Learn Hardcore Filipino: Sa tindahan, huminto kami sandali bago magsimula ang laro. - At the store, we stopped for a moment before the game started.

Sa marks a general location or direction (roughly “at/in/to”). Sa tindahan means “at the store.” You can also put it later: Huminto kami sandali sa tindahan... Both are fine.

Why is Sa tindahan placed at the beginning, and is the comma required?

Fronting Sa tindahan sets the scene (location) first, which is common in Filipino. The comma simply marks that fronted phrase; it’s stylistic, not mandatory. You could also say:

Huminto kami sandali sa tindahan bago magsimula ang laro.
More formal: Sa tindahan ay huminto kami sandali...

What aspect is huminto, and how would I change it for other times/aspects?

Huminto is the completed/perfective form of the -um- verb from the root hinto (“to stop”).

Completed/past: huminto (We stopped)
Incomplete/progressive/habitual: humihinto (We stop/are stopping)
Contemplated/future: hihinto (We will stop) Examples:
Habitual: Humihinto kami sandali bago magsimula ang laro.
Future: Hihinto kami sandali bago magsimula ang laro.

Why kami and not tayo?

Kami = “we (excluding you, the listener).”
Tayo = “we (including you).”
So if you’re including the person you’re talking to, say: Huminto tayo sandali...

Why isn’t there ang before kami?

Personal pronouns like ako/ikaw/siya/kami/tayo/kayo/sila already function as “ang-marked” subjects and do not take ang. With common nouns, you use ang (e.g., ang laro), and with proper names, si/sina (e.g., Si Ana).

What does sandali mean here, and are there alternatives?

Sandali means “for a moment/briefly.” Common variants:

sandali lang (just a moment)
isang sandali (one moment)
Synonym: saglit (e.g., Huminto kami saglit...) All are natural.

Should there be nang before sandali (as in nang sandali)?

You may add nang to mark an adverbial measure: Huminto kami nang sandali. It’s acceptable and a bit more formal. Everyday speech often omits it: Huminto kami sandali and Huminto kami sandali lang are very natural.

Could I use tumigil instead of huminto?

Yes. Huminto and tumigil often overlap (“stop”). Subtle tendencies:

Huminto commonly describes stopping movement or an ongoing action: Huminto ang kotse.
Tumigil also works for stopping an activity: Tumigil ka sa pag-ingay. In your sentence, both are fine: Huminto/Tumigil kami sandali...

Does bago mean “before” or “new”? How do I tell?

Context decides:

bago = “before” as a conjunction/preposition: bago magsimula ang laro (before the game starts)
bago/bagong = “new” as an adjective with linker: bagong laro (new game) Compare: bago ang laro (before the game) vs bagong laro (a new game).

Why is it bago magsimula ang laro and not bago nagsimula/magsisimula ang laro?

After bago, Filipino often uses the uninflected/infinitive-like form to express a general “before X happens” idea: bago magsimula ang laro. You can use aspect-marked forms for specific timing:

Past context: bago nagsimula ang laro (before the game started)
Future context: bago magsisimula ang laro (before the game will start), though the infinitive-like magsimula is more idiomatic in many cases.

Why does the subject ang laro come after magsimula?

Predicate-initial order is typical in Filipino. The verb/predicate (magsimula) often comes first, followed by the ang-marked subject (ang laro). A more formal inversion is possible: Ang laro ay magsisimula, but in your sentence’s subordinate clause, magsimula ang laro is the natural pattern.

Could I say bago kami magsimula instead? What changes?

Yes, but it changes the subject of “start”:

bago magsimula ang laro = “before the game starts” (the game is the subject)
bago kami magsimula = “before we start” (we are the subject) Use whichever matches who/what is doing the starting. If you mean “before we start the game,” options include:
bago kami magsimulang maglaro
bago kami mag-umpisa

Is magsimula the only verb I can use? What about mag-umpisa?

Magsimula and mag-umpisa are near-synonyms (“to start/begin”). Both are common:

bago magsimula ang laro
bago mag-umpisa ang laro

Why is it ang laro and not yung laro?

Ang is the standard definite marker in neutral/formal Filipino. Yung (from iyong) is very common in colloquial speech. In writing or neutral style, ang is preferred:

Neutral/formal: ang laro
Colloquial: yung laro