kunat
kunát with stress marks
chewiness; stingy
Usage Note
Kunat has two distinct uses: as a food descriptor meaning tough or chewy, said of meat or fish, and as a character descriptor meaning stingy or miserly. Context makes the meaning clear, and both senses are common in casual Tagalog conversation.
Examples
" Kunat ang lutong karne. "
Natural Translation
The cooked meat is chewy.
Literal Translation
Chewy the cooked meat.
" Ang karne ay kunat na. "
Natural Translation
The meat is chewy already.
Literal Translation
The meat is chewy already.
" Bukod sa napakakunat ng karne, kunat din pala ang tindera kaya hindi siya nagbigay ng kahit kaunting tawad. "
Natural Translation
Apart from the meat being very chewy, the vendor turned out to be stingy too, so she didn't give even a little discount.
Literal Translation
Aside from very-chewy of-the meat, stingy also it-turns-out the vendor so not she gave of even little discount.
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.
Tagalog Time Expressions: Past, Present & Future Guide
Tagalog has no tenses — it uses aspect. Learn time words, days of the week, clock time, and the aspect system, with vocabulary tables and cultural notes.
Languages of the Philippines: Tagalog, Cebuano, and More
Languages of the Philippines: one national language (Filipino) plus 180+ regional languages. Here's who speaks what, where, and why it matters to you.
Spaced Repetition for Tagalog: How Flashcards Make Words Stick
Cramming Tagalog vocabulary fails. See how spaced repetition — the science behind smart flashcards — makes words stick for the long term.
How to Say "I Love You" in Tagalog: Phrases & Meaning
Learn how to say I love you in Tagalog. Mahal kita, Iniibig kita, and Filipino terms of endearment for partners, family, and friends — with cultural notes.