Democracy means that everyone can speak. in Tetun
Demokrásia katak ema hotu-hotu bele ko'alia.
English → Tetun phrasebook
Grammar in this phrase
Possibility & probability
bele / parese / dala ruma / kala — possibility
beleTetun hedges less than English, but has a cluster of markers. 'bele' before the verb = can / may. 'parese' at the start = 'seems'. 'dala ruma' at the start of a clause = 'perhaps, sometimes'. 'kala / kal' before a number = 'approximately'.
More patterns like these in the Tetun grammar guide.
Translate your own text with the free English ↔ Tetun translator or look up individual words in the Tetun dictionary.
Related phrases
- Sira hatene Portugés.They can speak ('know') Portuguese.
- João hatene ko'alia Inglés.João can (knows how to) speak English.
- Tenke ko'alia sukat ibun, la bele ko'alia tuir ó nia hakarak.You must weigh up your words. Don’t just speak as you want to speak.
- Mina rai bele sai bénsaun ba nasaun, maibé bele mós sai malisan.Petroleum can be a blessing to a nation, but can also become a curse.
- Ami rasik la bele ajuda ita, maibé ami bele husu ajuda ba ema seluk.We ourselves can’t help you, but we can ask for help from someone else.
- Ha'u nia matan hateke dook la moos, maibé se ha'u uza okulu haree moos loos.I can’t see clearly in the distance. But if I put a glasses, I can see clearly.