The cobra is a very dangerous snake. Its poison can kill people. in Tetun

Grammar in this phrase

• Intensifiers

  Intensifiers (loos, tebes, demais, laduun)

  loos

  Position matters. 'loos' / 'tebes' / 'demais' follow the adjective ('barak loos' = very many). 'laduun' PRECEDES the adjective ('laduun diak' = not very good). 'liu tan' = even more.

• 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.

• Possibility & probability

  bele / parese / dala ruma / kala — possibility

  bele

  Tetun 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'.

More patterns like these in the Tetun grammar guide.

Related phrases

• Ami nia uma kloot loos, ema barak bá la di'ak.Our house is very narrow/small, so not many people can go.
• Koto moruk, ita te'in la hatene bele lanu mate ita.If we don't know how to cook bitter beans, they can poison and kill us.
• Badaen halo odamatn ki'ik liu, ema isin boot tama la di'ak.The builder made a very small door, with the result that fat people can’t enter.
• Kuandu ema hala'o edukasaun sívika, sira hanorin povu kona ba lia polítiku nian, no mós kona ba direitu no responsabilidade reinu nian, atu foti povu nia konsiénsia polítiku.When people conduct civic education, they teach the people about political affairs, and also about the rights and responsibilities of the people, to raise their political awareness.
• Ai-moruk ne'e perigu loos, la bele hemu.This medicine is very dangerous, don't drink it!
• Telefone ne'e baratu loos. Nia kualidade oinsá?This telephone is very cheap. What is its quality?