salpukan

Salpukan is a Filipino noun that denotes a collision or crash, usually referring to two objects or people that strike each other. It is commonly used to describe traffic accidents—two vehicles that collide—but can also refer to a person bumping into another or to forceful contact in sports or crowded situations. The term may be used figuratively to describe a clash of opinions or competing events.

The word is native to Filipino language vocabulary and is related to a idea of forceful contact. It is widely understood in Tagalog and other Philippine languages and appears in news reports, police statements, and everyday conversation. In formal writing, salpukan is often paired with details about cause and consequence, such as location, time, and resulting damage or injuries.

In practice, salpukan can describe different kinds of impact. In traffic reporting, it denotes an unintended impact between vehicles or other moving objects, with severity indicated by accompanying information. In sports, crowds, or workplace contexts, it may describe accidental contact that occurs during movement rather than deliberate aggression. The term is typically used in a neutral or descriptive tone rather than to assign blame.

See also: collision, crash, banggaan.