Tetum–English Dictionary

Look up Tetum words and get English translations, with parts of speech and example sentences. Browse the common-word table below or type a Tetum word into the lookup tool.

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Browse common Tetum vocabulary

Word	Part of speech	Translation	Example
ha'u	pronoun	I	Ha'u prontu agora. I am ready now.
o	pronoun	you	O mak hau-nia belun. You are my friend.
nia	pronoun	he	Nia iha eskola. He is at school.
nia	pronoun	she	Nia mak hau-nia alin feto. She is my sister.
ami	pronoun	we	Ami servisu loron-loron. We work every day.
sira	pronoun	they	Sira hela iha cidade. They live in the city.
saida	pronoun	what	Ita-nia naran saida? What is your name?
iha ne'ebé	adverb	where	O hela iha ne'ebé? Where do you live?
bainhira	adverb	when	O sei mai bainhira? When will you come?
see	pronoun	who	Mane ne'e see? Who is that man?
tanba sa	adverb	why	Tanba sa o triste? Why are you sad?
oinsá	adverb	how	O hatene oinsá? How do you know?
iha	verb	to have	Ha'u iha livru rua. I have two books.
halo	verb	to do	Sira halo servisu di'ak. They do the work well.
baa	verb	to go	Ami baa eskola. We go to school.
mai	verb	to come	Favor ida mai aban dadeer. Please come tomorrow morning.
haree	verb	to see	Ha'u haree foho. I see the mountain.
hatene	verb	to know	Nia hatene istória ne'e. She knows the story.
hanoin	verb	to think	Ha'u hanoin kona-ba hau-nia família. I think about my family.
hakarak	verb	to want	Sira hakarak bee barak liu. They want more water.
presiza	verb	to need	Ami presiza meja foun ida. We need a new table.
halo	verb	to make	Nia halo kafee di'ak. She makes good coffee.
foti	verb	to take	Foti livru ba uma. Take the book home.
foo	verb	to give	Foo osan ba ha'u. Give me the money.
dehan	verb	to say	Sira dehan katak nee loos. They say it is true.
hatete	verb	to tell	Hatete loos ba ha'u. Tell me the truth.
husu	verb	to ask	Ha'u husu pergunta ida. I ask one question.
hetan	verb	to find	Ami hetan xave lakon ne'e. We found the lost key.
haree	verb	to look	Haree ba lalehan. Look at the sky.
uza	verb	to use	Ha'u uza kadeira ida-ne'e loron-loron. I use this chair daily.
servisu	verb	to work	Sira servisu iha cidade. They work in the city.
han	verb	to eat	Labarik nee han haree. The child eats rice.
hemu	verb	to drink	Ami hemu xá ohin kalan. We drink tea tonight.
toba	verb	to sleep	Bebé toba agora. The baby sleeps now.
la'o	verb	to walk	Ha'u la'o ba eskola. I walk to school.
halai	verb	to run	Labarik mane nee halai lalais. The boy runs fast.
lee	verb	to read	Nia lee livru foun ida. She reads a new book.
hakerek	verb	to write	Ha'u hakerek hau-nia naran. I write my name.
ko'alia	verb	to speak	Sira ko'alia Tetun di'ak. They speak Tetum well.
rona	verb	to listen	Rona profesor ho kuidadu. Listen to the teacher carefully.
rona	verb	to hear	Ha'u rona múzika. I hear the music.
sosa	verb	to buy	Ami sosa ikan fresku. We buy fresh fish.
faan	verb	to sell	Sira faan ai-fuan iha ne'e. They sell fruit here.
selu	verb	to pay	Ha'u selu ba hahán. I pay for the food.
ajuda	verb	to help	Favor ida ajuda hau-nia inan. Please help my mother.
hadomi	verb	to love	Ha'u hadomi hau-nia família. I love my family.
hela	verb	to live	Sira hela besik mota. They live near the river.
mate	verb	to die	Ai tuan sira mate neineik. Old trees die slowly.
aprende	verb	to learn	Labarik sira aprende iha eskola. Children learn at school.
hanorin	verb	to teach	Sira hanorin lian foun. They teach the new language.
loke	verb	to open	Loke oda agora. Open the door now.
taka	verb	to close	Taka janela, favor ida. Close the window, please.
ema	noun	person	Ema hotu-hotu presiza bee. Every person needs water.
