sangkalan
sangkalán with stress marks
chopping board; alibi, scapegoat
Usage Note
Sangkalan in its primary sense is the wooden cutting board used in Filipino kitchens for chopping vegetables and meat. Figuratively — and quite wittily — it also means an alibi or a person used as a scapegoat, since just as the board absorbs the blows of a knife, the metaphorical sangkalan absorbs blame meant for someone else.
Examples
" Hugasan mo ang sangkalan. "
Natural Translation
Wash the chopping board.
Literal Translation
Wash you the chopping-board.
" Nawala ang sangkalan sa kusina. "
Natural Translation
The chopping board in the kitchen was lost.
Literal Translation
Lost the chopping-board in kitchen.
" Huwag mo akong gawing sangkalan sa pagkakamali na hindi ko naman ginawa noong nakaraang araw. "
Natural Translation
Don't make me your scapegoat for a mistake that I did not even commit the other day.
Literal Translation
Don't you me make scapegoat for mistake that not I however did the past day.
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.
Tagalog Greetings: How to Say Hello, Goodbye & Po/Opo
Master Tagalog greetings with pronunciation: kumusta, magandang umaga, po and opo polite forms, time-of-day phrases, and the mano po tradition.
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.
Tagalog Verb Focus System Explained (It's Not Active vs. Passive)
The Tagalog verb focus system isn't active vs. passive. Learn actor focus, object focus, and more with clear examples that finally make it click.
Tagalog Slang Guide: 20 Words You'll Hear on TikTok
Tagalog slang explained: lodi, petmalu, werpa, astig, chika and more. Decode Filipino TikTok comments, group chats, and pop culture with this practical guide.