Reduce sugar (in your diet) so you won’t get diabetes. in Tetun
Halo menus masin midar para la bele hetan moras raan midar.
English → Tetun phrasebook
Grammar in this phrase
Negation
la — 'not' (general negation)
laPlaced before verbs and adjectives to negate them. For contrastive 'not X but Y' use 'laós'; for 'not yet' use 'seidauk'; for 'no longer' wrap 'la ... ona' around the verb.
Possibility & probability
bele / parese / dala ruma / kala — possibility
beleTetun hedges less than English, but has a cluster of markers. 'bele' before the verb = can / may. 'parese' at the start = 'seems'. 'dala ruma' at the start of a clause = 'perhaps, sometimes'. 'kala / kal' before a number = 'approximately'.
Prohibition & permission
keta / lalika / la bele — prohibition
la beleThree strengths of 'don't': 'lalika(n)' is softest — 'no need to, don't bother'. 'keta' is a direct prohibitive command. 'la bele' = 'not allowed, must not'.
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
- Ha'u gosta hemu xá midar maibé tenke hamenus masin midar hodi la bele moras.I like drinking sweet tea but have to reduce the sugar so I don’t get sick.
- Oinsá mak ita bele hala'o kresimentu ekonómiku hodi halo redusaun pobreza iha Timor-Leste?How can we get economic growth and reduce poverty in Timor-Leste?
- Ema balu taka bebé nia baboton ho kamii para malirin la bele tama.Some people put candlenut on the baby's fontanel so that cold won't get in.
- Taka lona ba sasán sira ne'e hotu para udan mai karik la bele bokon.Please cover these things with a tarpaulin so that if it rains they won’t get wet.
- 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.
- Foti lai lona mai satán netik ai-maran para udan been la bele kona.Fetch a tarpaulin here to cover the firewood so that the rainwater won't get into it.