Learn Hardcore Filipino: Pwede ba nating dalhin ang kanin at ulam sa sala? - Can we bring the rice and viand to the living room?

ba turns the sentence into a yes–no question.
It normally appears right after the first word or first prosodic unit of the predicate. Here the predicate starts with pwede, so the correct placement is Pwede ba ….
Putting ba later (e.g., Pwede nating ba dalhin …) is ungrammatical.
Compare: Pwede ba tayong umupo dito?; Nandito ba si Ana?

Why is it nating and not natin (and what about namin)?

natin means “we/our (inclusive of the listener),” while namin means “we/our (exclusive of the listener).”
In this construction with a modal-like word (pwede, gusto, kailangan, etc.), the agent is a genitive pronoun that links to the following verb using the linker -ng, hence:
- natin + -ng → nating (we-inclusive)
- namin + -ng → naming (we-exclusive)
So:
- Pwede ba nating dalhin … = “Can we (including you) bring …?”
- Pwede ba naming dalhin … = “Can we (not including you) bring …?”
The same linker shows up with other genitive pronouns:
- ko → kong, mo → mong, niya → niyang, natin → nating, namin → naming, nila → nilang

Why is the verb dalhin used instead of magdala?

dalhin is the object-focused (patient-focused) form built from the root dala (“to bring/carry”). It highlights the thing being brought.
magdala is actor-focused and highlights the doer.
Consequences:
- Object focus: Pwede ba nating dalhin ang kanin at ulam sa sala? (the specific rice and viand are in focus; they take ang)
- Actor focus: Pwede ba tayong magdala ng kanin at ulam sa sala? (the doer “we” is in focus; the things brought are marked with ng, often less specific/definite)

How is dalhin formed from dala? Why not something like “dalin”?

It’s the root dala plus the patient-focus suffix spelled -hin here: dala + -hin → dalhin.
Many vowel-final roots take -hin in their patient-focus form: e.g., bili → bilhin, sabi → sabihin, dala → dalhin. There are exceptions (e.g., pili → piliin), so it’s best to learn the common patterns case by case.

What does ang do before kanin at ulam?

ang marks the focused topic of the clause. In an object-focused sentence like this, the object (“the rice and viand”) is the ang-phrase.
That’s why you see ang kanin at ulam with dalhin (object focus). With magdala (actor focus), those nouns would normally be ng: magdala ng kanin at ulam.

Do I need to repeat ang before both nouns: ang kanin at ang ulam?

Both are correct:
- ang kanin at ulam (one coordinated ang-phrase; neutral)
- ang kanin at ang ulam (repeats ang for slight emphasis on each item separately)
In everyday speech, using ang only once before a list is very common.

Why is it sa sala? Does sa mean both “to” and “in/at”?

sa is a general locative marker that can mean “to,” “in,” or “at,” depending on context.
With motion verbs like dalhin, sa sala is naturally understood as “to the living room.”
With stative contexts, sa sala can mean “in/at the living room.” Context disambiguates.

Where would I put po to make this polite?

The most common placement is: Pwede po ba nating dalhin ang kanin at ulam sa sala?
You’ll also hear: Pwede po bang dalhin natin ang kanin at ulam sa sala?
In practice, po sits early in the clause, and when combined with ba, the sequence po ba is very natural.

Can I say Pwede bang dalhin natin …? Is there any difference from Pwede ba nating dalhin …?

Both are grammatical and mean the same thing.
Pwede ba nating dalhin … is the highly conventional pattern with modals + linker.
Pwede bang dalhin natin … front-loads the action (dalhin) and then states the agent (natin) after it; it’s also idiomatic.

Can I omit the agent and say Pwede bang dalhin ang kanin at ulam sa sala?

Yes. That leaves the agent implicit (generic “someone/one/people”). It reads like “Is it okay for the rice and viand to be brought to the living room?”
If you specifically mean “we,” keep nating or naming for clarity.

Is pwede the same as puwede and how does maaari compare?

puwede is the standard spelling; pwede is very common in informal writing. Both are pronounced the same.
maaari is a more formal/Filipino equivalent of “may/can (be allowed),” and you can say: Maaari ba nating dalhin …
For ability (not permission), use kaya: Kaya ba nating dalhin … (“Are we able to bring …?”).

Could I use yung instead of ang here?

In casual speech, yes: Pwede ba nating dalhin yung kanin at ulam sa sala?
yung is the colloquial form of iyong and often substitutes for ang in conversation. In formal writing, prefer ang.