Convenience Store

1. Presiza saku ka lae?

   Pre-si-za sa-ku ka la-e?

   Do you need a bag?

   Usage

   Said by staff. Timor-Leste has no convenience-store chains; you shop at a small "kios" or, in Dili, at supermarkets such as Kmanek or Leader. Many kiosks do not offer bags at all, so it is worth carrying your own

   Grammar Note

   Adding "ka lae" at the end forms a yes/no question — literally "or not". It is the commonest question pattern in Tetum and leaves the verb form untouched. On its own, "lae" simply means "no".

2. Favór ida, fó saku ida

   Fa-vor i-da, fo sa-ku i-da

   One bag, please

   Usage

   Use it when staff do not offer one. Kiosks often just hand goods over loose, and where no bag exists the shopkeeper may wrap them in newspaper

   Grammar Note

   Tetum numerals follow the noun: "saku ida" (one bag), "saku rua" (two bags). "Ida" doubles as the indefinite article, which is why "favór ida" literally reads "a favour".

3. Ita iha osan ki'ik?

   I-ta i-ha o-san ki-ik?

   Do you have small change?

   Usage

   Said by staff. Timor-Leste uses the US dollar, with American 1, 5, 10 and 20 dollar notes but its own locally minted centavo coins (1, 5, 10, 25, 50 centavos and 1 dollar). A 20-dollar note is often refused at a kiosk for want of change, so keep small notes on hand

   Grammar Note

   "Ita" is the polite "you"; with close friends you say "o", and for extra deference "Ita-boot" (literally "great you"). "Iha" is the workhorse of Tetum, serving as "to have", "there is" and the locative "at".

4. Ami simu osan de'it

   A-mi si-mu o-san de-it

   We only take cash

   Usage

   Said by staff. Timor-Leste runs on cash: cards are accepted only at some Dili hotels and larger supermarkets. Kiosks and rural shops take cash without exception

   Grammar Note

   "Ami" is the exclusive "we", contrasting with inclusive "ita"; staff speaking about their own shop always use the exclusive form. "De'it" marks restriction and follows whatever it limits.

5. Bele selu ho kartaun?

   Be-le se-lu ho kar-ta-un?

   Can I pay by card?

   Usage

   At a kiosk the answer will be "Lae" (no). Timor Plaza and the larger Dili supermarkets sometimes take Visa or Mastercard, though the terminal may fail when the network is down — always have cash as a fallback

   Grammar Note

   "Bele + verb" asks about both ability and permission. "Ho" is the preposition for "with", covering instrument as well as accompaniment. "Kartaun" is borrowed from Portuguese "cartão".

6. Hamutuk dolar rua ho sentavu lima nulu

   Ha-mu-tuk do-lar ru-a ho sen-ta-vu li-ma nu-lu

   That comes to two dollars fifty

   Usage

   Said by staff. Prices are quoted with a mix of native Tetum and Portuguese-derived numerals, so if the figure escapes you ask to see the calculator — "Hatudu mai" (show me) does the job

   Grammar Note

   Tetum counts ida (1), rua (2), tolu (3), haat (4), lima (5), neen (6), hitu (7), walu (8), sia (9), sanulu (10), and builds tens as "lima nulu" (5 x 10 = 50). Dates and clock times, however, often take Portuguese numerals instead.

7. Presiza resibu ka lae?

   Pre-si-za re-si-bu ka la-e?

   Do you need a receipt?

   Usage

   Said by staff. Kiosks total things up mentally without a till, so usually no receipt exists at all. If you need one for expenses, a shopkeeper will often write it out by hand

   Grammar Note

   Tetum verbs do not conjugate; tense is carried by adverbs such as "ona" (already) and "sei" (still, yet to). "Presiza" therefore keeps the same shape regardless of subject or time.

8. Hau hakarak ida ne'e

   Hau ha-ka-rak i-da ne-e

   I'll take this one

   Usage

   The simplest phrase, used while pointing. Kiosks typically sell through a small window with the stock on shelves inside, out of reach, so pointing is how you order

   Grammar Note

   Tetum has a two-way deictic contrast: "ne'e" (this, here) and "ne'ebá" (that, over there). Pairing them with the numeral — "ida ne'e", "ida ne'ebá" — sharpens the reference. The apostrophe marks a glottal stop.

9. Bee iha ne'ebé?

   Be-e i-ha ne-e-be?

   Where is the water?

