Maghintay ka nang kaunti bago tayo umalis.

Yes. Maghintay is a command form meaning wait.

It comes from the root hintay (wait) with the prefix mag-. In this sentence, Maghintay ka means You wait or more naturally in English, Wait.

In Filipino, commands are often formed with a verb first, so starting the sentence with Maghintay is completely normal.

Ka means you (singular).

So:

• Maghintay = wait
• Maghintay ka = you wait / wait

Filipino pronouns often appear after the verb, especially in simple commands and statements. That is why it is Maghintay ka, not Ka maghintay.

This is a very common question.

In Maghintay ka nang kaunti, nang is used because it helps form an adverbial expression meaning a little, for a bit, or for a short while. It modifies the action maghintay.

So:

• nang kaunti = a little / for a bit

A useful way to think about it is:

• ng often marks a direct object or shows possession
• nang often links or marks adverbial expressions, especially ones that describe how, to what extent, or for how long an action happens

In everyday writing, many native speakers mix up ng and nang, but in careful grammar, nang kaunti is the expected form here.

Kaunti means a little, a small amount, or a short while, depending on context.

In this sentence, because it goes with maghintay, it means something like:

• wait a little
• wait a bit
• wait for a while

So it is not about a physical quantity here; it describes the extent or duration of the waiting.

Yes. A very common alternative is:

Maghintay ka sandali.

That also means Wait a moment or Wait a bit.

The difference is roughly this:

• kaunti = a little / a bit
• sandali = a moment

Both are natural, but sandali is often especially common when asking someone to wait briefly.

Bago means before here.

It connects the first action and the second action:

• Maghintay ka nang kaunti = wait a little
• bago tayo umalis = before we leave

So bago introduces the event that comes later.

Because tayo means we, including you, while kami means we, excluding you.

That distinction is very important in Filipino.

So:

• tayo = we including the person being spoken to
• kami = we not including the person being spoken to

Since the speaker says bago tayo umalis, the speaker includes the listener in the leaving: before we leave.

If the listener were not going with them, kami would be used instead.

Umalis comes from the root alis (leave) with -um-.

In Filipino, this form can serve as the basic/infinitive-like form of the verb, and in some contexts it can also look the same as a completed form. Here, after bago, it is understood as leave in the sense of before we leave.

So in this sentence, it is best understood as part of the clause:

• tayo umalis = we leave
• bago tayo umalis = before we leave

The exact time reference is understood from the whole sentence.

Filipino does not always need a separate word like will to show future meaning.

Time is often understood from:

• the context
• time words
• conjunctions like bago

In bago tayo umalis, the meaning is naturally future relative to the first action: first we wait a little, then we leave.

So even without a separate word meaning will, the sentence still clearly means before we leave.

Because Filipino often puts the verb first.

English:

• Wait a little before we leave.

Filipino:

• Maghintay ka nang kaunti bago tayo umalis.

A rough structure is:

• Maghintay = verb
• ka = you
• nang kaunti = a little / for a bit
• bago tayo umalis = before we leave

So verb-first order is one of the big differences English speakers notice when learning Filipino.

The ka is singular, so the command is addressed to one person.

So Maghintay ka = You (singular), wait.

If you were speaking to more than one person, you would normally use a plural form such as kayo.

It is neutral and natural, but not especially polite by itself.

Maghintay ka nang kaunti is a straightforward command. Depending on tone and situation, it can sound perfectly fine, especially with family, friends, or someone younger.

To make it more polite, speakers might say things like:

• Maghintay ka muna nang kaunti.
• Pakiusap, maghintay ka nang kaunti.
• Maghintay po kayo nang kaunti.

Adding po and using kayo makes it more respectful.

Muna adds the idea of for now, first, or in the meantime.

So:

• Maghintay ka nang kaunti = Wait a little
• Maghintay ka muna nang kaunti = Wait a little first / Wait for now

It often makes a request sound more natural in conversation, because it suggests the waiting is temporary.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

mag-HIN-tay

Notes:

• mag sounds roughly like mahg
• hintay has stress on the second syllable: hin-TAY
• the whole word is approximately mahg-hin-TAY

The ng in nang is pronounced like the ng sound in sing.

More or less, yes:

• Maghintay = wait
• ka = you
• nang kaunti = a little / for a bit
• bago = before
• tayo = we (including you)
• umalis = leave

So a very literal breakdown is:

Wait you a little before we leave.

Of course, natural English would be:

Wait a little before we leave.

So the literal breakdown helps you see the grammar, even if the final English wording is smoother.