Paulo used to be my good friend. Now he’s become my enemy. in Tetun
Uluk Paulo ha'u nia kolega di'ak, agora sai fali inimigu.
English → Tetun phrasebook
Grammar in this phrase
Aspect markers
fali — 'again' / 'back' / 'instead'
faliPlaced after the verb. Can mean 'again / back' or mark an unexpected reversal ('instead'). Context decides which.
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
- Ul-uluk sá ó di'ak loos, agora sá oin seluk.You used to be so good, but now you are different.
- Vánia uluk ajudante hanorin lian Inglés, maibé agora nia sai ona mestra.Vánia used to be an English teaching assistant but now she has become a teacher.
- Uluk madre misionária ida mak diretora eskola Paulo VI, agora padre diosezanu mak troka fali.There used to be a missionary nun as head of the Paulo VI school. Now a diocesan priest has replaced her.
- Paulo laran moras tanba nia kolega lohi nia.Paulo is upset because his friend deceived him.
- Halo oinsá mak besi aat ne'e sai fali katana ne'ebé di'ak no kro'at?How could this old metal become a good sharp machete?
- Uluk Martinha krekas, maibé agora nia isin sa'e oituan.Martinha used to be skinny, but now she’s put on some weight.