I have to cook first. Only then can the two of us go out. in Tetun

Grammar in this phrase

• Aspect markers

  lai — 'first' / polite request

  lai

  After the verb or object, 'lai' means 'first, for a moment' — often softens a request by implying the action won't last long.

• 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'.

• Time expressions

  Temporal connectors

  depois

  Common time words: 'bainhira / kuandu' = when; 'molok / antes' = before; 'depois' and 'liu tiha' = after; 'kedas' = immediately; 'foin' = only just, very recently; 'kleur' = a long time.

More patterns like these in the Tetun grammar guide.

Related phrases

• Toni siku uluk ha'u mak ha'u baku nia.Toni elbowed me first, and only then did I hit him.
• Habosok labarik toba tiha lai mak ó han.Distract the child into sleeping first, and then you can eat.
• Ha'u sei bá kaza dé banhu lai, depois mak ita la'o hamutuk.I will go to the bathroom first, then we can go walking together.
• Ita bá oin la bele ona, muda ba marxa atrás para bá kotuk lai.We can't go forward any more, put (the car) into reverse so we can go backwards first.
• La bele han ai-fuan ne'e lai, tanba sei tara hela horok. Aban liurai sei hasai horok mak bele han.You can't eat the fruit yet, because it is still under the horok taboo. You can only eat the fruit once the king removes the horok.
• Se la iha kandidatu ida mak manán iha primeiru ronde eleisaun prezidensiál, entaun na'in rua ne'ebé mak votus barak liu kontinua ba iha segundu ronde.If no one candidate wins in the first round of a presidential election, then the two with the most votes continue on to the second round.