English → Bisaya · Verbs

“To hug” in Bisaya: kugos

The Bisaya (Cebuano) word for “to hug” is kugos, pronounced KU-gos. It's used as a verb in everyday Cebuano conversation across the Visayas and Mindanao, where over 22 million people speak Bisaya as their native language.

Bisaya translation

kugos

KU-gos

English meaning
to hug / to embrace
Part of speech
verb

How to pronounce kugos

Say it as KU-gos. 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

  • Gikugos niya ang iyang inahan.

    “She hugged her mother.”

Usage note

A warm, affectionate word used freely with family and close friends.

Related Bisaya words

Palangga

Beloved / Dear / Darling

pah-LAHNG-gah

Gugma

Love (noun)

GOOG-mah

Anak

Child / Son / Daughter

AH-nak

Frequently asked questions

How do you say "to hug" in Bisaya?
The Bisaya (Cebuano) word for "to hug" is kugos, pronounced KU-gos.
How do you pronounce "kugos"?
Pronounce it as KU-gos. Capitalized syllables indicate stress.
What does "kugos" mean in English?
"kugos" means "to hug / to embrace" in English. It functions as a verb in everyday Cebuano conversation.
How do you use "kugos" in a sentence?
Example: "Gikugos niya ang iyang inahan." — She hugged her mother.
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.

All translationsBrowse dictionaryCompare Visayan