…	Ako si (Name)…
Excuse me	***Excuse me/Pasensya-i sa ko/Pasensya na/ Pasensya
Please	Palihog
Thank you	Salamat sa imo/ Salamat
Thank you very much/Thanks a lot	Daghang salamat sa imo/ Daghang salamat
Take care	Ingat/Pag-amping/Amping/Ayo-ayo
Forgive me/I am sorry	Pasaylo-a ko
I know	Kahibalo ko/ Kabalo ko
I don’t know	Wala ko kahibalo/Wala ko kabalo
Yes	Oo/ O
No	Dili
Sorry	***Sorry
Do you understand?	Nakasabot ka?/ Kasabot ka?
I don’t understand.	Wala ko nakasabot./ Wala ko kasabot.
Do you have…?	Naa kay …?
I don’t have…	Wala koy…

These are the common Bisaya words you might encounter. Please note that some words may change if used in a complete sentence. 

Hopefully, you have learned something in this post.Thank you and good luck in learning Bisaya! ^^

Stranger in My Own Land

I have always been dreaming about traveling and visiting other countries. And I have always wanted to learn about other people's culture and language. But the problem is that I have yet to fulfill my dream. I think that one of the setback is that I'm actually one of those people who find pleasure in lying at home and being comfortable staying at my comfort zone. And so, when a friend would ask me out for a date, we would somehow end up getting in a restaurant to eat and talk. But before getting to a conclusion where to eat, it would usually take us a long to discuss and decide since I am actually not very knowledgeable about good places to eat here in our town. 

Now, I realize that I don't want to be like that anymore. I am already 26 and soon to be 27 years old and I have only known a few of too many places in my hometown which is Iligan City. I want to be able to bring and introduce my family and friends to a place that I have visited and where the food is good. I wanted to explore and try food that is also new to my palate. 

I realized that I have to stop making excuses and start living my dream. Because if you ask me about tourist spots in our place, I could give you a few in mind. However, if the question would be like... "Is it a good place? How is the place?", I would probably be mute or would say awkwardly "Eeer...I've not been to that place, sorry." And I would probably lose my face. 

And so, I have decided to get to know our town first. This would also be a good way to start my dream. Aside from a reason to de-stress, have fun and learn, I have to know where I come from so that I can also help others learn more about me. 

Here's to getting to know my place better!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iligan