   Usage

   Tap water is not drinkable in Timor-Leste, so bottled water is essential. Locals have five-gallon "bidon" containers delivered; visitors should buy sealed small bottles

   Grammar Note

   "Iha ne'ebé?" asks where something is. Tetum leaves the question word at the end and keeps statement word order throughout. Swap in any product — "paun" (bread), "manu-tolun" (eggs).

10. Iha bee manas ka lae?

    I-ha be-e ma-nas ka la-e?

    Do you have hot water?

    Usage

    Useful when buying instant noodles — Indonesian Indomie is everywhere. Kiosks and small eateries will often share hot water from a thermos, but assume there is no microwave

    Grammar Note

    Tetum adjectives follow the noun: "bee manas" (hot water), "bee malirin" (cold water). The order is typical of Malayo-Polynesian languages and holds even for Portuguese-derived vocabulary.

11. Favór ida, fó kanuru ida

    Fa-vor i-da, fo ka-nu-ru i-da

    A spoon, please

    Usage

    Ask for one when buying instant noodles or prepared food. Eating with the hand is common in Timor-Leste, but noodles and soup call for a spoon. A fork is "garfu" — both words come from Portuguese

    Grammar Note

    "Favór ida, fó X ida" = "Please give me one X". Tetum numerals follow the noun (kanuru ida = one spoon). "Fó" means "to give" and works as "give me" in a request.

12. Bele sosa pulsa iha ne'e?

    Be-le so-sa pul-sa i-ha ne-e?

    Can I buy phone credit here?

    Usage

    The country's three carriers are Telkomcel, Telemor and Timor Telecom, and prepaid scratch cards are sold at kiosks and from small roadside tables. You scratch off the code and dial it in yourself

    Grammar Note

    Tetum vocabulary has two borrowing layers — Portuguese and Indonesian — and words like "pulsa" entered during the 24 years of Indonesian rule. Institutional and religious terms tend to be Portuguese, everyday and technical ones Indonesian.

13. Bele karga telefone iha ne'e?

    Be-le kar-ga te-le-fo-ne i-ha ne-e?

    Can I charge my phone here?

    Usage

    Outside Dili power cuts are a daily fact of life, so charge whenever you can. Kiosks and eateries will often lend you a socket, but it rests on the owner's goodwill — buy something first, then ask

    Grammar Note

    A power cut is "eletrisidade mate" — literally "the electricity dies". "Mate" means to die, and Tetum extends it vividly to machines and lights going out.

14. Iha power bank ka lae?

    I-ha power bank ka la-e?

    Do you have a power bank?

    Usage

    With outages so frequent, a power bank is close to essential in Timor-Leste. Kiosks will not have one — look in Timor Plaza in Dili or at Chinese-run general stores. Quality varies widely, so bringing your own is safest

    Grammar Note

    Tetum has few coinages for newer technology, so English nouns are simply slotted into the sentence. Rather than hunting for a native term, drop the English word into the "iha ... ka lae?" frame — it will be understood.

15. Iha ATM besik ne'e?

    I-ha A-T-M be-sik ne-e?

    Is there an ATM near here?

    Usage

    ATMs exist only in Dili and district capitals, mostly BNCTL or the Portuguese BNU machines outside bank branches. Withdrawal limits are low and machines often run dry, so take out a decent sum in Dili before heading to the districts

    Grammar Note

    "Besik" means "near" and works both as an adjective and prepositionally. Its opposite is "dook" (far), and adding "los" intensifies it: "dook los" (very far indeed).

16. Sentina iha ne'ebé?

    Sen-ti-na i-ha ne-e-be?

    Where is the toilet?

    Usage

    A kiosk will not have a customer toilet; in Dili you rely on restaurants, hotels or Timor Plaza. Paper is usually absent and washing with a water scoop is the norm, so carry tissues

    Grammar Note

    "Sentina" is borrowed from Portuguese "sentina" and is the ordinary Tetum word. In urban areas English "toilet" and Indonesian "WC" are also understood.

17. Loja taka tuku hira?

    Lo-ja ta-ka tu-ku hi-ra?

    What time does the shop close?

    Usage

    Nothing opens 24 hours in Timor-Leste, and kiosks effectively close at sunset. Even Dili supermarkets shut by 8-9pm. Many shops stay closed on Sunday mornings for Catholic mass, so buy what you need on Saturday

    Grammar Note

    "Tuku" means hour or o'clock: "tuku hira" (what time), "tuku lima" (five o'clock). "Hira" is the general quantity question word, the same one used to ask a price. To open is "loke".

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