magtatabako
magtatabákò with stress marks
tobacco buyer/seller
Usage Note
Magtatabako refers to a vendor or trader who deals in tobacco — either buying raw leaf from farmers or selling processed tobacco and cigarettes. The tobacco trade has deep roots in Philippine economic history, particularly in the Ilocos region and Cagayan Valley where tobacco farming has been central to rural livelihoods since the Spanish colonial era.
Examples
" Bumili ako sa magtatabako. "
Natural Translation
I bought from the tobacco seller.
Literal Translation
Bought I from-the tobacco-seller.
" Kilala ko ang magtatabako. "
Natural Translation
I know the tobacco seller.
Literal Translation
Know I the tobacco seller.
" Bawat taon, dumarating ang mga magtatabako sa Ilocos upang bumili ng sariwang dahon mula sa mga magsasaka roon. "
Natural Translation
Every year, the tobacco traders come to Ilocos to buy fresh leaves from the farmers there.
Literal Translation
Every year, come the [mga] tobacco-trader in Ilocos to buy of fresh [na] leaf from the [mga] farmer there.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
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