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Timor-Leste is a heterogeneous country. It has many different ethnicities with their own cultures, traditions, languages and legends. These different ethnic groups reside in different parts of Timor-Leste. They have been here for a very long time, probably 40,000 years or so.

Learn basic Tetun before travelling to East Timor

East Timor is a tiny island with diverse cultures and traditions and 32 different languages spoken across the island. From these 32 dialects, the East Timorese have been using Tetum as a lingua franca during the Portuguese and Indonesian colonisation, and now, after East Timor got its independence on 20 May 2002, the East Timor government has adopted Tetum as a national and official language.

The Department of Linguistics: National University of East Timor has decided to hire Dr Geoffrey Hull to develop a national standard Tetum. Hopefully, one day, Tetum will become a written and instructional language at school. Geoffrey Hull has been writing several books on Tetum and has published a standard Tetum dictionary.

I will not teach you about theoretical Tetum grammar here on this website because I am not a linguist. I have asked Dr Geoffrey Hull to contribute to our lessons, but he could not contribute to this site because he no longer works for the National University of East Timor.

The lesson on this site will be much more practical, based on everyday life. Every lesson has a sound recording of how to pronounce Tetum words.

If you plan to travel to East Timor, the lessons posted on this site will help you understand some basic words and sentences in Tetum, so when you get to Dili airport you do not have to speak in English because you have been equipped with some Tetum sentences like DIAK KA LAE = how are you! - HAU HAKARAK ALUGA TAXI=I want to rent a taxi etc.

If you are interested in learning Tetun while you are in Dili, I recommend you DIT Tetun Course. Or you can download Tetun Language Course by Catharina Williams-van Klinken, it is free to download.

ENJOY LEARNING TETUM!

Personal Pronouns in Tetun

Hau: I, Me.

O : You (informal.)

Ita : You (formal - when speaking to an adult.

Nia : He, Him, She, Her, It.

Ami : We (excluding the person you are speaking to.)

Ita : We (including the person you are speaking to.)

Imi : You (when speaking to more than one person.)

Sira : They, Them.

Hau

In English you have I, ME, and MYSELF. Tetum does not have these three words. So how do you say it in Tetum? I, ME = Hau. And MYSELF = Hau-nia'an (hau rasik). Here is the sentense: Haun nian = mine. Hau rasik mak hadia'a kareta nee = I fix the car myself. Ida nee hau nian = this is mine.

O and Ita

O is used in informal conversation between friends or colleagues and Ita is used in formal conversation. For example, if you have a visitor at home you call him/her Ita. Ita diak ka lae? or O diak ka lae? = How are you? Ita naran sa ida? = Hau naran/nia naran John.Ita main husi rai nebe. Where are you from? Hau mai husi Australia.

Nia

Tetum does not differentiate between he/she, him/her, his/hers, and it. You call male and female the same thing = NIA. Here is the sentence: Ema nia inan nee naran sa ida? = What is her name?Ema nia aman nee naran sa ida? = What is his name? The word nia inan refer to female and the word nia aman refer to male.

Greetings in Tetun

Bondia = Good morning

Botarde = Good afternoon

Boanoite = Good evening, good night

O diak ka lae? = How are you?

Hau diak. Obrigado (male) obrigada (female) = I am well thank you!

Ita mos diak? = And how are you?

Ita naran sa ida? = What is your name?

Hau naran John = My name is John

Ita mai hosi rai nebe? = Where do you come from?

Hau mai hosi Australia = I come from Australia

Iha Australia ita hela iha nebe? = Where do you live in Australia?

Hau hela iha Perth = I live in Perth

Days of the week in Tetun

Segunda : Monday.

Tersa : Tuesday.

Kuarta : Wednesday.

Qinta : Thursday.

Sesta : Friday.

Sabadu : Saturday.

Domingu : Sunday.

Ohin : Today.

Aban : Tomorrow.

Semana mai/oin : Next week.

Semana uluk/kotuk : Last week.

