How to Say “Hello” in Ilonggo
In Ilonggo, hello is said as kamusta. While kamusta literally means ‘how are you’, it is commonly used as a general greeting equivalent to ‘hello’.
About Hiligaynon (Ilonggo)
Hiligaynon, often called Ilonggo after the people of Iloilo, is spoken by about 8 million people in the Western Visayas of the Philippines (Panay, Guimaras and Negros Occidental) and in parts of Mindanao. It is one of the Visayan languages, related to Cebuano (see Bisaya) and more distantly to Tagalog. Speakers often describe it as a soft and gentle-sounding language.
Hiligaynon is written in Latin letters much as it sounds. Maayong aga means good morning and salamat means thank you, as in Tagalog.
| Family | Austronesian, Visayan |
|---|---|
| Speakers | about 8.2 million (2007) |
| Where spoken | Philippines (Western Visayas, parts of Mindanao) |
| Script | Latin alphabet |
| Code | hil (ISO 639-3) |
Speaker number: Nationalencyklopedin (2007), via Wikidata. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
How to Say “Hi” in Ilonggo
The English phrase “hi” can be translated into Ilonggo as kumusta.
How to Say “I Like You” in Ilonggo
The English phrase “I like you” is translated into Ilonggo as nanamian ako sa imo.
How to Say “Take Care” in Ilonggo
In Ilonggo, ‘take care’ is expressed as halong. The term is used as an interjection during good-bye.
How to Say “I Love You” in Ilonggo
To say “I love you” in Ilonggo, you can use ginahigugma ko ikaw or palangga ta ka. These phrases are used to affirm romantic feelings.
How to Say “Goodbye” in Ilonggo
The English phrase goodbye is translated into Ilonggo as Babay. Babay is used as a farewell to mean goodbye or bye.
How to Say “Good Night” in Ilonggo
The English phrase “good night” is Maayong gab-i in Ilonggo. Maayong gab-i is used as a farewell when parting ways in the evening or before going to sleep.
How to Say “Thank You Very Much” in Ilonggo
madamo gid nga salamat is the Ilonggo way to say thank you very much.
How to Say “Welcome” in Ilonggo
In Ilonggo, the word for welcome is Dayón. Dayón is used as a greeting to welcome someone to a place or an event.
How to Say “Yes” in Ilonggo
The Ilonggo word for “yes” is huo. The particle huo is used to indicate agreement or acceptance.