puhunan
puhúnan with stress marks
capital; investment
Usage Note
Puhunan refers to the initial capital or resources used to start a business, such as a sari-sari store. It is a fundamental concept in Filipino daily life, often used when discussing the funds needed to sustain a small-scale livelihood or market trade.
Examples
" Wala kaming puhunan ngayon. "
Natural Translation
We have no capital right now.
Literal Translation
None we capital now.
" Kailangan ng puhunan sa negosyo. "
Natural Translation
Capital is needed for the business.
Literal Translation
Need of capital in business.
" Bago magbukas ng sari-sari store, nag-ipon muna sila ng sapat na puhunan para hindi malugi agad. "
Natural Translation
Before opening a sari-sari store, they first saved up enough capital so they wouldn't go bankrupt right away.
Literal Translation
Before to-open of sari-sari store, saved first they of enough capital so not go-bankrupt right-away.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workDerived Words
Actor Focus Verbs
Object Focus Verbs
Related 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.

May vs Mayroon vs Meron: Have & There Is
May vs mayroon in Tagalog finally made simple: one rule decides which to use, plus how meron and wala fit the same have and there-is family.

Tagalog vs Filipino: What's the Difference & Which to Learn
Tagalog and Filipino aren't the same language — but they overlap almost completely. Here's the real difference and which one you should actually learn.

Philippines Geography for Learners: Islands & Language
Philippines geography for Tagalog learners: 7,641 islands, three island groups, and the Southern Luzon heartland where the Tagalog language was born.