You should use needles (for injections) only once, not twice. in Tetun
Tuir loloos, daun ne'e tenke uza dala ida de'it, la bele dala rua.
English → Tetun phrasebook
Grammar in this phrase
Negation
la — 'not' (general negation)
laPlaced before verbs and adjectives to negate them. For contrastive 'not X but Y' use 'laós'; for 'not yet' use 'seidauk'; for 'no longer' wrap 'la ... ona' around the verb.
Possibility & probability
bele / parese / dala ruma / kala — possibility
beleTetun 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'.
Prohibition & permission
keta / lalika / la bele — prohibition
la beleThree strengths of 'don't': 'lalika(n)' is softest — 'no need to, don't bother'. 'keta' is a direct prohibitive command. 'la bele' = 'not allowed, must not'.
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
- Ami uza kareta ne'e ba ami nia an.We use this car for ourselves (i.e. for private use).
- Doutór sira uza seringa hodi sona labarik ho ai-moruk.Doctors use syringes to give the children injections.
- Ema barak agora uza gás hodi te'in, no la uza ona ai-sunu.Many people nowadays use gas for cooking, and don’t use firewood any more.
- Sira na'in rua nia oan boot ona mak foin kaben igreja.Only once their children were no longer small did the two of them get married in church.
- Agora ami la uza ona lali'an, maibé uza fali fogaun hodi te'in.Now we are no longer use a hearth of three cooking stones, but instead use a stove to cook.
- Kolega ne'e oin osan; ita sosa buat ruma fó ba nia mak nia di'ak ho ita.This friend is happy only if given money or presents. Only if we buy something for her does she get on with us.