Compliments

1. Ita furak tebes

   i-ta fu-rak te-bes

   You are very beautiful

   Grammar Note

   "Ita" is the polite second person. "You (singular)" can be "ita / ita boot / o", but "o" is familiar and only for close acquaintances, so compliments to someone you have just met take "Ita". Tetum follows SVO word order.

2. Hahaan ne'e gostu tebes

   ha-ha-an ne-e gos-tu te-bes

   This food is very delicious

   Usage

   Use when complimenting Timorese dishes like ikan saboko (fish baked in palm leaves) or batar daan (boiled corn)

   Grammar Note

   "Delicious / tasty" is furak, gostu, or midar; the Portuguese form "saboroso" is not used. "Food" is "hahaan" — "haan" is the verb "to eat".

3. Ita ema di'ak tebes

   i-ta e-ma di-ak te-bes

   You are a very good person

   Grammar Note

   "Di'ak" = good/well/fine — one of the most versatile adjectives in Tetum.

4. Ita ko'alia tetun di'ak

   i-ta ko-a-li-a te-tun di-ak

   You speak Tetum well

   Usage

   Any attempt to speak Tetum is greatly appreciated by Timorese people

   Grammar Note

   "Ko'alia" = to speak/talk (native Tetum verb).

5. Timor-Leste furak tebes

   ti-mor les-te fu-rak te-bes

   East Timor is very beautiful

   Usage

   Timorese people are proud of their country's beauty and hard-won independence

   Grammar Note

   "Leste" (Portuguese: east). "Timor" = the island. "Timor-Leste" = East Timor.

6. Ita servisu di'ak tebes

   i-ta ser-vi-su di-ak te-bes

   You work very well

   Grammar Note

   "Servisu" (from Portuguese "serviço" = work/service) is used as both noun and verb.

7. Foto ne'e furak tebes

   fo-to ne-e fu-rak te-bes

   This photo is very beautiful

   Grammar Note

   "Foto" (from Portuguese "foto" = photo/photograph).

8. Ita halo di'ak

   i-ta ha-lo di-ak

   You did well

   Grammar Note

   "Halo" = to do/make — one of the most fundamental verbs in Tetum.

9. Ita matenek tebes

   i-ta ma-te-nek te-bes

   You are very intelligent

   Grammar Note

   "Clever/intelligent" is "matenek", which ranges from intelligent and wise to well-mannered. "matan dook" literally means long-sighted and does not mean clever.

10. Fatin ne'e furak tebes

    fa-tin ne-e fu-rak te-bes

    This place is very beautiful

    Grammar Note

    "Fatin" = place/location — a native Tetum word.

Browse all TravelPhrases languages