You're still angry. You should wait until your anger has cooled before going to talk with him. in Tetun

Grammar in this phrase

• 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.

• 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'.

• 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'.

More patterns like these in the Tetun grammar guide.

Related phrases

• Supermi han manas-manas mak di'ak, la bele hein to'o malirin.Instant noodles taste best eaten still hot. Don't wait until it cools down.
• Molok atu bá eskola, aruma tiha kama lai.Before going to school, tidy up (your) bed.
• Ha'u sei hamaran hela ropa antes ha'u bá servisu.I’m drying the clothes before going to work.
• Kolu lai labarik nia ropa mak fó hariis.Take off the child’s clothes before giving him a bath.
• Ema ne'e sempre halo sala, maibé ha'u hadomi nafatin nia.This person always does wrong, but I still keep loving him.
• Sandra uza mina morin rega ba nia faru atu bá festa.Sandra sprays perfume on her blouse before going to a party.