mane	noun	man	Mane nee aas. That man is tall.
feto	noun	woman	Feto nee hamnasa. The woman is smiling.
labarik	noun	child	Labarik nee toba hela. The child is sleeping.
labarik mane	noun	boy	Labarik mane nee lee hakmatek. The boy reads quietly.
labarik feto	noun	girl	Labarik feto nee kanta neneik. The girl sings softly.
família	noun	family	Hau-nia família hela iha ne'e. My family lives here.
inan	noun	mother	Hau-nia inan te'in haree. My mother cooks rice.
aman	noun	father	Hau-nia aman servisu maka'as. My father works hard.
belun	noun	friend	Nia mak hau-nia belun. She is my friend.
uma	noun	house	Sira-nia uma boot. Their house is big.
uma	noun	home	Ami baa uma. We are going home.
eskola	noun	school	Eskola nee besik. The school is nearby.
cidade	noun	city	Cidade ida-ne'e movimentadu. This city is busy.
rai	noun	country	Ami-nia rai bonita. Our country is beautiful.
mundu	noun	world	Mundu muda hela. The world is changing.
kuartu	noun	room	Kuartu nee moos. The room is clean.
tempu	noun	time	Tempu lao lalais loos. Time passes very quickly.
loron	noun	day	Ohin loron di'ak ida. Today is a good day.
kalan	noun	night	Kalan nee malirin. The night is cold.
dadeer	noun	morning	Dadeer ida-ne'e fresku. This morning feels fresh.
lorokraik	noun	evening	Ami la'o iha lorokraik. We walk in the evening.
semana	noun	week	Semana ida badak. One week is short.
fulan	noun	month	Fulan oin ami baa. Next month we travel.
tinan	noun	year	Tinan ida-ne'e importante. This year is important.
ohin	adverb	today	Ha'u okupadu ohin. I am busy today.
aban	adverb	tomorrow	Ami sei baa aban. We will go tomorrow.
horiseik	adverb	yesterday	Nia mai horiseik dadeer. She came yesterday morning.
agora	adverb	now	Mai iha ne'e agora. Come here now.
loro	noun	sun	Loro manas. The sun is hot.
fulan	noun	moon	Fulan naroman ohin kalan. The moon is bright tonight.
fitun	noun	star	Fitun nee naroman. That star is bright.
lalehan	noun	sky	Lalehan azul. The sky is blue.
rai	noun	earth	Rai mak ita-nia uma. The earth is our home.
ahi	noun	fire	Ahi manas. The fire is hot.
bee	noun	water	Favor ida hemu bee moos. Please drink clean water.
udan	noun	rain	Udan boot ohin. The rain is heavy today.
anin	noun	wind	Anin malirin. The wind feels cold.
ai	noun	tree	Ai nee aas. That tree is tall.
funan	noun	flower	Funan ida-ne'e bonita. This flower is beautiful.
foho	noun	mountain	Foho nee aas loos. The mountain is very high.
mota	noun	river	Mota nee naruk. The river is long.
tasi	noun	sea	Tasi hakmatek ohin. The sea is calm today.
hahán	noun	food	Hahán nee moris di'ak. The food smells good.
paun	noun	bread	Ha'u han paun loron-loron. I eat bread daily.
haree	noun	rice	Ami han haree loron-loron. We eat rice every day.
naan	noun	meat	Naan nee fresku. The meat is fresh.
ikan	noun	fish	Sira te'in ikan ohin kalan. They cook fish tonight.
tolun	noun	egg	Ha'u han tolun ida. I eat one egg.
susu	noun	milk	Labarik nee hemu susu. The child drinks milk.
ai-fuan	noun	fruit	Ai-fuan ida-ne'e midar. This fruit is sweet.
xá	noun	tea	Nia hemu xá manas. She drinks hot tea.
kafee	noun	coffee	Ha'u hemu kafee kada dadeer. I drink coffee every morning.
ulun	noun	head	Hau-nia ulun moras ohin. My head hurts today.
matan	noun	eye	Nia-nia matan azul. Her eye is blue.
tilun	noun	ear	Hau-nia tilun bele rona. My ear can hear.
ibun	noun	mouth	Loke o-nia ibun luan. Open your mouth wide.
inus	noun	nose	Hau-nia inus malirin. My nose is cold.
liman	noun	hand	Fasi o-nia liman sira agora. Wash your hands now.
