Mabuhay is a
Filipino greeting, usually expressed as ''Mabuhay!'', which literally means "
long live
''Viva'', ''vive'', and ''vivat'' are interjections used in the Romance languages. ''Viva'' in Spanish (plural ), Portuguese, and Italian (Also . in plural is rare), ''Vive'' in French, and ''Vivat'' in Latin (plural ) are subjunctive forms ...
". The term is also occasionally used for
toasts during celebrations to mean "cheers". It is similar to the Hawaiian expression "
aloha
''Aloha'' ( , ) is the Hawaiian language, Hawaiian word for love, affection, peace, compassion and mercy, that is commonly used as a simple greeting but has a deeper cultural and spiritual significance to native Hawaiians, for whom the term is u ...
".
A more modern appropriation of the
greeting is its use in the
local hospitality industry to welcome guests—a practice rooted in a 1993 campaign launched by restaurateur Rod Ongpauco to more uniquely welcome foreign visitors to the Philippines.
"Mabuhay" is also the name of
the inflight magazine published by
Philippine Airlines, as well as its
frequent-flyer program
A frequent-flyer program (American English) or frequent-flyer programme (British English) is a loyalty program offered by an airline.
Many airlines have frequent-flyer programs designed to encourage airline customers enrolled in the program ...
.
Examples
* "''Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! Mabuhay ang Repúblika!''"
("Long live the Philippines! Long live the Republic!")
* "''Mabuhay ang
Pangulo!''"
("Long live the President!")
* "''Mabuhay ang bagong
kasál!''"
("Long live/cheers to the newlyweds!")
Cognates in other languages
A number of other
Philippine languages have terms that are cognate with the term. The
Bisayan languages, for example, use the term "Mabuhi" in a manner similar to "Mabuhay".
''Viva''
Alternatively, the
Spanish equivalent ''Viva'' is used in almost exclusively
religious contexts, specifically in shouts of praise directed at a
patron saint or to
God during fiestas and assemblies (e.g., "''¡Viva
Señor Santo Niño!''")
See also
*
Merdeka
''Merdeka'' is a term in Indonesian and Malay which means "independent" or " free". It is derived from the Sanskrit ''maharddhika'' (महर्द्धिक) meaning "rich, prosperous, and powerful". In the Malay archipelago, this term ha ...
*
Aloha
''Aloha'' ( , ) is the Hawaiian language, Hawaiian word for love, affection, peace, compassion and mercy, that is commonly used as a simple greeting but has a deeper cultural and spiritual significance to native Hawaiians, for whom the term is u ...
*
Talofa
*
Kia Ora
*
Tagalog language
*
Filipino language
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mabuhay (Expression)
Greetings
Tagalog words and phrases
Filipino language
