sangga
sángga with stress marks
shield; block; parrying
Usage Note
Sangga refers to the act or object of blocking or parrying an attack — shielding oneself from a blow. It is used in martial arts contexts, particularly in arnis (the Philippine national martial art), as well as in everyday language for deflecting criticism or absorbing a setback on behalf of someone else.
Examples
" Mabilis ang kanyang sangga. "
Natural Translation
His block is fast.
Literal Translation
Fast the his/her block.
" Magaling ang kanyang sangga. "
Natural Translation
His/Her block is good.
Literal Translation
Good the his/her block.
" Mahusay ang sangga ng manlalaro kaya hindi siya tinamaan ng kalaban sa laban ng arnis. "
Natural Translation
The player's parry was skillful, so the opponent did not hit him in the arnis match.
Literal Translation
Skillful the parry of player so not he was-hit by opponent in match of arnis.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
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Object Focus Verbs
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