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salak

salák with stress marks

to cut firewood

verb sa-LAK Native origin Rare

Also means

Salak can also refer to flood-borne grasses and debris when used as a noun with different stress.

Usage Note

Salak in this verbal sense means to chop or cut wood for fuel, a daily chore in many rural Philippine households where wood-burning stoves are still common. The word is most at home in provincial and mountainous regions.

Examples

Beginner

" Sumasalak siya ng kahoy. "

Natural Translation

He is chopping firewood.

Literal Translation

Chopping-firewood he of wood.

Intermediate

" Kailangan natin salak ang kahoy. "

Natural Translation

We need to cut firewood.

Literal Translation

Needed we cut-firewood the wood.

Advanced

" Maaga pang sumasalak ng kahoy ang lolo ko sa bundok bago pa magluto ng almusal ang lola. "

Natural Translation

My grandfather chops firewood up in the mountain early in the morning, even before grandmother cooks breakfast.

Literal Translation

Early still chopping-firewood of wood the grandfather my in mountain before still cook of breakfast the grandmother.

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