If someone speaks evil of us, we should respond politely. in Tetun
Se ema hatete aat ita, di'ak liu ita hatán ho di'ak de'it.
English → Tetun phrasebook
Grammar in this phrase
Comparison
liu — comparison 'more / most'
liuTetun 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'.
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.
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
- Imi atu bá ema nia rai tenke lori mapa, para la bele lakon.When you go to someone else’s country you should take a map, so you won’t get lost.
- Keta book. Ne'e ema nian.Don't touch it. It's someone else's.
- Ha'u hanoin, di'ak liu imi mai hela iha Timor de'it.I think you should just come and live in Timor.
- Doutór Gaspar salva ema nia oan ida nia vida.Doctor Gaspar saved the life of someone’s child.
- Ana ko'alia Portugés, pronúnsia hanesan Tetun fali.Ana speaks Portuguese, her pronunciation is like Tetun.
- Se ema ida la'o liu iha estrada, ami nia asu sempre hatenu.If someone walks past on the road, our dog always barks.