tsonggo
tsónggo with stress marks
monkey
Also means
Tsonggo is also used colloquially as a mild insult meaning a silly or ridiculous person.
Usage Note
Tsonggo is the everyday Tagalog word for monkey and is also used figuratively to describe someone behaving foolishly or acting up. In some regional languages it refers specifically to macaques, the native primates found in Philippine forests.
Examples
" May tsonggo sa zoo. "
Natural Translation
There is a monkey at the zoo.
Literal Translation
Has monkey at zoo.
" May tsonggo sa puno ng saging. "
Natural Translation
There is a monkey in the banana tree.
Literal Translation
Has monkey in tree of banana.
" Parang tsonggo ang mga batang sunud-sunod na umaakyat sa mga puno habang naghahabulan sa likod-bahay. "
Natural Translation
The children were like monkeys, climbing the trees one after another while chasing each other in the backyard.
Literal Translation
Like monkey the children that one-after-another climbing on the trees while chasing in backyard.
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