When a party gets an absolute majority, this means that it gets more than 50% of all votes. in Tetun

Grammar in this phrase

• 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'.

• 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.

• Time expressions

  Temporal connectors

  kuandu

  Common time words: 'bainhira / kuandu' = when; 'molok / antes' = before; 'depois' and 'liu tiha' = after; 'kedas' = immediately; 'foin' = only just, very recently; 'kleur' = a long time.

More patterns like these in the Tetun grammar guide.

Related phrases

• Kuandu kandidatu ida hetan maioria simples, nia hetan votu barak liu partidu sira seluk, maski la to'o 50% hosi votu hotu-hotu karik.When a party gets a simple majority, it gets more votes than the other parties, even if it doesn't reach 50% of all votes.
• Ha'u ohin servisu ful! La bele halo tan!I've worked all day! I can't do any more!
• Iha 1999, ema barak liu hili independénsia duké autonomia.In 1999, more people chose independence than autonomy.
• Iha eleisaun, ita hotu iha direitu atu hili kualkér partidu ida.In the election, we all have the right to choose any party.
• Ha'u iha osan sein dolar atu bá sosa ropa festa nian ba ita hotu.I have a hundred dollars to buy party clothes for all of us.
• Obrigadu ba maluk sira hotu ne'ebé mai partisipa festa ida ne'e.Thank you to all of you for coming to participate in this party.