Where is your family living? in Tetun
Ó nia família agora hela iha ne'ebé?
English → Tetun phrasebook
Grammar in this phrase
Aspect markers
hela — 'currently' or 'reside'
helaAfter a verb, 'hela' marks continuous aspect ('is ...-ing'). As a standalone verb it means 'live, reside'. Often paired with 'sei' for 'is still ...-ing'.
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.
Translate your own text with the free English ↔ Tetun translator or look up individual words in the Tetun dictionary.
Related phrases
- Ha'u nia moris sei sadere hela ba ha'u nia família.My life still depends on my family.
- Ha'u laran hakmatek waiñira ha'u besik família.I feel calm when I am near my family.
- Ó nia hahalok aat ne'e hamoe família de'it.Your bad behaviour has shamed the family.
- Ha'u nia família sei halo selebrasaun Natal iha Dili.My family will celebrate Christmas in Dili.
- Ha'u nia relasaun metin ho família sira.I have a strong relationship with my family.
- Agora vida moris karun liu tan!Now the cost of living has gone up even more!