Filipino vendors can surely understand English or at least basic English but learning few Cebuano phrases and terms is a way to go. When learning to speak a particular language or dialect, it is ideal to start with phrases and common terms.
Just so everyone knows, an average native person who speaks Cebuano uses only a small number of vocabularies on a daily basis. That being said, any Cebuano non-speaker can then actually speak the language to a certain acceptable level by simply learning the basics.
Here you go!
What’s the price? – Unsa’y presyo?
How much is this? – Tagpila keni?
Note: We can shorten Keni to Ni (tagpila ni?)
How much is that? – Tagpila kana?
Note: We can shorten kana to na (Tagpila na?)
How much per kilo? – Tagpila ang kenilo?
How much is the kilo? – Tagpila ang kilo?
How much is the kilo of pork? – Tagpila ang kilo sa karneng baboy?
Note: karne = meat
baboy = pig
How much is the kilo of beef? – Tagpila ang kilo sa karneng baka?
Give me one kilo! – Taga-i kog isa ka kilo!
Give me a half kilo! – Taga-i kog tonga sa kilo!
Note: You can add Palihog to make it sounds more respectful
Please give me one kilo! – Palihog taga-I kog is ka kilo!
Please = Palihog
I will buy one kilo. – Mopalit kog isa ka kilo.
Expensive – Mahal
Cheap – Barato
I will buy this. – Mopalit ko ani.
Note: This = Keni, but this time we used “ani.”
Note: When we add “Mo” to a verb, that means the verb is in future tense.
Examples:
Eat = Kaon
I will eat = Mokaon ko
Buy = Palit
I will buy = Mopalit ko
Pay = Bayad
I will pay = Mobayad ko
I will buy next time.
Mopalit ko sunod.
Note: next time = sunod
’till next time = sunod napud
I will buy again next time. – Mopalit napud ko sunod.
Here is the payment. – Mao ni ang bayad.
Fresh – Presko
Vegetables – Utan
Fruit – Prutas
Money – Kwarta
Change (as in keep the change) – Sukli
Male vendor – Tindero
Example: Who is the vendor? – Kinsa ang tindero?
Female vendor – Tindera
Do you have carrots? – Naa kay carrots?
Note: “ka” is for singular (one vendor)
Naa moy carrots?
Note: “mo” is for plural (more than one vendor)
I like this. – Ganahan ko ani
I like that. – Ganahan ko ana.
I prefer this. – Mas gepili nako ni.
I prefer that. – Mas gepili nako na.
Market – Merkado
Fresh vegetables – Presko na mga utan
Note: we add “mga” since vegetables is plural
Suki: I am not sure the English translation of “suki” but suki refers to the vendor whom you constantly buy. You can say, “suki na ta ha” to that vendor. It’s something like you want to build a relationship to that vendor. In some occasions, the vendor in return will give discounts to their “suki.”