Learn Hardcore Filipino: Mag-ingat kayo sa paglalakbay, at tumawag muna kapag nasa bahay na. - Be careful on the journey, and call first when you are already at home.

Kayo is the second-person plural pronoun (“you all”), and it’s also the polite/formal singular “you” (to an elder, stranger, or someone you respect). So the line can address a group or one person politely.

Informal singular: Mag-ingat ka sa paglalakbay, at tumawag muna kapag nasa bahay ka na.
Polite singular or plural: Mag-ingat po kayo… at tumawag muna…

You can also repeat kayo in the second clause for clarity: Tumawag muna kayo… and/or kapag nasa bahay na kayo.

Is Mag-ingat the same as saying just Ingat?

They convey the same idea (“Take care”), but:

Mag-ingat is the full verbal form, slightly more formal/complete.
Ingat is a very common abbreviated/casual farewell.

Both are fine; choose based on tone.

Why Mag-ingat here and not Mag-iingat?

Both can work, but they differ slightly:

Mag-ingat is a neutral/imperative-sounding “Be careful.”
Mag-iingat is the contemplated/future form, often used for an upcoming action: “Do be careful (in your upcoming travel).” Aspect set for the verb root ingat:
Completed: nag-ingat
Ongoing: nag-iingat
Future/Contemplated: mag-iingat
Base/Imperative: mag-ingat

Why the hyphen in Mag-ingat?

When prefixes like mag-, nag-, pag- attach to a stem that begins with a vowel, Filipino orthography typically uses a hyphen for readability: mag-ingat, nag-aral, pag-alis. You’ll see the hyphen used consistently in careful writing.

What exactly does sa paglalakbay do, and how is paglalakbay formed?

Sa marks the domain/context: “in/on/during.”
Paglalakbay is a verbal noun (gerund) “traveling/journey,” built from root lakbay with pag-
- reduplication: pag
  - lalakbay → paglalakbay. So Mag-ingat kayo sa paglalakbay ≈ “Be careful during the trip.” Colloquial alternatives: sa biyahe (“on the trip”), or a clause: habang naglalakbay (“while traveling”).

Why tumawag and not tawagan or tatawag?

Tumawag is actor-focus (“to call”), perfective/base form; it’s the normal imperative: Tumawag (kayo) = “Call.”
Tawagan is goal-focus, highlighting the person/thing called. Use this if you specify who to call:
- Tawagan ninyo ako = “Call me.”
- Actor-focus variant also works: Tumawag kayo sa akin.
Tatawag is future (“will call”), not the usual imperative form.

Use actor focus when the doer (you) is the topic; use tawagan when the receiver is the topic.

Why is there no kayo in the second clause? Who is supposed to call?

Tagalog is pro-drop: pronouns are often omitted when clear from context. The subject is still “you (kayo).” You can include it for emphasis or clarity:

Tumawag muna kayo kapag nasa bahay na kayo.

What does muna mean, and where should it go?

Muna means “first/for now/before anything else,” and it softens a request. It’s an enclitic that usually appears right after the first content word of the clause.

Natural: Tumawag muna (kayo).
Also natural with politeness: Tumawag muna po kayo or Tumawag po muna kayo.
Unnatural: Muna tumawag… (don’t front it)

What’s the difference between kapag, pag, and kung here?

Kapag = “when/whenever” (neutral/standard).
Example: Kapag nasa bahay na kayo, tumawag.
Pag is the informal contraction of kapag; widely used in speech.
Example: Pag nasa bahay na kayo, tumawag.
Kung = “if/whether” (conditional), not a straightforward “when.”
Example: Kung nasa bahay na kayo, tumawag = “If you’re (already) home, call.”

For past-time “when,” use noong: Noong nasa bahay na kayo, tumawag kayo.

What does na add in nasa bahay na? How is it different from pa?

Na = “already/now,” marking a change of state: nasa bahay na = “already at home.”
Pa = “still/yet”: nasa bahay pa = “still at home” (hasn’t left yet).

They are often contrasted: Wala pa (not yet) vs Meron na (already).

Why nasa bahay na instead of sa bahay na?

Nasa functions like “to be at/in (a place).”

Location/state: nasa bahay (na) = “(already) at home.”
Destination/motion uses sa: Pupunta ako sa bahay = “I will go to the house.” So for a “being-at” state under kapag, use nasa.

Is the comma before at necessary? Could I use tsaka or tapos?

The comma before at is optional; it’s often used when joining two independent clauses.
At = “and” (neutral/formal).
Tsaka / tapos are more colloquial “and then/and after that.”
Example: Mag-ingat kayo sa paglalakbay, tapos tumawag muna… (more casual, slightly sequential).

How do I make the whole sentence more polite?

Add po (polite particle) and keep muna/po close to the verb:

Mag-ingat po kayo sa paglalakbay, at tumawag po muna kayo kapag nasa bahay na po kayo.
Variation: Tumawag muna po kayo… (both po muna and muna po are commonly heard).

How do I say “Call me/us” explicitly?

Specify the recipient:

Tawagan ninyo ako = “Call me.”
Tawagan ninyo kami = “Call us.”
Polite: Tawagan po ninyo ako/kami. Actor-focus alternative: Tumawag kayo sa akin/amin. You can combine with the time clause: Tawagan ninyo ako kapag nasa bahay na kayo.

Is paglalakbay too formal? What are casual alternatives?

Colloquial options:

Ingat sa biyahe (“Take care on the trip.”)
Ingat sa trip (very casual)
Use a clause: Ingat habang naglalakbay. Your full line can be: Ingat kayo sa biyahe, at tumawag muna kapag nasa bahay na.

Any quick pronunciation tips?

Mag-ingat: there’s a slight glottal break before ingat; stress on íngat (MAg-ÍNgat).
Tumawag: stress near the end: tu-ma-WÁG.
Bahay: stress on the first syllable: BÁ-hay.