sakalin
sakalín with stress marks
to choke (someone)
From root: sakal
Conjugations
Past (Completed)
sinakal
si-na-KAL
choked
Present (Incomplete)
sinasakal
si-na-sa-KAL
is being choked
Future (Contemplated)
sasakalin
sa-sa-ka-LIN
will be choked
Usage Note
Sakalin is the object-focus form of sakal, used when the victim is the sentence topic. It is especially common in figurative use, where abstract forces like poverty or corruption are described as strangling communities or individuals.
Examples
" Huwag mong sakalin ang pusa. "
Natural Translation
Don't choke the cat.
Literal Translation
Don't you choke the cat.
" Sinubukan ng salarin na sakalin ang biktima upang tumahimik. "
Natural Translation
The culprit tried to choke the victim to keep them quiet.
Literal Translation
Tried of culprit to choke the victim so-that to keep-quiet.
" Para bang sinasakal ng utang ang buong pamilya, halos hindi na sila makahinga sa dami ng babayaran. "
Natural Translation
It's as if debt is strangling the whole family; they can barely breathe with how much they have to pay.
Literal Translation
As if is-choking of debt the whole family, almost not anymore they can-breathe in amount of to-be-paid.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workWord family
sakal has 1 related form built from the same root.
Related Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.

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.

Tagalog Pronouns Explained: Complete Chart with Examples
Every Tagalog pronoun explained with clear charts: ang/ng/sa forms, tayo vs kami, ikaw vs ka, politeness markers, and the mistakes beginners make.

Tagalog Affixes Explained: A Beginner's Guide to Word Building
Tagalog affixes turn one root word into dozens of meanings. Learn prefixes, infixes, suffixes, and circumfixes with clear examples for beginners.

Tagalog Slang Guide: 20 Words You'll Hear on TikTok
Tagalog slang explained: lodi, petmalu, werpa, astig, chika and more. Decode Filipino TikTok comments, group chats, and pop culture with this practical guide.