I am going to be the godmother of the child. in Tetun
Ha'u mak sai labarik nia inan sarani.
English → Tetun phrasebook
Grammar in this phrase
Focus
mak — focus marker
mak'mak' focuses the preceding constituent — used when English would bold or cleft ('it was X who...'). Also forms the superlative with 'liu'.
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.
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
- Labarik ne'e atu bá kanta iha oin sei mo-moe.The child is still a bit shy about going to the front to sing (but s/he does it).
- Ita bá ne'ebé?Where are you going?
- Ha'u bá Baucau.I am going to Baucau.
- Ó ne'e ha'u nia oan doben.You are my beloved child.
- See-see mak atu bá?Who is going? (for a group)
- Ha'u nia madriña hakiak kakatua ida.My godmother keeps a cockatoo.