Tetun Translator

I can’t see clearly in the distance. But if I put a glasses, I can see clearly. in Tetun

Ha'u nia matan hateke dook la moos, maibé se ha'u uza okulu haree moos loos.

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.
Intensifiers
Intensifiers (loos, tebes, demais, laduun)
loos
Position matters. 'loos' / 'tebes' / 'demais' follow the adjective ('barak loos' = very many). 'laduun' PRECEDES the adjective ('laduun diak' = not very good). 'liu tan' = even more.
Negation
la — 'not' (general negation)
la
Placed before verbs and adjectives to negate them. For contrastive 'not X but Y' use 'laós'; for 'not yet' use 'seidauk'; for 'no longer' wrap 'la ... ona' around the verb.

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.