Tetun Translator

I’m chatting with my younger brother Caetano, because we haven’t seen each other in a long time.. in Tetun

Ha'u sei ko'alia halimar hela ho alin Caetano, tanba kleur la hetan malu.

English → Tetun phrasebook

Grammar in this phrase

Aspect markers
hela — 'currently' or 'reside'
hela
After a verb, 'hela' marks continuous aspect ('is ...-ing'). As a standalone verb it means 'live, reside'. Often paired with 'sei' for 'is still ...-ing'.
Aspect markers
sei — 'will' or 'still'
sei
Tetun has no verb conjugation. Aspect and tense are marked by particles. 'sei' sits immediately before the verb — marking a definite future ('will') or a continuative ('still'). Combine with 'hela' after the verb for ongoing action. Negation is 'sei la' = 'will not'.
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.

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