Skip to content

selda

sélda with stress marks

cell; prison cell

noun SEL-da Spanish origin Less Common

Usage Note

Selda is the standard Tagalog word for a prison cell or detention room. It is used in news reporting, legal contexts, and everyday conversation when discussing incarceration. The phrase 'nakukulong sa selda' (locked inside a cell) is common in crime reporting.

Examples

Beginner

" Nasa selda ang preso. "

Natural Translation

The prisoner is in the cell.

Literal Translation

In-the cell the prisoner.

Intermediate

" Maliit ang selda kung saan siya nakakulong. "

Natural Translation

The prison cell where he/she is locked is small.

Literal Translation

Small the cell where he/she locked.

Advanced

" Matapos hatulan ng korte, dinala agad ang lalaki sa isang masikip na selda kasama ang ibang bilanggo. "

Natural Translation

After being sentenced by the court, the man was immediately taken to a cramped cell together with the other inmates.

Literal Translation

After sentenced by-the court, taken immediately the man to a cramped cell with the other prisoners.

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

Explore Tagalog by topic

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