salamat / walay sapayan

Thanks and You Are Welcome

Level 1

Use salamat to say thank you and walay sapayan to say you're welcome.

How It Works

In Cebuano, expressing gratitude is straightforward but has specific rules for intensification and politeness.

1. Saying Thank You
The base word is salamat. To make it stronger, you can add kaayo (very) after it: Salamat kaayo. If you want to say 'Many thanks,' you use the adjective daghan. Because daghan ends in a consonant, you must use the ligature -ng: Daghang salamat.

2. Specifying the Reason
To say what you are thankful for, use the marker sa:

  • Salamat sa tabang (Thanks for the help)
  • Salamat sa pagkaon (Thanks for the food)

3. Responding (You're Welcome)
The standard response is walay sapayan. This is a combination of wala (none), the linker -y, and sapayan (to mind/heed). In casual conversation, this is often shortened to way sapayan. Unlike English, where 'welcome' can mean both a greeting and a response to thanks, Cebuano uses walay sapayan as a response to thanks, not as a greeting.

4. Politeness
Cebuano does not use the Tagalog word po. Instead, respect is shown by adding address terms like Nang (Auntie), Nong (Uncle), or Sir/Ma'am at the end of the phrase.

Examples (4)

  1. Salamat, Nong.

    Thank you, Uncle.

    Word by Word: Thanks, Uncle.

    A simple, polite way to thank an older male using a respect title.

  2. Salamat kaayo sa imong tabang.

    Thank you very much for your help.

    Word by Word: Thanks very for your help.

    Uses 'kaayo' to intensify the thanks and 'sa' to point to the reason.

  3. Daghang salamat sa pag-anhi.

    Many thanks for coming.

    Word by Word: Many-linker thanks for coming.

    A more formal or emphatic way to express gratitude.

  4. Way sapayan, malipayon ko nga nakatabang.

    You're welcome, I'm happy I was able to help.

    Word by Word: No matter, happy I that managed-to-help.

    Uses the casual contraction 'way' and explains the favor was no trouble.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'dayon' to mean 'you're welcome'.

    Salamat! - Dayon!
    Salamat! - Walay sapayan!

    'Dayon' means 'come in' or 'welcome to my home.' It cannot be used to respond to 'thank you.'

  • Omitting the linker in 'Daghang salamat'.

    Daghan salamat.
    Daghang salamat.

    Adjectives modifying nouns (or in this case, the expression of thanks) require the -ng or nga linker.

  • Using 'po' for respect.

    Different MeaningSalamat po.
    Salamat, Sir.

    'Salamat po' is a good, polite phrase that many Cebuano speakers use today. 'Po' comes from Tagalog, and traditional Cebuano often shows respect with a title or name instead, such as 'Salamat, Sir.'

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

salamat / walay sapayanLevel 1Thanks and You Are Welcome

Learn This First

To understand these basic social expressions, learners should be familiar with the negative existential 'walay' which forms the basis of the response 'walay sapayan', as well as basic spelling rules.

Words in This Pattern

walay sapayan