dalag
dálag with stress marks
mud fish
Usage Note
Dalag (snakehead fish) is a hardy freshwater fish found in Philippine rivers, ponds, and rice paddies, prized in Filipino cuisine especially in sinigang and pinangat. Because it can survive in muddy, oxygen-poor water, it is also used metaphorically to describe someone resilient or hard to defeat.
Examples
" Masarap ang dalag. "
Natural Translation
Snakehead fish is delicious.
Literal Translation
Delicious the snakehead-fish.
" Bumili kami ng dalag para gawing sinigang. "
Natural Translation
We bought snakehead fish to make sour soup.
Literal Translation
Bought we dalag to make sinigang.
" Tulad ng dalag na nabubuhay sa putik, matatag siyang humarap sa lahat ng pagsubok sa buhay. "
Natural Translation
Like a snakehead fish that survives in the mud, she faced all of life's trials with resilience.
Literal Translation
Like of snakehead-fish that lives in mud, resilient she faced in all of trials in life.
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