shabu
shábù with stress marks
an addictive stimulant drug; meth
Usage Note
Shabu is originally a Japanese slang term for methamphetamine hydrochloride that became the standard word for the drug in the Philippines. It carries heavy social stigma and is the focus of major anti-drug campaigns, appearing constantly in news, police reports, and public health discourse.
Examples
" Bawal ang shabu. "
Natural Translation
Shabu is prohibited.
Literal Translation
Prohibited the shabu.
" Sinisingil ng pulis ang mga nagbebenta ng shabu sa kanilang barangay. "
Natural Translation
The police are going after those selling shabu in their barangay.
Literal Translation
Going-after the police the ones-selling of shabu in their barangay.
" Maraming pamilya ang nawasak dahil sa shabu, kaya naglunsad ang pamahalaan ng programa para tulungan ang mga umaasa rito. "
Natural Translation
Many families have been destroyed because of shabu, so the government launched a program to help those who are dependent on it.
Literal Translation
Many families the destroyed because of shabu, so launched the government of program to help the ones-depending on-it.
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.
Filipino Food: 12 Essential Dishes (With Tagalog Names)
Filipino food, from adobo to halo-halo: learn the Tagalog names, pronunciations, and ingredients behind 12 dishes you'll want to try on your first trip.
Ang, Ng, Sa: The 3 Tagalog Case Markers Explained
Ang, ng, sa are the three Tagalog case markers every noun takes. Learn what each does, the personal forms si/ni/kay, plurals with mga, and clear examples.
Tagalog vs Filipino: What's the Difference & Which to Learn
Tagalog and Filipino aren't the same language — but they overlap almost completely. Here's the real difference and which one you should actually learn.
Tagalog Word Order: Sentence Structure Made Simple
Why Tagalog puts the verb first, and how ang, ng, and sa markers work. A clear guide to VSO word order, forming questions, and negation.