Family situations

25 Bisaya Phrases for Meeting Your Filipino In-Laws

By James · Reviewed by Pearl, native Davao Cebuano speaker

You don't need to be fluent to win over Filipino in-laws — you need about 25 phrases, said with effort and a smile. Greet the elders properly, compliment the cooking, thank them for the welcome, and accept the second serving of rice. This is the exact playbook: every phrase with pronunciation, what it means, and — just as important — what they'll say back so you're not lost the moment someone replies.

First: the words for who's who

Bisaya	Pronunciation	Who it is
Ugangan	oo-GAH-ngahn	Parent-in-law
Bayaw	BAH-yaw	Brother/sister-in-law
Umagad	oo-MAH-gahd	Son/daughter-in-law (that's you)
Tiya / Tiyo	TEE-yah TEE-yoh	Aunt / Uncle
Lola / Lolo	LOH-lah LOH-loh	Grandmother / Grandfather
Kuya / Ate	KOO-yah AH-teh	Older brother / sister — also the polite way to address any older man or woman

That last row is a cheat code: when in doubt, an older man is Kuya, an older woman is Ate (or Manang for someone noticeably older). Using these instantly signals respect.

Arriving: the first five minutes

Maayong hapon! Kumusta mo?

mah-AH-yong hah-PON koo-MOOS-tah MOH

"Good afternoon! How are you all?"

Adjust the greeting to the time: maayong buntag (morning), maayong gabii (evening). The mo makes it plural — you're greeting the whole room, which is the right move.

Nalipay ko makaila ninyo.

nah-LEE-pai koh mah-kah-EE-lah NEEN-yoh

"I'm happy to meet you all."

Salamat sa pag-abi-abi.

sah-LAH-maht sah pahg-ah-bee-AH-bee

"Thank you for the warm welcome."

This one earns audible delight. Nobody expects a foreigner to know pag-abi-abi.

Nalipay ko nga naa ko diri.

nah-LEE-pai koh ngah NAH-ah koh dee-REE

"I'm glad to be here."

At the table: where the relationship is actually built

Filipino hospitality runs through food. You will be fed. You will be fed again. The phrases:

Lami kaayo ang giluto ninyo!

LAH-mee kah-AH-yo ahng gee-LOO-toh NEEN-yoh

"What you cooked is delicious!"

The single highest-value sentence in this post. Say it early, mean it, and watch the kitchen adopt you.

Busog na kaayo ko. Salamat!

BOO-sog nah kah-AH-yo koh sah-LAH-maht

"I'm really full now. Thank you!"

Fair warning: this is frequently treated as an opening offer. Expect "Kaon pa!" — "Eat more!" Surrendering to one more scoop of rice is a love language.

Mangaon ta!

mah-NGAH-ohn tah

"Let's eat!"

Being helpful, being humble

Bisaya	Pronunciation	Meaning
Tabangan tika	tah-BAH-ngahn TEE-kah	I'll help you
Pasensya na sa samok	pah-SEN-syah nah sah SAH-mohk	Sorry for the trouble
Pwede ko mangutana?	PWEH-deh koh mah-ngoo-TAH-nah	May I ask a question?
Nagtuon ko ug Bisaya	nahg-TOO-ohn koh oog bee-SAH-yah	I'm studying Bisaya
Gamay pa akong Bisaya	gah-MAI pah ah-KONG bee-SAH-yah	My Bisaya is still little
Hinay-hinay lang palihug	hee-nai-HEE-nai lahng pah-lee-HOOG	Slowly please

Gamay pa akong Bisaya is your safety net — it's humble, it's charming, and it turns every mistake into a teaching moment the titas will happily run with.

Leaving well

Salamat sa tanan. Kita ta puhon!

sah-LAH-maht sah tah-NAHN KEE-tah tah POO-hohn

"Thanks for everything. See you soon!"

Amping mo!

AM-peeng MOH

"Take care, all of you!"

And the reply you'll hear: "Balik-balik!" — "Come again!" If you hear it, you passed.

The full in-laws unit is in the course

Bisaya Daily has an entire unit on family and in-laws — with native audio for every phrase, recorded in Davao Cebuano by Pearl. Try a free lesson and hear the difference.

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