Tetum→English

Translate Tetum to English the way locals mean it.

Tetum speakers use small words such as lai, ona, and mak to soften requests, signal timing, or add emphasis, so a literal translation can sound more abrupt or more definite than the message really is.

Going the other way? English to Tetum

474 local dialects

AIRTranslate on iPhone choosing between Tetum varieties

What locals actually say

Bele manda foto ida lai?

Could you send me a photo?

Lai softens the request and makes it sound less demanding, rather than meaning strictly "first" or "for a while."

Hau sei confirma lai.

Let me check and confirm.

Sei marks an action that is still to happen, while lai makes the promise tentative and conversational, not a firm immediate confirmation.

Depois mak ita koalia.

We can talk about it later.

Mak puts focus on depois, emphasizing that the conversation will happen later rather than simply translating as "afterwards is when we talk."

Hau la iha osan barak, bele empresta hau dolar lima?

I don't have much money. Could you lend me five dollars?

Osan means money, while empresta is a Portuguese loanword commonly heard in colloquial Tetum Dili for lending.

Ba merkadu ne'e, liu hosi ne'ebé?

Which way do I go to get to this market?

Liu hosi is the Tetum route construction meaning to go via or through a particular way.

Ita haan tiha ona ka seidauk?

Have you eaten yet?

Tiha ona marks a completed action, while seidauk signals that something has not happened yet.

Chefe husu hau atu remata relatóriu ohin.

The boss asked me to finish the report today.

Atu introduces a requested action, and chefe and relatóriu are Portuguese loans typical of Tetum Dili workplace speech.

Udan boot loos, lori guarda-chuva lai.

It's raining really hard, so bring an umbrella for now.

Lai is a colloquial softener meaning for now or first, while guarda-chuva is a Portuguese loanword for umbrella.

Notes like these come with every AIRTranslate translation, so you learn why locals phrase it that way as you go.

How Tetum differs

Tetun Dili with natural Portuguese loanwords.

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Localization Notes explaining why locals say it that way