Editing Tetum language (section)

==== Adjectives ====

===== Derivation from nouns =====

To turn a noun into a nominalised adjective, the word {{Lang|tet|oan}} ('person, child, associated object') is added to it.

:{{Lang|tet|malae}} 'foreigner' → {{Lang|tet|malae-oan}} 'foreign'

Thus, 'Timorese person' is {{Lang|tet|Timor-oan}}, as opposed to the country of Timor, {{Lang|tet|rai-Timor}}.

To form adjectives and actor nouns from verbs, the suffix ''-dór'' (derived from Portuguese) can be added:

:{{Lang|tet|hateten}} 'tell' → {{Lang|tet|hatetendór}} 'talkative'

===== Gender =====

Tetum does not have separate masculine and feminine gender, hence {{Lang|tet|nia}} (similar to {{Lang|ms|ia}}/{{Lang|ms|dia}}/{{Lang|ms|nya}} in Malay) can mean either 'he', 'she' or 'it'.

Different forms for the genders only occur in Portuguese-derived adjectives, hence {{Lang|tet|obrigadu}} ('thank you') is used by men, and {{Lang|tet|obrigada}} by women. The masculine and feminine forms of other adjectives derived from Portuguese are sometimes used with Portuguese loanwords, particularly by Portuguese-educated speakers of Tetum.

:{{Lang|tet|governu demokrátiku}} – 'democratic government' (from {{Lang|pt|governo democrático}}, masculine)
:{{Lang|tet|nasaun demokrátika}} – 'democratic nation' (from {{Lang|pt|nação democrática}}, feminine)

In some instances, the different gender forms have distinct translations into English:

:{{Lang|tet|bonitu}} – 'handsome'
:{{Lang|tet|bonita}} – 'pretty'

In indigenous Tetum words, the suffixes {{Lang|ms|-mane}} ('male') and {{Lang|ms|-feto}} ('female') are sometimes used to differentiate between the genders:

:{{Lang|tet|oan-mane}} 'son' → {{Lang|tet|oan-feto}} 'daughter'

===== Comparatives and superlatives =====

Superlatives can be formed from adjectives by [[reduplication]]:

:{{Lang|tet|barak}} 'much, many' → {{Lang|tet|babarak}} 'very much, many'
:{{Lang|tet|boot}} 'big, great' → {{Lang|tet|boboot}} 'huge, enormous'
:{{Lang|tet|di'ak}} 'good' → {{Lang|tet|didi'ak}} 'very good'
:{{Lang|tet|ikus}} 'last' → {{Lang|tet|ikuikus}} 'the very last, final'
:{{Lang|tet|moos}} 'clean, clear' → {{Lang|tet|momoos}} 'spotless, immaculate'

When making comparisons, the word {{Lang|tet|liu}} ('more') is used after the adjective, optionally followed by {{Lang|tet|duké}} ('than' from Portuguese {{Lang|pt|do que}}):

:{{Lang|tet|Maria tuan liu (duké) Ana}} — Maria is older than Ana.

To describe something as the most or least, the word {{Lang|tet|hotu}} ('all') is added:

:{{Lang|tet|Maria tuan liu hotu}} — Maria is the oldest.