Take the key which is hanging on the nail over there, we're about to go. in Tetun
Kasu lai xave ne'ebé tara hela iha pregu ne'ebá, ita atu la'o ona.
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'.
Aspect markers
lai — 'first' / polite request
laiAfter the verb or object, 'lai' means 'first, for a moment' — often softens a request by implying the action won't last long.
Aspect markers
ona — 'already' (perfective)
onaPlaced after the verb (or after the object), 'ona' marks that something has already happened. Cannot stand alone — must belong to a sentence. See also 'tiha ona' for a stronger completed aspect.
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
- La bele hamriik iha ne'ebá!Don't stand over there!
- Pai hola pregu hodi prega meza.My father bought a nail to nail the table.
- Ha'u sente laran la di'ak, ha'u muda fali ba ninin ne'ebá.I feel nauseous. I'll move over there to the side.
- Uma ida ne'e la di'ak ida. Ida ne'ebá kapás.This house is no good. The one over there is lovely.
- Lalika dada tempu tan aviaun atu aranka ona.Don’t procrastinate, as the plane is about to take off.
- Nia tebe bola, monu ó! iha ne'ebá!He kicked the ball, and it fell all the way over there!