buwenamano

Tagalog

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish buena mano (“good hand”), due to the supposed good pick or fine hand of the first customer of the day. It is said that the concept originally came from the Sangley Chinese who are believed to be good at running a business.

Pronunciation
  • Hyphenation: bu‧we‧na‧ma‧no
  • IPA(key): /buenaˈmano/, [bʊ.we.nɐˈma.no]

Noun

buwenamano (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜓᜏᜒᜈᜋᜈᜓ)

  1. (business) first customer of the day
  2. (business) first sale of the day

Usage notes

In the Philippines, it is believed that usage of this term invites luck into the business throughout the day, so business owners tend to welcome the first customer with a bigger smile.

See also

Further reading
  • “buwenamano”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila: Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, 2018
  • Dimaculangan, Shelly C. (2017), “Filipino Phrases Borrowed from Spanish that You May Find Amusing”, in Shelly Viajera Travel‎
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