sandata
sandatà with stress marks
weapon; arms
Usage Note
Sandata is the general Tagalog word for a weapon or arms. It appears in historical, military, and literary contexts — including references to pre-colonial warriors and modern armed forces. Figuratively it can mean any tool or means used to fight or defend, such as knowledge or truth being one's sandata.
Examples
" May sandata ang gerero. "
Natural Translation
The warrior has a weapon.
Literal Translation
Have weapon the warrior.
" Ito ang kanyang matalim na sandata. "
Natural Translation
This is his/her sharp weapon.
Literal Translation
This the his/her sharp that weapon.
" Para sa kanya, ang edukasyon ang pinakamatalas na sandata laban sa kahirapan at kamangmangan. "
Natural Translation
For her, education is the sharpest weapon against poverty and ignorance.
Literal Translation
For at her, the education the sharpest weapon against at poverty and ignorance.
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.
Po and Opo in Tagalog: Where to Put Them Right
Po and opo confuse learners — but placement follows one rule. Where po goes in a sentence, why it's opo not 'oo po', and the pronoun shift to learn.
Seasons in the Philippines: A Tagalog Guide
The Philippines has two seasons, not four. Learn tag-araw, tag-ulan, and taglamig, the generative tag- prefix, and the weather vocabulary to match.
Tagalog Verb Conjugation: Aspects Made Simple
Tagalog verb conjugation uses aspects, not tenses. Learn the three aspects with -um- and mag- verbs, one reduplication rule, and clear example tables.
Tagalog Question Words: Ano, Sino, Saan & More
Tagalog question words like ano, sino, and saan need the right frame to work. Learn the ang-vs-pronoun rule, confusable pairs, and the ba particle with audio.