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Whilst Tetun is not a renowned language, it still symbolises its mother country, Timor-Leste.

One of two official languages in the former Indonesian province, alongside Portuguese, Tetun represents a kind of culture shock. It bristles with a kinetic rhythm and can bewilder any new arrivals; a packed bemo ride around Dili, for instance, with three or four loud conversations happening at once can prove a stimulating, albeit synapse-pummelling, experience.

However, once visitors have settled down and locked into the flow of Timorese life, the language itself is easy enough to pick up. Those familiar with Portuguese should have no problems; in the same way that the architecture, food and street names signify Timor’s time as a former Portuguese colony, so too does Tetun represent a cultural vestige of occupation. (Streber Editor: Is that clunky? Let us know in the comments below.)

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Read More: Atauro Island: A Charming and Eco-Friendly Take on Serenity in Timor-Leste.

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Timor-Leste is not a widely travelled country, and many foreigners who do make it there often do so in NGO, charity or teaching guises. Thus, one can assume that visitors, professional or tourist, will have some knowledge of next-door Indonesia and, by extension, Bahasa itself used throughout Dili. However, such a notion does not hold true everywhere; with many dialects spread around the country, heading away from the capital will increase the need for even the most basic Tetun.

For some, Tetun reflects the youth of Timor, which gained independence from Indonesia in 1999 and became a sovereign state in 2002. However, confusion reigns over the lingua franca; symptomatic, perhaps, of the country finding its feet after the violent parting from its neighbour. Some call for Portuguese while others want to keep Tetun. It is somehow fitting that a country still in flux should have a language with such a disparate etymology.

This list is by no means definitive, but it hopefully gives a flavour of Tetun. It came from conversations around the country and provides an enlightening glimpse into this most intriguing of nations.

Useful Tetun words and phrases:

English Tetun

Hello Elo

Good morning Bon dia

Good afternoon Boa tarde

Good evening / night Boa noiti

Goodbye Adeus / Hau ba lai

See you soon / later Atelogu

See you tomorrow Atemanha

Yes Sin / Diak / Los

No Lae

Please Favor ida

Thank you (very much) Obrigadu (barak)

No, thank you Diak, obrigado

You’re welcome De nada

Excuse me Kolisensa

I’m sorry Deskulpa

How are you? Diak ka lai?

I’m fine, thank you. And you? Diak, obrigadu. Ita diak ka lae?

What is your name? Ita nia naran saida?

My name is… Han nia saida…

Pleased to meet you Prazer honhese ita

Happy to meet you Contenté hasoru ita

Where are you from? Ita hosi nebe?

I’m from (England) Hau hosi (Inglatera)

Do you speak English? Ita koalia Ingles?

Yes, I do speak English Hau koalia Ingles

No, I don’t speak English Hau la koalia Ingles

I speak a little Hau koalia itum

See the way [nb: sign of respect when people are leaving] Haré daran

I like to watch stars with you again Hau gosta hare fitun o ita fila fali

With you O ita

It’s beautiful Kapas

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What is this? Nee saida?

How far is it? Dook ka lae?

Where is…? Iha nebee…?

Bus station Terminal bis nian

Road to (Dili) Dalan ba (Dili)

What time does the … leave / arrive? Tuku hira maka … ba / to?

Aeroplane Aviaun

Bus Bis / Biskota

Minibus Mikrolet

What … is this? Saida … maka ae?

City Sidadi / Kota

Street Dalan / Estrada / Luron

Village Vila / Desa

Does this bus go to …? Bis ida ne ba … ka lae?

How much does it cost? Nee folin hira?

How much is the fare? Selu kira?

Where are you going? Bá neʼebé?

I’m going (home) Haʼu bá (uma)

Home Uma

Market Mercado

Hotel Otel

Airport Aeroportu

I like your nose Hau gosta o ita nia inus*

Beard Hasrahun

Bald Botak

Bald Englishman Orang Ingris botak / gundul

I like to (laugh) Hau gosta (hamnasa)

Laugh Hamnasa

Play Halimar

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I’ve spent one week in Timor-Leste Semana ida ona iha Timor-Leste

How long have you been in Timor-Leste? Cleorona iha Timor-Leste?

Day Loron

Week Semana

Month Fulan

Year Tinan

Die (death) Maté

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Grandparent Abo

Uncle / Aunt Tiu / Tia

Older brother Manu

Older sister Mana

Younger sibling Alin

*We defy you to find any better icebreaker in any language on the planet. From Dili to Gleno to Dare to Maubisse to Aelieu and beyond, any time we used this phrase, we were met with uncomprehending silence, then a chuckle followed by a lightbulb above the head and finally mighty laughs and broad smiles as people worked out what we said. It was a fantastic way to meet new people, and conversations really flowed after that.

(Tenuous Link Editor: Although an interesting language to learn and simple enough to speak, Tetun is not widely spoken. You will, for example, find it spoken on Watabo’o Beach (presuming you actually come across anyone there), but may struggle to use it in England, Sri Lanka or Morocco. However, those three destinations are plenty pretty to look at, nevertheless.) 

(2024 update: Nope, nothing.)

(2025 update: Aura farming. For fuck’s sake. Content. Engagement. It’s all bollocks, isn’t it? While we’re at it, fuck drones too.)