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sabi

sábi with stress marks

to tell or say; hearsay

verb SA-bi Native origin Common

Usage Note

Sabi is one of the most common verbs in Tagalog for reported speech, ubiquitous in storytelling. It can also function as a noun meaning hearsay or what was said, and the particle daw or raw typically follows to signal that the information is second-hand.

Examples

Beginner

" Ano ang sabi mo? "

Natural Translation

What did you say?

Literal Translation

What the say you?

Intermediate

" Ano ang sabi niya sa iyo? "

Natural Translation

What did he/she tell you?

Literal Translation

What the tell he/she to you?

Advanced

" Ayon sa sabi ng aking lola, mas masarap daw ang pagkain kapag niluluto nang may pagmamahal. "

Natural Translation

According to my grandmother, food tastes better when it's cooked with love.

Literal Translation

According to saying of my grandmother, more delicious hearsay the food when being-cooked adverb with love.

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