suko
sukô with stress marks
to surrender; give up
Usage Note
Suko is used in both military and everyday contexts: sumuko means to surrender to an authority, while colloquially suko na ako means 'I give up' in the face of frustration. The term carries no shame in casual use but implies definitive defeat in formal or conflict settings.
Examples
" Huwag kang basta sumuko. "
Natural Translation
Don't just give up.
Literal Translation
Don't you just surrender.
" Hindi siya marunong suko sa laban. "
Natural Translation
He/she does not know how to surrender in a fight.
Literal Translation
Not he/she know to surrender in fight.
" Kahit paulit-ulit siyang nabibigo, hindi siya sumusuko sa kanyang pangarap na maging duktor balang araw. "
Natural Translation
Even though he/she fails over and over, he/she doesn't give up on his/her dream of becoming a doctor someday.
Literal Translation
Even repeatedly he/she-being failed, not he/she surrenders on his/her dream [na] become doctor someday.
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 workActor Focus Verbs
Related Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.
Mano Po and Filipino Etiquette: A Visitor's Guide
Mano po presses an elder's hand to your forehead as a blessing. Learn who to mano, how to lip-point, and the etiquette that wins over a Filipino family.
Tagalog Verb Conjugation: Aspects Made Simple
Tagalog verb conjugation uses aspects, not tenses. Learn the three aspects with -um- and mag- verbs, one reduplication rule, and clear example tables.
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 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.