In the past when we lived in the jungles, our parents used palm-leaf umbrellas to protect us from the rain. in Tetun
Uluk ami hela iha ai-laran, ami nia inan-aman sira hodi salurik hodi satán ami hosi udan.
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 tenke respeita ita nia inan-aman.We must respect our parents.
- Se ema ida la'o liu iha estrada, ami nia asu sempre hatenu.If someone walks past on the road, our dog always barks.
- Iha ami nia aldeia ami uza jeradór bainhira presiza karega telefone.In our village, we use a generator to charge our phones.
- Aban Domingu Ramus, ita bá taa ramus iha Dare.Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, so let's go and cut palm branches in Dare.
- Ita tenke hamta'uk ita nia inan-aman atu nune'e ita nia vida bele naruk iha mundu ne'e.We must respect our parents so that we may live long lives on earth.
- Treinu fíziku ajuda ita nia isin, treinu espirituál ajuda ita nia klamar.Physical training helps our bodies, spiritual training helps our souls.