My dad always use a torch to illuminate the path when he walks at night. in Tetun
Ha'u nia pai kuandu la'o kalan sempre uza lampra hodi leno dalan.
English → Tetun phrasebook
Grammar in this phrase
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.
Time expressions
Temporal connectors
kuanduCommon 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.
Translate your own text with the free English ↔ Tetun translator or look up individual words in the Tetun dictionary.
Related phrases
- Bainhira ami te'in na'an asu sempre uza du'ut morin.When we cook dog meat we always use lemon grass.
- Ami uza kareta ne'e ba ami nia an.We use this car for ourselves (i.e. for private use).
- Se ema ida la'o liu iha estrada, ami nia asu sempre hatenu.If someone walks past on the road, our dog always barks.
- Labarik sira haksoit tapa, sempre uza fatuk belar.When the children play hopscotch, they always use a flat stone.
- Tia Carla han paun sempre kose manteiga, nia la gosta uza marmelada.Aunty Carla always eats bread with butter, she doesn’t like to use jam.
- Hori kalan ha'u sorte aat; ha'u la'o hela, ha'u nia osan monu iha dalan.Last night I was unlucky; I was walking, and my money fell on the path.