ain	noun	foot	Hau-nia ain moras. My foot hurts.
naran	noun	name	Hau-nia naran Maria. My name is Maria.
livru	noun	book	Livru ida-ne'e foun. This book is new.
liafuan	noun	word	Liafuan nee importante. That word is important.
lian	noun	language	Tetun mak ami-nia lian. Tetum is our language.
osan	noun	money	Ha'u presiza osan barak liu. I need more money.
servisu	noun	work	Servisu ida-ne'e difísil. This work is hard.
domin	noun	love	Domin halo moris bonita. Love makes life beautiful.
múzika	noun	music	Múzika nee bonita. The music is beautiful.
istória	noun	story	Istória nee loos. The story is true.
dalan	noun	way	Dalan ida-ne'e fasil. This way is easy.
buat	noun	thing	Buat nee hau-nian. That thing is mine.
moris	noun	life	Moris la fasil. Life is not easy.
oda	noun	door	Oda loke ona. The door is open.
meja	noun	table	Meja nee foun. The table is new.
kadeira	noun	chair	Kadeira ida-ne'e forte. This chair is strong.
kareta	noun	car	Kareta nee lalais. The car is fast.
di'ak	adjective	good	Hahán ida-ne'e di'ak. This food is good.
aat	adjective	bad	Tempu aat. The weather is bad.
boot	adjective	big	Sira-nia uma boot. Their house is big.
ki'ik	adjective	small	Kuartu nee ki'ik. The room is small.
foun	adjective	new	Ha'u sosa livru foun ida. I bought a new book.
tuan	adjective	old	Uma nee tuan. That house is old.
naruk	adjective	long	Dalan nee naruk. The road is long.
badak	adjective	short	Semana ida-ne'e badak. This week is short.
aas	adjective	high	Foho nee aas. That mountain is high.
manas	adjective	hot	Xá nee manas. The tea is hot.
malirin	adjective	cold	Bee nee malirin. The water is cold.
kontente	adjective	happy	Labarik nee kontente. The child is happy.
triste	adjective	sad	Nia triste ohin. She feels sad today.
bonita	adjective	beautiful	Funan nee bonita. The flower is beautiful.
fasil	adjective	easy	Livru ida-ne'e fasil. This book is easy.
lalais	adjective	fast	Kareta nee lalais. That car is fast.
neineik	adjective	slow	Mane tuan nee la'o neineik. The old man walks slow.
loos	adjective	right	O-nia resposta loos. Your answer is right.
sala	adjective	wrong	Resposta nee sala. That answer is wrong.
importante	adjective	important	Servisu ida-ne'e importante. This work is important.
loos	adjective	true	Istória ida-ne'e loos. This story is true.
foin-sa'e	adjective	young	Nia sei foin-sa'e. She is still young.
forte	adjective	strong	Mane nee forte. That man is strong.
fraku	adjective	weak	Labarik nee sente fraku. The child feels weak.
mean	adjective	red	Funan nee mean. The flower is red.
azul	adjective	blue	Lalehan azul. The sky is blue.
modok	adjective	green	Ai nee modok. The tree is green.
kinur	adjective	yellow	Funan nee kinur. The flower is yellow.
metan	adjective	black	Kareta nee metan. The car is black.
mutin	adjective	white	Kamiza nee mutin. The shirt is white.
sin	interjection	yes	Sin, ha'u komprende agora. Yes, I understand now.
lae	interjection	no	Lae, ha'u la hatene. No, I do not know.
la	adverb	not	Ha'u la prontu. I am not ready.
no	conjunction	and	Inan no aman iha ne'e. Mother and father are here.
ka	conjunction	or	Xá ka kafee di'ak. Tea or coffee is fine.
maibé	conjunction	but	Ha'u kolen, maibé kontente. I am tired, but happy.
karik	conjunction	if	Karik udan, hela iha uma. If it rains, stay home.
tanba	conjunction	because	Ha'u hela iha uma tanba udan. I stayed home because rain fell.
ho	preposition	with	Ha'u mai ho hau-nia belun. I came with my friend.
la ho	preposition	without	Nia baa la ho osan. He went without money.
ba	preposition	for	Prezente ida-ne'e ba o. This gift is for you.
husi	preposition	from	Nia mai husi cidade. She came from the city.
ba	preposition	to	Ami la'o ba eskola. We walked to school.