English → Bisaya · Adjectives

“Dirty” in Bisaya: hugaw

The Bisaya (Cebuano) word for “dirty” is hugaw, pronounced HU-gaw. It's used as a adjective in everyday Cebuano conversation across the Visayas and Mindanao, where over 22 million people speak Bisaya as their native language.

Bisaya translation

hugaw

HU-gaw

English meaning
dirty / unclean
Part of speech
adjective

How to pronounce hugaw

Say it as HU-gaw. 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

  • Hugaw na ang imong sinina, palita na.

    “Your shirt is already dirty, change it.”

Related Bisaya words

putli

clean / pure / chaste

PUT-li

Frequently asked questions

How do you say "dirty" in Bisaya?
The Bisaya (Cebuano) word for "dirty" is hugaw, pronounced HU-gaw.
How do you pronounce "hugaw"?
Pronounce it as HU-gaw. Capitalized syllables indicate stress.
What does "hugaw" mean in English?
"hugaw" means "dirty / unclean" in English. It functions as a adjective in everyday Cebuano conversation.
How do you use "hugaw" in a sentence?
Example: "Hugaw na ang imong sinina, palita na." — Your shirt is already dirty, change it.
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

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

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