You can't eat the fruit yet, because it is still under the horok taboo. You can only eat the fruit once the king removes the horok. in Tetun

Grammar in this phrase

• 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'.

• Possibility & probability

  bele / parese / dala ruma / kala — possibility

  bele

  Tetun 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'.

• Aspect markers

  hela — 'currently' or 'reside'

  hela

  After a verb, 'hela' marks continuous aspect ('is ...-ing'). As a standalone verb it means 'live, reside'. Often paired with 'sei' for 'is still ...-ing'.

More patterns like these in the Tetun grammar guide.

Related phrases

• Ha'u sei kukus hela dose, tasak tiha mak ita han.I’m still steaming the cake. Once it’s cooked we’ll eat it.
• Haas huun boot ne'e nia fuan barak mangál ona, ita bele ku'u hodi han.This large mango tree has lots of nearly-ripe fruit. We can pick them and eat them.
• La bele ku'u estraga ai-fuan ne'ebé iha. Han ba sukat ho imi nia kabun.Don't pick the fruit wastefully. Eat up (but) according to what your stomach can accept.
• Nia sei moris. (Nia seidauk mate.)He’s still alive. (He hasn’t died yet.)
• Agora ita bele lori kareta halai maka'as tanba rai tetuk.We can drive fast because the road is flat now.
• Kalan ami toba la dukur, tanba hanoin barak.At night we can’t sleep, because we are worried.