Don't wait for each other. When you see what needs to be done, start on some of it. in Tetun
Keta hein malu. Haree servisu sira ne'e, halo uluk bal-balu ona.
English → Tetun phrasebook
Grammar in this phrase
Aspect markers
ona — 'already' (perfective)
onaPlaced after the verb (or after the object), 'ona' marks that something has already happened. Cannot stand alone — must belong to a sentence. See also 'tiha ona' for a stronger completed aspect.
Prohibition & permission
keta / lalika / la bele — prohibition
ketaThree strengths of 'don't': 'lalika(n)' is softest — 'no need to, don't bother'. 'keta' is a direct prohibitive command. 'la bele' = 'not allowed, must not'.
Reciprocal
malu — 'each other'
malu'malu' follows the verb to mark reciprocal action. Common in political / news idioms: 'haree malu diak' (get on well), 'diskuti malu' (argue), 'haan malu' (oppose one another), '(liafuan) la haan malu' (testimonies don't match).
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 hirus malu to'o ida-ida buka fatuk hodi tuda malu.They were angry at each other, to the extent that they each looked for rocks and threw them at each other.
- Ema balu gosta baria, balu la gosta.Some people like bitter gourd, some don’t.
- Dulce ho Joana seidauk koñese malu.Dulce and Joana don’t know each other yet.
- Hotu-hotu hamriik halo kabuar atu bele haree malu.All stand in a circle so you can see each other.
- Ami hotu hela bes-besik malu.We all live close to each other.
- Ita mesak raan ida de'it mak haree malu hanesan fali ema seluk!We're all related, yet treat each other as outsiders!