Tony does nothing for people who need his love. in Tetun

Grammar in this phrase

• Permission

  husik / hataan / foo — permission verbs

  husik

  Three 'let / allow' verbs. 'husik' = leave, let, allow, abandon; 'husik hela' = leave behind. 'hataan' = agree, permit formally. 'foo' = let, give — also heads compound verbs like 'foo haan' (feed), 'foo hatene ba' (inform).

• Focus

  mak — focus marker

  mak

  'mak' focuses the preceding constituent — used when English would bold or cleft ('it was X who...'). Also forms the superlative with 'liu'.

• 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.

Related phrases

• Mateus agora de'ut hela nia matan, tanba ai-luruk mak tama.Mateus is rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands, because a prickle has gotten into his eye.
• 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.
• Nia saláriu hakerek klaru iha kontratu laran.His salary is clearly written in his contract.
• Janio monu ho motor, nia ain tohar.Janio fell off his motorbike and broke his leg.
• Ita tenke matan moris neon na'in para ema la bele manipula ita.We need to be alert, so people can’t manipulate us.
• Lita: Nia naran António ka? Ina: Lae, nia naran José.Lita: Is his name António? Ina: No, his name is José.