Don’t touch my belly because it’s ticklish, otherwise, we crash the motorbike. in Tetun
Ó keta kaer ha'u nia kabun tanba makili, se lae ita rua bele monu ho motór.
English → Tetun phrasebook
Grammar in this phrase
Conditionals
se / karik — conditionals
se'se' opens a definite conditional ('if X, then Y'). 'karik' sits at the end of a clause and hedges it ('perhaps'); it can also mark an uncertain conditional.
Possession
nia / nian — possession
nia'nia' goes BEFORE the thing possessed; 'nian' goes AFTER. Both function the same way; position decides which form. 'nia' is also the 3rd-person pronoun (he / she / it) — disambiguate by position.
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
- Motór nia sira nian, la bele book.This motorbike is theirs. Don’t touch it.
- La bele hanaruk tan sira nia kontratu, tanba sira servisu la di'ak!Don't extend their contract, because they don't work well!
- Hei! La bele book!Hey! Don't touch that!
- Keta book. Ne'e ema nian.Don't touch it. It's someone else's.
- Manu inan ne'e luut hela nia oan, keta book.The hen is brooding. Don't touch it.
- Ha'u nervozu tanba nia servisu la di'ak.I’m irritated because he don’t work well.