sagwa
ságwà with stress marks
in bad taste; indecent; unseemly
Usage Note
Sagwa is a versatile word for anything that offends good taste — a crude joke, an ugly outfit, rude behavior, or an awkward social moment. It is milder than obscene but stronger than merely awkward, and is used freely in both formal and informal settings.
Examples
" Sagwa ang kanyang damit. "
Natural Translation
Her clothes are in bad taste.
Literal Translation
In-bad-taste the her clothes.
" Ang kanyang biro ay sagwa. "
Natural Translation
His/Her joke is indecent.
Literal Translation
The his/her joke is indecent.
" Napansin ng lahat na sagwa ang asal niya nang sumigaw siya sa gitna ng tahimik na seremonya. "
Natural Translation
Everyone noticed that his behavior was unseemly when he shouted in the middle of the quiet ceremony.
Literal Translation
Noticed by everyone that unseemly the behavior his when shouted he in middle of quiet ceremony.
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.
Spaced Repetition for Tagalog: How Flashcards Make Words Stick
Cramming Tagalog vocabulary fails. See how spaced repetition — the science behind smart flashcards — makes words stick for the long term.
Magkano: How to Ask "How Much" in Tagalog
Magkano means how much in Tagalog. Learn to ask a price, tell it apart from ilan and gaano, sound polite with po, and haggle at the palengke.
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.
How to Say Sorry in Tagalog: Patawad vs Pasensya
How to say sorry in Tagalog: patawad, pasensya na, and paumanhin compared on a simple severity-and-formality ladder so you pick the right word every time.