Learn Hardcore Filipino: Hintayin natin ang pamilya sa bahay mamaya. - Let us wait for the family at home later.

hintayin is patient-focus (object-focus): “to wait for [someone/something].” The thing waited for is the ang-marked subject (here: ang pamilya), and the doer is in genitive form (here: natin).
maghintay is actor-focus: “to wait.” The doer is the ang-marked subject (e.g., tayo), and the thing waited for, if mentioned, is usually ng-marked. Examples:
Hintayin natin ang pamilya. Let’s wait for the family. (Patient-focus; highlights the family.)
Maghintay tayo ng pamilya. Let’s wait for a/the family. (Actor-focus; can sound less specific and can be ambiguous near a location phrase like sa bahay.)

Is hintayin a command, or does it mean future tense?

In this sentence, hintayin functions as a hortative/imperative: “Let’s wait for…”. If you want plain future, use the contemplated aspect:

Completed: Hinintay natin ang pamilya. We waited for the family.
Ongoing: Hinihintay natin ang pamilya. We are waiting for the family.
Contemplated (future): Hihintayin natin ang pamilya. We will wait for the family.
Imperative/hortative: Hintayin natin ang pamilya. Let’s wait for the family.

Why is it natin and not tayo or namin?

natin is a genitive (agent) pronoun used with patient-focus verbs like hintayin. It’s inclusive “we” (includes the person addressed).
tayo is nominative (subject) and fits actor-focus verbs like maghintay: Maghintay tayo…
namin is exclusive “we” (does not include the person addressed): Hintayin namin ang pamilya… = “We (not you) will wait for the family…”

What does ang mark in ang pamilya?

With patient-focus (hintayin), ang marks the subject/patient—the thing being acted upon. Here, ang pamilya is the one being waited for. Meanwhile, the doer (“we”) appears as natin (genitive), and the location is marked by sa (sa bahay).

Why can’t I say Hintayin tayo ang pamilya?

Because in patient-focus, the doer is not the ang-phrase. The ang-phrase is the patient (here, ang pamilya). The doer must be genitive (natin, ko, mo, etc.), so the correct form is Hintayin natin ang pamilya. If you want tayo as subject, switch to actor-focus: Maghintay tayo…

Can I use antayin instead of hintayin?

Yes. Antayin (from root antay) and hintayin (from root hintay) are both common and understood. Your sentence can be Antayin natin ang pamilya sa bahay mamaya with no change in meaning.

Can I use abangan here?

Generally no. Abangan means “watch out for / look forward to / stay tuned for,” as in Abangan ang susunod na kabanata. For physically waiting for someone, hintayin/antayin or maghintay is natural.

Can I move mamaya or sa bahay to other positions?

Yes. Common, natural options:

Mamaya, hintayin natin ang pamilya sa bahay.
Sa bahay, hintayin natin ang pamilya mamaya. Time and place phrases are flexible. Just note that enclitics like na lang, muna, po, pa, rin/din, nga typically come right after the first element:
Hintayin muna natin ang pamilya sa bahay. (not “Hintayin natin muna…”)

Why is it sa bahay and not ng bahay?

sa marks location (“at/in”), so sa bahay = “at home/at the house.” ng bahay means “of the house,” which would indicate possession, not location. Example: sa bahay ng pamilya = “at the family’s house.”

Is pamilya singular or plural here? Do verbs agree in number?

pamilya is treated as a singular noun referring to a group. Verbs in Filipino don’t change for number anyway. For multiple families, use mga: ang mga pamilya.

Hintayin natin ang mga pamilya sa bahay mamaya. (Let’s wait for the families at home later.)

How do I make it negative (Let’s not wait…)?

Use huwag plus the genitive actor (with linker) before the verb:

Huwag nating hintayin ang pamilya sa bahay mamaya. You can also use actor-focus:
Huwag tayong maghintay sa bahay para sa pamilya mamaya.

How do I say it as a plain future statement (not a suggestion)?

Use the contemplated aspect:

Hihintayin natin ang pamilya sa bahay mamaya. We (including you) will wait for the family at home later. Exclusive “we”:
Hihintayin namin ang pamilya sa bahay mamaya.

If I want to emphasize the location, what are good options?

Sa bahay natin hintayin ang pamilya mamaya. (Fronted location with patient-focus.)
Actor-focus rewording for location emphasis: Sa bahay tayo maghihintay ng pamilya mamaya.

Where do politeness markers like po go?

They follow the first element of the clause:

Hintayin po natin ang pamilya sa bahay mamaya.
With another enclitic: Hintayin na lang po natin ang pamilya sa bahay mamaya.

How do I say “at our house” specifically?

Use a possessive with the location:

Inclusive: sa bahay natin or sa ating bahay
Exclusive: sa bahay namin or sa aming bahay Example: Hintayin natin ang pamilya sa bahay natin mamaya.

Can I switch to actor-focus and still say “wait for the family”?

Yes, but watch for ambiguity near bahay:

Maghihintay tayo ng pamilya sa bahay mamaya. (Actor-focus; “wait for the family.”) Because ng pamilya can be read as attaching to bahay (“the family’s house”), many speakers add spacing or re-order, or even use para sa in conversation:
Maghihintay tayo sa bahay para sa pamilya mamaya. (Colloquial; clear meaning even if not the most textbook for “wait for.”)

How do I strongly highlight that the family is the one we’ll wait for?

Use a cleft-like structure:

Ang pamilya ang hihintayin natin sa bahay mamaya. This fronting makes “the family” the clear focus.