Learn Hardcore Filipino: Dalhin mo ang kutsara, tinidor, at plato sa lamesa. - Bring the spoon, fork, and plate to the table.

Dalhin mo is patient-focus (object-focus): the things are the focus (marked by ang), and the doer is expressed by the genitive pronoun mo.
Magdala ka is actor-focus: the doer (ka) is the subject, and the thing is usually an ng-phrase and often indefinite.

Compare:

Dalhin mo ang plato. (Bring that specific plate.)
Magdala ka ng plato. (Bring a/any plate.)

What does the -hin in dalhin do?

-hin is a variant of the -in suffix that forms patient-focus verbs, typically used with vowel-final roots and inserting an h. Root dala + -in → dalhin “to bring something.” Other examples:

basa → basahin “to read something”
luto → lutuin “to cook something”

Why is it mo and not ka?

With patient-focus verbs like dalhin, the actor/doer takes the genitive form (ko, mo, niya, namin, ninyo, nila). Hence mo. With actor-focus verbs (e.g., magdala), the actor is nominative (ako, ka/ikaw, siya, kami, kayo, sila), hence ka in Magdala ka.

Why is ang written only once before the list?

In coordinated noun phrases, a single ang can cover the whole list: ang kutsara, tinidor, at plato. You can repeat ang for each item (ang kutsara, ang tinidor, at ang plato) for emphasis or clarity, but it’s not required.

Do I need mga to mean more than one of each item?

Yes. Without mga, each listed noun is interpreted as singular (one spoon, one fork, one plate). For plurals:

Whole set pluralized: ang mga kutsara, tinidor, at plato (commonly understood as “spoons, forks, and plates”).
Or explicitly repeat: ang mga kutsara, mga tinidor, at mga plato.

What does sa in sa lamesa express?

Sa marks location or direction. Sa lamesa can mean “to/at/on the table,” depending on context. It’s a general oblique marker for place.

If I want to be explicit about placement (on, next to, etc.), how do I say it?

Specify the relational phrase:

“on (top of) the table”: sa ibabaw ng lamesa
“next to the table”: sa tabi ng lamesa
“onto the table” (movement): you can keep dalhin and add the specific phrase, e.g., dalhin mo … sa ibabaw ng lamesa.
If the focus is the act of putting down, use ilagay: Ilagay mo … sa ibabaw ng lamesa.

Can I put the destination first for emphasis?

Yes. Fronting the location is natural for emphasis: Sa lamesa, dalhin mo ang kutsara, tinidor, at plato. The meaning stays the same; you’re just highlighting the destination.

How do I address more than one person?

Use the plural second-person genitive ninyo:

Dalhin ninyo ang kutsara, tinidor, at plato sa lamesa. In casual writing, n’yo is common.

How do I make the request more polite?

Add po: Dalhin mo po ang … sa lamesa.
Use paki- “please (do X)”: Pakidala mo ang … sa lamesa. (You’ll also hear Paki-dalhin, but pakidala is very common.)
Or use a softener: Puwede bang dalhin mo ang … sa lamesa?

How do I make it a negative command?

Use huwag plus the appropriate pronoun:

Huwag mong dalhin ang kutsara, tinidor, at plato sa lamesa. For plural addressees:
Huwag ninyong dalhin …

Can I drop mo?

If you drop the actor (mo), the command becomes less directed and can sound like a general instruction: Dalhin ang kutsara, tinidor, at plato sa lamesa. In real conversation, you typically keep mo (or ninyo) unless context already makes the addressee obvious, or you use paki-: Pakidala ang …

Is lamesa the same as mesa?

Yes, both are widely used and understood. Lamesa (from Spanish “la mesa”) is very common colloquially; mesa can feel a bit more formal or dictionary-like. Either is fine.

Is the comma before at required?

No. The serial comma is usually omitted in Filipino. Both are acceptable:

kutsara, tinidor at plato (more common)
kutsara, tinidor, at plato (also fine)

Could I use ilagay instead of dalhin?

Yes, but the nuance changes:

Dalhin focuses on bringing/carrying the items to a destination.
Ilagay focuses on placing/putting them down at a location: Ilagay mo ang kutsara, tinidor, at plato sa lamesa.
Often you’ll hear both in sequence: bring them, then put them down.

Are there near-synonyms of dalhin I should know?

Bitbitin: to carry (typically by hand/under the arm); more about the manner of carrying.
Ihatid/Dalhin (someone): to bring/escort a person to a place.
Iabot: to hand something to someone. Choose based on the action you want to emphasize.