sangsang
sángsang with stress marks
pungent smell or odor
Usage Note
Sangsang describes a sharp, unpleasant, and penetrating odor — stronger and more offensive than a simple bad smell (mabaho). It is typically used for the pungent smell of fermented or strong-smelling foods like bagoong (shrimp paste) or patis (fish sauce), as well as animal smells or rotting matter. The word itself has an onomatopoeic quality.
Examples
" Matindi ang sangsang ng bagoong. "
Natural Translation
The pungent smell of the shrimp paste is intense.
Literal Translation
Intense the pungent-smell of shrimp-paste.
" Matindi ang sangsang ng basura. "
Natural Translation
The pungent smell of the garbage is intense.
Literal Translation
Intense the pungent-smell of garbage.
" Kahit isinara na namin ang lalagyan, kumalat pa rin ang sangsang ng patis sa buong kusina at hindi mawala-wala. "
Natural Translation
Even though we already closed the container, the pungent smell of the fish sauce still spread through the whole kitchen and just wouldn't go away.
Literal Translation
Even-if closed already we the container, spread still the pungent-smell of fish-sauce in whole kitchen and not go-away-away.
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