Basic Bisaya for Your First Trip to Davao
You can survive Davao on English — but you’ll live it in Bisaya. This is the practical kit for your first visit: the twenty-ish phrases that cover landing, riding, eating, and buying, each one chosen because you’ll genuinely use it in week one.
Landing: the airport
| Bisaya | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Bisita lang ko | bee-SEE-tah lahng koh | I’m just visiting |
| Asa kuhaon ang bagahe? | ah-SAH koo-HAH-ohn ahng bah-GAH-heh | Where do I get the luggage? |
| Asa ang taxi? | ah-SAH ahng TAH-xee | Where are the taxis? |
| Sundoon ko nila | soon-DOH-ohn koh NEE-lah | They’re picking me up |
Moving: taxi, jeepney, habal-habal
| Bisaya | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Moadto ko sa… | moh-AHD-toh koh sah | I’m going to… |
| Pila ang plete? | PEE-lah ahng PLEH-teh | How much is the fare? |
| Layo pa? | lah-YOH pah | Is it still far? |
| Diretso / wala / tuo | dee-RET-soh wah-LAH too-OH | Straight / left / right |
Eating: the karinderya
Skip the mall food court once and eat at a karinderya — a local eatery with pots of the day’s dishes. The script: Unsa’y maayo diri? (What’s good here?) → point → Usa ka order ani (One order of this) → Lami kaayo ni! (This is delicious!) → Pila tanan? (How much for everything?). Four phrases, full meal, instant regular status.
Buying: the palengke
The public market deserves its own playbook — we wrote it: Bisaya at the Palengke: Bargaining Phrases That Work. The two to carry in your pocket meanwhile: Tagpila ni? (How much is this?) and Salamat kaayo!
The phrase that changes everything
Learn the Bisaya they actually speak
Bisaya Daily is a complete Davao Cebuano course — 600+ phrases across 42 units, recorded in native Davao Cebuano by Pearl. Try a free lesson.
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