English → Bisaya · Expressions

“Buddy” in Bisaya: bay

The Bisaya (Cebuano) word for “buddy” is bay, pronounced BAY. It's used as a noun in everyday Cebuano conversation across the Visayas and Mindanao, where over 22 million people speak Bisaya as their native language.

Bisaya translation

bay

BAY

English meaning
buddy / pal (casual term of address between friends)
Part of speech
noun

How to pronounce bay

Say it as BAY. Capitalized syllables in the pronunciation guide indicate stress — the part of the word you emphasize when speaking. Bisaya stress is meaningful: putting it on the wrong syllable can change the meaning of a word, so it's worth practicing out loud.

Example sentences

  • Kumusta na, bay?

    “How are you, buddy?”

Usage note

Short for 'kaibay' — used among close male friends, similar to 'bro' or 'mate'.

Related Bisaya words

bai

friend / mate (informal term of address)

BAI

Higala

Friend

hee-GAH-lah

dong

term of address for a young boy or younger male

DONG

Frequently asked questions

How do you say "buddy" in Bisaya?
The Bisaya (Cebuano) word for "buddy" is bay, pronounced BAY.
How do you pronounce "bay"?
Pronounce it as BAY. Capitalized syllables indicate stress.
What does "bay" mean in English?
"bay" means "buddy / pal (casual term of address between friends)" in English. It functions as a noun in everyday Cebuano conversation.
How do you use "bay" in a sentence?
Example: "Kumusta na, bay?" — How are you, buddy?
Is Bisaya the same as Cebuano?
Yes — Bisaya and Cebuano are two names for the same language. Cebuano is the more formal linguistic name, while Bisaya is the everyday name used by speakers themselves. Both refer to the language spoken by 22+ million Filipinos. Read more in our Bisaya vs Binisaya guide.

Continue learning Bisaya

More than just translations.

Browse the full Bisaya dictionary, compare words across all five Visayan languages, or jump into our beginner's guide.

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