sawali
sawáli with stress marks
interwoven bamboo for walling
Usage Note
Sawali is a traditional Filipino building material made from woven split bamboo strips used for walls and partitions. It is closely associated with rural and bahay kubo architecture and evokes a sense of provincial simplicity and heritage.
Examples
" Sawali ang pader namin. "
Natural Translation
Our wall is woven bamboo.
Literal Translation
Woven-bamboo the wall our.
" Gawa sa sawali ang dingding. "
Natural Translation
The wall is made of interwoven bamboo.
Literal Translation
Made of interwoven-bamboo the wall.
" Ang lumang bahay kubo ng aking lolo ay yari sa sawali at kawayan, kaya presko ito kahit tag-init. "
Natural Translation
My grandfather's old nipa hut is made of woven bamboo and bamboo poles, so it stays cool even in summer.
Literal Translation
The old nipa-hut of my grandfather is made of woven-bamboo and bamboo, so cool it even summer.
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.

Ng vs Nang in Tagalog: The Spelling Rule
Ng vs nang sound identical but spell differently. Use ng to mark nouns (of, the object), and nang for how, when, repetition, and counting time.

Tagalog Time Expressions: Past, Present & Future Guide
Tagalog has no tenses — it uses aspect. Learn time words, days of the week, clock time, and the aspect system, with vocabulary tables and cultural notes.

Tagalog Root Words: Learn a Few Hundred, Understand Thousands
Tagalog root words unlock vocabulary fast: learn a few hundred and recognize thousands. Real word families, examples, and a practical study strategy.

Is Tagalog Hard to Learn? An Honest Answer
Tagalog takes around 1,100 hours to reach professional proficiency. Here is what is easy, what is hard, and what to expect at 3, 6, and 12 months.