You're older but act like a little child! in Tetun

Grammar in this phrase

• Aspect markers

  ona — 'already' (perfective)

  ona

  Placed after the verb (or after the object), 'ona' marks that something has already happened. Cannot stand alone — must belong to a sentence. See also 'tiha ona' for a stronger completed aspect.

• Aspect markers

  tiha ona — completed perfect

  tiha ona

  Stronger than 'ona' alone. Marks a completed action with ongoing relevance — closer to the English present perfect.

More patterns like these in the Tetun grammar guide.

Related phrases

• Ó ne'e mane, tenke hatudu ó nia hahalok nu'udar mane, la bele hanesan fali feto.You’re a man, and should act like a man, not like a woman.
• Ita ema kriatura keta halo an hanesan liu fali Maromak!We are created beings, so don’t act like we are higher than God himself!
• Labarik ne'e konsidera ita hanesan nia inan, ita liu nia sempre kumprimenta ita.This child respect us like his mother. When we go past, he always greets us.
• Istória ne'ebé nia hakerek ne'e, ha'u gosta nia tópiku, maibé la gosta nia maneira narasaun.This story that he's written, I like the topic, but don't like his style of story-telling.
• La bele ko'alia nune'e!Don’t talk like that!
• Ha'u gosta estuda biolojia.I like studying biology.