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Tetum Phrases for Travellers: Greetings, Numbers and Useful Words
Last verified: Checked against published Tetum phrasebooks
By David · Updated
Quick answer · as of September 2026
Tetum (Tetun) is Timor-Leste's most widely spoken language and, with Portuguese, one of its two official languages. The most useful words are bondia (good morning), botarde (good afternoon), bonoite (good evening), obrigadu or obrigada (thank you), diak ka lae? (how are you?) and hira? (how much?). A few words go a long way.
- Official languages
- Tetum and Portuguese
- Thank you
- Obrigadu (m) / Obrigada (f)
- How much?
- Hira?
- Also widely understood
- Indonesian; English in Dili
On this page
Why learn a few words
Timorese people respond warmly to visitors who try a little Tetum. Many words come from Portuguese, so they may look familiar. Pronunciation is mostly as written; "x" sounds like "sh".
Greetings
| English | Tetum |
|---|---|
| Good morning | Bondia |
| Good afternoon | Botarde |
| Good evening / good night | Bonoite |
| Hello | Olá |
| How are you? | Diak ka lae? |
| I'm fine | Ha'u diak |
| Goodbye | Adeus |
| What is your name? | Ita-nia naran saida? |
| My name is… | Ha'u-nia naran… |
Being polite
| English | Tetum |
|---|---|
| Thank you (said by a man) | Obrigadu |
| Thank you (said by a woman) | Obrigada |
| Thank you very much | Obrigadu barak / Obrigada barak |
| Yes | Loos |
| No | Lae |
| Excuse me (to get attention) | Kolisensa |
| Sorry | Deskulpa |
| I don't understand | Ha'u la komprende |
Shopping and eating
| English | Tetum |
|---|---|
| How much? | Hira? |
| This | Ne'e |
| Water | Bee |
| Food | Ai-han |
| Delicious | Gostu |
| Expensive | Karun |
Getting around
| English | Tetum |
|---|---|
| Where to? | Ba ne'ebé? |
| Stop here | Para iha ne'e |
| Slowly | Neineik |
| Quickly | Lalais |
| Left / right | Karuk / los |
Numbers
Prices are often said in Indonesian or Portuguese numbers, especially in markets. Tetum numbers from one to ten are:
| Number | Tetum |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ida |
| 2 | Rua |
| 3 | Tolu |
| 4 | Haat |
| 5 | Lima |
| 6 | Neen |
| 7 | Hitu |
| 8 | Ualu |
| 9 | Sia |
| 10 | Sanulu |
Frequently asked questions
What language do they speak in East Timor?
Tetum and Portuguese are the official languages. Tetum is spoken by most people, many also speak Indonesian, and there are more than a dozen local languages. English is common in the tourism and NGO world in Dili.
How do you say thank you in Tetum?
Obrigadu if you are male and obrigada if you are female, from Portuguese. Add barak for 'very much': obrigadu barak.
Sources
Official sites, operators and references we checked for this page.
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