Name of our body parts in Tetum

Head = ULUN
Hair = FUK - FUK MULATUK (curly hair) - FUK BEN (straight hair)
Forehead = REN
Ear = TILUN
Cheek = HASAN
Chin = HASAN-HUN
Beard = HASAN-RAHUN
Eye = MATAN
Eyeball = MATAN-FUAN
Eyebrow = MATAN-FUKUN
Eyelash = MATAN-FULUN
Eyelid = MATAN-KULIT
Tears = MATAN-BEEN
Blue-eyed = MATAN-BALANDA
Nose = INUS
Mouth = IBUN
Lips = IBUN-KULIT
Moustache = IBUN-RAHUN
Neck = KAKOROK
Shoulder = KABAAS
Chest = HIRUS-MATAN
Breast = SUSUN
Elbow = LIMAN SIKUN
Forearm = LIMAN KABUN
Wrist = LIMAN FUKUN
Arm, Hand = LIMAN
Fingers = LIMAN FUAN
Fingernail = LIMAN KUKUN
Hand = LIMAN TANEN
Thumb = LIMAFUAN-BOOT
Forefinger = LIMAFUAN-HATUDU
Middle finger = LIAMFUAN-KLARAN
Ring finger = LIMAFUAN-KADELI
Little finger = LIAMFUAN-KI'IK
Abdomen = KABUN
Umbilicus = HUSAR
Penis = LASAN
Pubic hair = LASAN-FULUN
Testicle = LASAN-FUAN
Vagina = HU'IN
Pubic hair = HU'IN-FULUN
Buttocks = KIDUN
Hips = KIDAN
Thigh = KELEN
Leg = AIN
Knee = AIN-TUUR
Calf = AIN KABUN
Ankle = AIN-FUKUN
Foot = AIN-TANEN
Toes = AIN-FUAN
Heel = AIN-TUBAN

The number system in Tetun

1 : IDA

2 : RUA

3 : TOLU

4 : HAAT

5 : LIMA

6 : NEEN

7 : HITU

8 : WALU

9 : SIA

10 : SANULU

11 : SANULU RESIN IDA

12 : SANULU RESIN RUA

13 : SANULU RESIN TOLU

14 : SANULU RESIN HAAT

15 : SANULU RESIN LIMA

16 : SANULU RESIN NEEN

17 : SANULU RESIN HITU

18 : SANULU RESIN WALU

19 : SANULU RESIN SIA

20 : RUANULU

30 : TOLU NULU

40 : HAT NULU

50 : LIMA NULU

60 : NEN NULU

70 : HITU NULU

80 : WALU NULU

90 : SIA NULU

100 : ATUS IDA

200 : ATUS RUA

300 : ATUS TOLU

400 : ATUS HAT

500 : ATUS LIMA

600 : ATUS NEEN

700 : ATUS HITU

800 : ATUS WALU

900 : ATUS SIA

1000 : RIHUN IDA

2000 : RIHUN RUA

3000 : RIHUN TOLU

4000 : RIHUN HAT

5000 : RIHUN LIMA

6000 : RIHUN NEEN

7000 : RIHUN HITU

8000 : RIHUN WALU

9000 : RIHUN SIA

10000 : RIHUN SANULU

Family Relationship in Tetun

Mother and Father

Aman/Apa = father. You will hear that some people in Dili might say Apa or Mama or Mae because of Portuguese influence, but the original Tetum is Aman and Inan.

Inan= mother

Fen = Wife

Laen = Husband

Sons and daughters

Feto = Girl

Mane = Boy

For animals: Inan = Female

Aman = Male

Oan = son/daughter eg. John iha oan lima = John has 5 childern.

Oan feto = daughter eg. John iha oan feto rua = John has 2 duaghters

Oan mane = son eg. John iha oan mane ida = John has one son.

Oan Hakiak = Adopted son/daughter

Labarik = children

Bebe = baby

Grandmother and Grandfather

Katuas = old men

Ferik = old women

Avo/Bei = grandmother/grandfather - Avo is a Portuguese word. The original Tetum is Bei.

Avo feto = grandmother

Avo mane = grandfather

Aman Banin = father in law

Inan Banin = mother in law

Mane foun = son in law

Feto foun = daughter in law