Tetun Translator

This morning Ana went and dropped by at aunt’s house, so we waited for her a long time. in Tetun

Ohin dadeer Ana sei bá liu hosi tia nia uma, entaun ami nia hein kleur.

English → Tetun phrasebook

Grammar in this phrase

  • 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.

  • Aspect markers

    sei — 'will' or 'still'

    sei

    Tetun has no verb conjugation. Aspect and tense are marked by particles. 'sei' sits immediately before the verb — marking a definite future ('will') or a continuative ('still'). Combine with 'hela' after the verb for ongoing action. Negation is 'sei la' = 'will not'.

  • Comparison

    liu — comparison 'more / most'

    liu

    Tetun comparison uses 'X liu Y' not 'mais X' — the adjective stays put and 'liu' follows. With a focus 'mak' it becomes superlative. Avoid Portuguese-style 'melhor' or 'mais boot'.

More patterns like these in the Tetun grammar guide.

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