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salbahe

salbáhe with stress marks

savage; brutal; wild

adjective sal-BA-he Spanish origin Less Common

Usage Note

Salbahe is borrowed from Spanish salvaje and is used colloquially to describe someone who is cruel, rough, or unruly — not necessarily violent, but often applied to badly behaved children or aggressive animals. The word covers a spectrum from mischievous to genuinely threatening depending on context.

Examples

Beginner

" Salbahe ang batang iyon. "

Natural Translation

That child is unruly.

Literal Translation

Unruly the child that.

Intermediate

" Ang aso nila ay salbahe. "

Natural Translation

Their dog is wild.

Literal Translation

The dog their is wild.

Advanced

" Kahit mukhang mahinahon siya sa labas, salbahe pala siya kapag galit na galit at walang makapigil. "

Natural Translation

Even though he/she looks calm on the outside, he/she turns out to be brutal when extremely angry and no one can stop them.

Literal Translation

Even seems calm he/she on outside, brutal turns-out he/she when very angry and no-one can-stop.

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