Skip to content

isaw

isáw with stress marks

grilled chicken or pig intestines

noun i-SAW Native origin Less Common
Food & Drink Dishes
Illustration of "isaw" (grilled chicken or pig intestines)

Usage Note

Isaw is a popular Filipino street food made from grilled chicken or pig intestines, typically served on skewers with a spicy vinegar dipping sauce.

Examples

Beginner

" Masarap ang isaw sa tindahan. "

Natural Translation

The isaw at the stall is delicious.

Literal Translation

Delicious the intestines at-the stall.

Intermediate

" Maraming tindero ng isaw sa kalsada. "

Natural Translation

There are many isaw sellers on the street.

Literal Translation

Many sellers of intestines on road.

Advanced

" Bago umuwi mula sa trabaho, dumadaan muna kami sa kanto para kumain ng isaw at uminom ng malamig. "

Natural Translation

Before heading home from work, we first stop by the corner to eat isaw and have a cold drink.

Literal Translation

Before go-home from work, pass-by first we at-the corner to eat of intestines and drink of cold.

Free · iOS & Android

Take Tagalog with you

The full course, a 12,500-word dictionary, and flashcards that make every word stick — free to start on iOS and Android.

Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play

Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.

How Tagalog words work

Derived Words

isawan DERIVED

place selling grilled intestines

mag-iisaw DERIVED

grilled intestine vendor

Actor Focus Verbs

mag-isaw AF VERB

to eat or sell grilled intestines

Object Focus Verbs

isawin OF VERB

to cook as isaw

Explore Tagalog by topic

Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.

Culture5 min read

Philippines Geography for Learners: Islands & Language

Philippines geography for Tagalog learners: 7,641 islands, three island groups, and the Southern Luzon heartland where the Tagalog language was born.

Grammar5 min read

Tagalog Word Order: Sentence Structure Made Simple

Why Tagalog puts the verb first, and how ang, ng, and sa markers work. A clear guide to VSO word order, forming questions, and negation.

Learning Tips5 min read

Is Tagalog Hard to Learn? An Honest Answer

Tagalog takes around 1,100 hours to reach professional proficiency. Here is what is easy, what is hard, and what to expect at 3, 6, and 12 months.

Culture5 min read

Languages of the Philippines: Tagalog, Cebuano, and More

Languages of the Philippines: one national language (Filipino) plus 180+ regional languages. Here's who speaks what, where, and why it matters to you.

View all articles