Skip to content

sangga

sángga with stress marks

shield; block; parrying

noun verb SANG-ga Native origin Rare

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

Beginner

" Mabilis ang kanyang sangga. "

Natural Translation

His block is fast.

Literal Translation

Fast the his/her block.

Intermediate

" Magaling ang kanyang sangga. "

Natural Translation

His/Her block is good.

Literal Translation

Good the his/her block.

Advanced

" 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.

Free · iOS & Android

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 work

Derived Words

Actor Focus Verbs

Object Focus Verbs

Explore Tagalog by topic

Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.