Older sister Nita is settling her baby who is crying in the house. in Tetun
Mana Nita hamaus nia bebé tanis hela iha uma laran.
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
- Mana husu misa ba nia oan ne'ebé moris mai mate.My older sister requested a mass intention for her stillborn baby.
- Ha'u nia biin uza mina azeti hodi kose isin para kabeer.My older sister uses olive oil to rub on her skin so it is smooth.
- Maria halo grupu estudu iha ninia uma hamutuk ho nia kolega sira.Maria has started a study group at her house together with her friends.
- Nia namoradu ne'e hais nia to'o lima sén mós la iha nia isin!Her boyfriend bled her dry till she didn't even have five cents left on her!
- Ha'u nia mana Aleta kesi oan fatin para lalika iha oan tan.My older sister Aleta has had her tubes tied so she won’t have more children.
- Inan ida estraga labarik iha kabun laran tan de'it mane lakohi tau matan.The mother aborted her baby in the womb just because the man refused to take responsibility (for the baby).