sinauna
sinaunâ with stress marks
ancient; archaic
From root: una
Usage Note
Sinauna (from 'una', meaning first or before) refers to things belonging to a remote past — ancient civilizations, old customs, or archaic language. It is common in academic, historical, and cultural discussions about pre-colonial Philippine society.
Examples
" Sinauna ang kuwentong ito. "
Natural Translation
This story is ancient.
Literal Translation
Ancient the story this.
" Maganda ang sinauna niyang damit. "
Natural Translation
His/her ancient clothes are beautiful.
Literal Translation
Beautiful the ancient his/her clothes.
" Ipinakita ng museo ang mga sinaunang kasangkapan na ginamit ng ating mga ninuno bago dumating ang mga Espanyol. "
Natural Translation
The museum displayed the ancient tools that our ancestors used before the Spaniards arrived.
Literal Translation
Showed the museum the ancient tools that used of our ancestors before arrived the Spaniards.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workWord family
una has 8 related forms built from the same root.
Related Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.

How Long Does It Take to Learn Tagalog?
Survival Tagalog takes ~3-4 weeks and comfortable conversation 6-12 months. FSI's 1,100 hours is the professional bar, not the talking-to-family bar.

Tagalog Numbers 1-100: Counting, Time & Money Explained
Learn Tagalog numbers 1-100 and beyond. Master both native and Spanish-derived counting systems, plus telling time, reading prices, and ordinals.

Tagalog Verb Conjugation: Aspects Made Simple
Tagalog verb conjugation uses aspects, not tenses. Learn the three aspects with -um- and mag- verbs, one reduplication rule, and clear example tables.

Tagalog Greetings: How to Say Hello, Goodbye & Po/Opo
Master Tagalog greetings with pronunciation: kumusta, magandang umaga, po and opo polite forms, time-of-day phrases, and the mano po tradition.