Learn Hardcore Filipino: Huwag kalimutang dalhin ang tsinelas kapag lalabas ka sa kalsada. - Don’t forget to bring your slippers when you go out to the street.

It makes a negative command: “don’t.” Use Huwag + verb/verb phrase to tell someone not to do something. Casual spelling 'Wag is common in speech, but Huwag is the standard form. You can add politeness with po (e.g., Huwag po…).

Why is it kalimutang (with a final g) and not kalimutan?

The final -g is the linker (the “ligature”) that connects kalimutan to the next word/phrase (dalhin ang tsinelas). After a word ending in -n, the linker shows up as -g, hence kalimutang dalhin. It’s equivalent to saying kalimutan na dalhin (“forget to bring”), but the linked form is smoother.

Could I just say Huwag kalimutan ang tsinelas?

Yes. Huwag kalimutan ang tsinelas means “Don’t forget the slippers.” The original adds dalhin to make it explicit that the thing not to forget is bringing them. Without dalhin, it could mean “don’t forget (about) the slippers,” which may rely on context.

Why use dalhin instead of magdala?

Dalhin is patient/object-focused; the thing being brought (ang tsinelas) is the grammatical subject.
- Example: Huwag kalimutang dalhin ang tsinelas…
Magdala is actor-focused; the doer is the subject, and the thing is an object marked by ng.
- Example: Huwag kalimutang magdala ng tsinelas… Both are correct; choose based on what you want to emphasize (the item vs. the action).

What exactly does dalhin mean, and why is there an h?

Dalhin is the “-in” form of the root dala (“carry/bring”). Many roots ending in a vowel take -hin for the “-in” form for smoother pronunciation: basa → basahin, dala → dalhin. Note that there are exceptions (e.g., kuha → kunin, not “kuhain”).

Where is “you” in the first clause? Should it be Huwag mong kalimutang…?

The sentence is fine as-is, but many speakers would add the agent pronoun:

Huwag mong kalimutang dalhin… (explicitly marks “you” as the one who might forget) Here, mong = mo + -ng (linker) attached to the verb phrase. The ka later in kapag lalabas ka is in a different clause (“when you go out”), so adding mo makes the first clause explicit.

Do I need to say “your slippers” (tsinelas mo)?

Not necessarily. Ang tsinelas often implies “your slippers” from context. If you want to be explicit, say ang tsinelas mo or ang iyong tsinelas:

Huwag mong kalimutang dalhin ang tsinelas mo…

Why is it lalabas and not lumabas?

Lalabas is the contemplated/future (or habitual) form of the -um- verb lumabas (“to go out”). With kapag (“when/whenever”), Tagalog typically uses the future/habitual form:

Kapag lalabas ka… = “When/whenever you go out…” Use lumabas (completed) with a past-time marker: Noong lumabas ka… (“When you went out…”).

Can I use kung instead of kapag? What about pag?

Kapag = “when/whenever” (time condition).
Pag is the common shortened form of kapag.
Kung = “if” (conditional). Some speakers use kung as “when” colloquially, but to be clear and standard, use kapag/pag for “when.”

Why is ka after the verb in kapag lalabas ka? Can I say kapag ka lalabas?

In verb-initial clauses, ka follows the verb: lalabas ka. Kapag ka lalabas is ungrammatical in standard usage. A more formal/topic-fronted alternative is Kapag ikaw ay lalabas.

Is tsinelas singular or plural in Filipino?

Tsinelas usually refers to a pair (like “slippers/flip-flops”) and doesn’t need mga. Use mga tsinelas only if you mean multiple pairs.

What does sa do in sa kalsada, and could I say something else?

Sa marks location: sa kalsada = “on/into the street/road.” Alternatives:

sa kalye (street), sa daan (road/way), sa labas (outside, more general). Example nuance: lumabas ng bahay (“go out of the house,” source) vs. lumabas sa kalsada (“go out to the street,” destination).

How do I make the sentence more polite or formal?

Use po and the respectful second person plural (kayo/ninyo):

Huwag po ninyong kalimutang dalhin ang tsinelas kapag lalabas po kayo sa kalsada.

Can I use Hindi instead of Huwag for “don’t…”?

No. Hindi negates statements (e.g., Hindi ko alam = “I don’t know”). Huwag negates commands and suggestions (e.g., Huwag kalimutan = “Don’t forget”).

Where do little particles like na, pa, or lang go if I want nuances like “anymore/already,” “yet,” or “just”?

These enclitics usually appear right after the first element of the clause. Common, natural placements here:

Huwag mo nang kalimutang dalhin… (“Don’t forget to bring anymore/already” → often used as a gentle reminder: “Now, don’t forget to bring…”)
Huwag mo pa ring kalimutang dalhin… (“Still don’t forget to bring…”—less common but possible in context)
Huwag mo na lang kalimutang dalhin… (“Just don’t forget to bring…”) Keep them close to Huwag mo and before the verb phrase.