We need to find a way to earn money to support the family. in Tetun
Ita tenke buka meius oinsá mak bele manán osan hodi sustenta família.
English → Tetun phrasebook
Grammar in this phrase
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'.
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'.
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
- Ita presiza poupa osan ba futuru.We need to save money for the future.
- Ha'u tenke rai osan iha banku ba futuru nian.I need to save money in the bank for the future.
- Ita presiza buka dalan atu bele kanaliza toos na'in sira nia produtu ba merkadu.We need to find ways to channel farmers' produce to market.
- Ha'u tenke fó han ba ha'u nia família tanba sira hotu la servisu.I have to support my family because none of them have a job.
- Ita presiza hatene kada fulan osan sai hira ba pulsa eletrisidade nian.We need to know how much money goes out for electricity every month.
- Ita servisu iha rai li'ur, bele manán osan boot maibé servisu todan.If we work overseas, we can earn a lot of money, but the work is hard.