siga
The Tagalog word for thug is siga.
The term siga is used to describe a person who acts like a tough guy or a local hoodlum to intimidate others. It can also refer to someone who is a 'big shot' or someone who carries themselves with an intimidating, street-tough persona.
Meaning: someone who treats others violently or roughly (noun)
Which one should you use?
While siga refers to a person (a tough guy or thug), the reduplicated form siga-siga is used as an adjective to describe someone's behavior or appearance as being thuggish or acting tough.
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe a person's manner or appearance as thuggish, you can use the reduplicated form siga-siga.
Did you know?
- The word siga is believed to be a shortened version of sigarilyo, which is the Tagalog word for 'cigarette'.
Examples in context
- Parang siya'y isang siga.He acts like a thug.
- May nakilala akong siga sa kanto.I met a thug at the corner.
- Huwag kang lalapit sa mga siga.Don't go near the thugs.
- Sinasabihan siyang siga ng mga kapitbahay.The neighbors are calling him a thug.
Example conversation
Mark and Angela are talking about a suspicious person in their neighborhood.
- MarkNakita mo ba ang siga sa tapat ng tindahan?Did you see the thug in front of the store?
- AngelaOo, nakakatakot ang lalaking iyon.Yes, that man is scary.
- MarkMag-ingat tayo dahil baka siga siya.We should be careful because he might be a thug.
- AngelaTama ka, Mark. Iwasan natin siya.You are right, Mark. Let's avoid him.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries siga, CC BY-SA 4.0.
