Learn Hardcore Filipino: Huwag kalimutan ang pangalan niya, kahit marami ang bisita. - Don't forget her/his name, even if there are many guests.

Huwag is the Tagalog negator used for prohibitions/commands: “don’t” or “do not.” It’s pronounced hu-WAG (two syllables). In casual speech and writing you’ll also see ’Wag, which is just a colloquial shortening of Huwag and is fine in informal contexts.

Why is the verb kalimutan used? How is it different from forms like makalimutan, nakalimutan, or kalimutan mo?

kalimutan is the patient-focus base/infinitive form used in commands: Huwag (mong) kalimutan… = “Don’t forget…”
makalimutan suggests accidentally/unintentionally forgetting: Baka makalimutan mo = “You might (accidentally) forget.”
nakalimutan is perfective/completed: Nakalimutan ko = “I forgot.”
kalimutan mo is a declarative/imperative with the actor after the verb: Kalimutan mo ito = “Forget this.” With huwag, though, the pronoun typically cliticizes to huwag: prefer Huwag mong kalimutan, not “Huwag kalimutan mo.”

Where is the “you” subject? Shouldn’t it be Huwag mong kalimutan?

Tagalog often drops the actor in imperatives; Huwag kalimutan… implies “you (sing.) don’t forget….” For explicitness:

Singular/informal: Huwag mong kalimutan…
Plural/formal: Huwag ninyong kalimutan…
Inclusive “let’s not”: Huwag nating kalimutan… Note: Avoid Huwag kalimutan mo…; the clitic pronoun (e.g., mo) normally attaches earlier: Huwag mo(ng) kalimutan…. You’ll hear Huwag mo kalimutan in speech; Huwag mong kalimutan is the most standard.

What is ang doing in ang pangalan niya after a verb? Isn’t ang a subject marker?

In Tagalog, the ang-phrase marks the clause’s topic/pivot, which can be the patient (the thing affected) when the verb is in patient voice. With kalimutan (patient focus), the thing not to be forgotten is the ang-marked phrase:

Huwag (mong) kalimutan ang pangalan niya = “Don’t forget his/her name.” Here, ang pangalan niya is the patient/pivot. Use si only for personal names (e.g., si Maria), and ng to mark non-pivot actors or non-specific objects.

What’s the difference between niya, kanya/kaniyang, and siya?

siya = “he/she” as the subject/pivot: Siya ay masaya (“He/She is happy.”).
niya = “his/her” (genitive) used to mark possession or an agent of a patient-focus verb: ang pangalan niya (“his/her name”).
kanya/kaniyang = “his/hers” possessive form that can stand alone or modify a noun:
- Standalone: Ito ay kanya (“This is his/hers”).
- Before a noun (with linker): ang kaniyang/kanyang pangalan (“his/her name”).
  In your sentence, ang pangalan niya and ang kaniyang/kanyang pangalan mean the same thing; the former is slightly more neutral/colloquial.

Is niya gendered? How do I say specifically “his” or “her”?

Tagalog third-person pronouns are gender-neutral. niya = “his/her.” To specify gender, name or describe the person:

Huwag kalimutan ang pangalan ni Maria (“Don’t forget Maria’s name.”)
Huwag kalimutan ang pangalan ng lalaking iyon (“…the name of that man”).

Could this sentence also mean “Don’t let him/her forget his/her own name”?

As written, the most natural reading is “Don’t forget his/her name” (you = implied actor; name = patient). To say “Don’t let him/her forget (his/her own) name,” make the third person the actor:

Huwag niyang kalimutan ang sarili niyang pangalan.
Here, niya is the actor (he/she), and sarili niyang pangalan makes it clear it’s their own name.

What does kahit mean here? Is kahit na different?

kahit means “even if/even though/although.” kahit na is a slightly more emphatic variant; both are fine:

…kahit marami ang bisita.
…kahit na marami ang bisita. You can also say: …kahit maraming bisita. All mean “even though there are many guests.”

Why is it marami ang bisita and not pluralized with mga?

Quantifiers like marami (“many”) already signal plurality. You’ll hear:

kahit marami ang bisita (equational: “the guests are many”)
kahit maraming bisita (modifier + noun: “even with many guests”) Using mga is possible but not necessary: kahit marami ang mga bisita is grammatical but often feels heavier or more specific.

Can I move parts around, like putting the kahit clause first or fronting the object?

Yes:

Kahit (na) marami ang bisita, huwag (mong) kalimutan ang pangalan niya.
For emphasis on the name: Ang pangalan niya, huwag (mong) kalimutan.
Tagalog is flexible with order; just keep clitics (like mo, pa, na, rin/din, ba) immediately after the first word of the clause (often after Huwag).

Is it okay to say Huwag kalimutan yung pangalan niya?

Yes, in casual speech yung (from iyong) commonly replaces ang: Huwag kalimutan yung pangalan niya. For formal or written Filipino, ang is preferred.

How do I say this to more than one person, or politely?

Use the plural/respect form ninyo:

Huwag ninyong kalimutan ang pangalan niya, kahit marami ang bisita. If addressing a group including yourself (inclusive “we”), use nating:
Huwag nating kalimutan…

Where do little words like pa, na, ba, rin/din, lang, muna go?

These clitics usually go right after the first word of the clause (here, after Huwag), then the actor pronoun:

Huwag pa ninyong kalimutan ang pangalan niya.
Huwag mo na ring kalimutan ang pangalan niya.
Huwag mo munang kalimutan… Order can vary slightly, but a common cluster ordering is: negator/first word + clitics (pa/na/ba/rin/din/lang/muna) + actor pronoun (ko/mo/niya…) + verb.

Is there a difference between marami ang bisita and maraming bisita?

Slight nuance:

marami ang bisita frames it as an equational statement (“the guests are many”), slightly more definite.
maraming bisita is a straightforward “many guests,” often more colloquial/flowing inside longer sentences. Both are fine after kahit.

How are the key words pronounced and stressed?

Huwag: hu-WAG
kalimutan: ka-li-MU-tan (stress on MU)
pangalan: pa-NGA-lan (stress on NGA)
kahit: KA-hit (both vowels pronounced)
bisita: bi-SI-ta (stress on SI)