I want to take the car to the garage to be refurbished, as it has lots of dents and is very old. in Tetun

Grammar in this phrase

• Aspect markers

  fali — 'again' / 'back' / 'instead'

  fali

  Placed after the verb. Can mean 'again / back' or mark an unexpected reversal ('instead'). Context decides which.

• Aspect markers

  ona — 'already' (perfective)

  ona

  Placed after the verb (or after the object), 'ona' marks that something has already happened. Cannot stand alone — must belong to a sentence. See also 'tiha ona' for a stronger completed aspect.

• Comparison

  liu — comparison 'more / most'

  liu

  Tetun comparison uses 'X liu Y' not 'mais X' — the adjective stays put and 'liu' follows. With a focus 'mak' it becomes superlative. Avoid Portuguese-style 'melhor' or 'mais boot'.

More patterns like these in the Tetun grammar guide.

Related phrases

• Apoli nia kareta mola fraku. Kuandu tama rai kuak halo isin moras hotu.The suspension of Apoli’s car is very weak. When the car hits a pothole we feel sore all over.
• Ha'u nia kareta Pajero nia mudansa toos loos.The gear of my Pajero car is very hard.
• Kareta ne'e ha'u nian privadu, la'ós estadu nian.This car is my private car, not a government one.
• Ha'u hakarak aparu tiha ha'u nia fuuk, tanba boot loos.I want to trim my hair, as it is very long (and wild).
• Labarik ne'e maledukadu liu, ema ko'alia nia la rona.This child is very rude. He doesn’t want to listen to people.
• Kareta ne'e kualidade di'ak, nia folin moos aas loos.This car is of high quality, and its prices is also very high.