Four phrases cover almost any ride in Cebu: Pila ang plete? (how much is the fare?), Kuya, sa Ayala palihug. (to Ayala, please), Para diri lang, kuya! (stop here please) and Lugar lang! — the call that stops a jeepney. Address the driver as kuya — literally older brother, and the normal way to address drivers and waiters alike.
The full set is below with a simple English respelling for each phrase, sorted by how you travel: taxi, habal-habal (motorbike taxi) and jeepney. Name your destination, settle the fare, and get off exactly where you want.
Taking a Taxi
| Cebuano | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Kuya, sa Ayala palihug. | KOO-yah, sah ah-YAH-lah pah-LEE-hoog | To Ayala, please, kuya. |
| Metered ba ni? | MEH-terd bah nee | Is this metered? |
| Pila ang plete? | pee-LAH ahng PLEH-teh | How much is the fare? |
| Sakay na! | sah-KYE nah | Hop in! |
| Moadto ko sa SM. | moh-AHD-toh koh sah ESS-em | I’m going to SM (the mall). |
Good to know: “Sa” + destination + “palihug” works for any destination. Best show the driver the address on your phone — it avoids mix-ups with place names.
Good to know: Add padulong sa to ask the fare to a specific place — Pila ang plete padulong sa Talisay?, how much is the fare to Talisay? And when you need a toilet on the way, ask Asa ang CR? CR stands for comfort room and is the usual word here; “toilet” or “restroom” is not always understood.
Motorbike Taxis (Habal-Habal)
| Cebuano | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Mo-habal-habal lang ta. | moh-hah-bahl-HAH-bahl lahng tah | Let’s just take a habal-habal (motorbike taxi). |
| Naa kay extra helmet? | NAH-ah kye EKS-trah HEL-met | Do you have a spare helmet? |
| Ayaw ug paspas! | AH-yaw oog pahss-PAHSS | Don’t go so fast! |
| Hinay lang, kuya. | hee-NIGH lahng, KOO-yah | Slow down please, kuya. |
Riding the Jeepney
| Cebuano | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Para diri lang, kuya! | pah-RAH dee-REE lahng, KOO-yah | Stop here please, kuya! |
| Lugar lang! | loo-GAR lahng | Stop please! (the standard jeepney call) |
| Plete, palihug. | PLEH-teh, pah-LEE-hoog | Fare, please. |
| Diri ra ko manaog. | dee-REE rah koh mah-NAH-og | I’ll get off here. |
| Ayo-ayo, kuya! Salamat! | ah-yoh-AH-yoh, KOO-yah! sah-LAH-maht | Take care, kuya! Thanks! (when getting off) |
Good to know: “Para!” stops the jeepney when you want off — “Lugar lang!” works just as well. Shout it — it has to carry over the engine noise. And in the jeepney, pass your money forward.
Timing & Traffic
| Cebuano | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Grabe ang traffic karon! | grah-BEH ahng TRAH-fik kah-RON | Traffic is terrible right now! |
| Karon na dayon. | kah-RON nah dah-YON | Right now. / Straight away. |
| Buhaton ta lang ni ugma. | boo-HAH-ton tah lahng nee OOG-mah | Let’s do it tomorrow instead. |
| Moabot ko ugma sa hapon. | moh-ah-BOT koh OOG-mah sah HAH-pon | I’ll arrive tomorrow afternoon. |
Good to know: karon means “now / today” — so Grabe ang traffic karon! is today’s traffic being terrible, and Karon na dayon. means right away.
The Polite Essentials
| Cebuano | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Salamat | sah-LAH-maht | thank you |
| Palihug | pah-LEE-hoog | please (when asking) |
| Pasayloa ko | pah-sigh-LOH-ah koh | Forgive me. (sincere) |
| Dili ko kasabot. | DEE-lee koh kah-SAH-bot | I don’t understand. |
This guide is a selection. Quick Cebuano — the app these phrases come from — carries all 251 essential phrases offline, so everything works without a signal, from the airport taxi onwards.