I greeted João, asking where he was going. in Tetun
Ha'u hasé hela João husu nia atu ba ne'ebé.
English → Tetun phrasebook
Grammar in this phrase
Aspect markers
hela — 'currently' or 'reside'
helaAfter a verb, 'hela' marks continuous aspect ('is ...-ing'). As a standalone verb it means 'live, reside'. Often paired with 'sei' for 'is still ...-ing'.
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
- Ita bá ne'ebé?Where are you going?
- Ha'u bá Baucau.I am going to Baucau.
- See-see mak atu bá?Who is going? (for a group)
- Ha'u la hatene. Husu to'ok Pedro.I don’t know. Try asking Pedro.
- Señora Gomes, Ita-Boot bá Baucau ka?Mrs Gomes, are you going to Baucau?
- Bainhira mak señór bá Suai?When are you ('sir') going to Suai?