kalaboso
kalabóso with stress marks
jail, prison
Usage Note
Kalaboso is borrowed from Spanish calabozo (dungeon, jail cell) and is a common, somewhat informal term for a jail or detention cell. It is frequently used in news reports and everyday conversation, while more formal contexts may prefer bilangguan or kulungan.
Examples
" Nasa kalaboso ang magnanakaw. "
Natural Translation
The thief is in jail.
Literal Translation
At jail the thief.
" Inilagay ng pulis ang suspek sa kalaboso. "
Natural Translation
The police put the suspect in jail.
Literal Translation
Put the police the suspect in-the jail.
" Ilang araw lang siyang nakulong sa kalaboso bago siya piniyansahan ng kanyang pamilya. "
Natural Translation
He was only locked up in jail for a few days before his family bailed him out.
Literal Translation
Few days only he-that locked-up in-the jail before he bailed-out by-the his family.
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.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workRelated Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.
Mano Po and Filipino Etiquette: A Visitor's Guide
Mano po presses an elder's hand to your forehead as a blessing. Learn who to mano, how to lip-point, and the etiquette that wins over a Filipino family.
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.
Tagalog Time Expressions: Past, Present & Future Guide
Tagalog has no tenses — it uses aspect. Learn time words, days of the week, clock time, and the aspect system, with vocabulary tables and cultural notes.
Philippine Christmas Traditions: World's Longest Holiday
Philippine Christmas traditions run four months — from Ber-month carols to Simbang Gabi dawn masses, Noche Buena feasts, and parol lanterns lighting every street.