Skip to content

saway

sáway with stress marks

to reprimand or reproach

verb SA-way Native origin Less Common

Usage Note

Saway implies corrective speech — telling someone they are wrong or misbehaving. It is frequently used in family or authority contexts where an elder or superior corrects behavior. Unlike pagalitan (to scold angrily), saway can be firm but measured.

Examples

Beginner

" Huwag mong sawayin ang bata. "

Natural Translation

Don't reprimand the child.

Literal Translation

Don't you reprimand the child.

Intermediate

" Hindi siya nakikinig sa saway. "

Natural Translation

He/She does not listen to the reprimand.

Literal Translation

Not he/she listening to reprimand.

Advanced

" Bagaman mabait ang lola, hindi siya nagdadalawang-isip na sawayin ang mga apo kapag bastos. "

Natural Translation

Although the grandmother is kind, she does not hesitate to reprimand her grandchildren when they are rude.

Literal Translation

Although kind the grandmother, not she having-second-thoughts to reprimand the grandchildren when rude.

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

Actor Focus Verbs

Object Focus Verbs

Explore Tagalog by topic

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