Café & Drinks

1. Hau hakarak bee moos ida.

   Hau ha-ka-rak be-e mo-os i-da.

   I would like one glass of water.

   Usage

   Used to order water at a restaurant or café

   Grammar Note

   bee moos (clean water) is the common expression for drinking water

2. Kafé ho susubeen, favór.

   Ka-fe ho su-su-be-en, fa-vor.

   Coffee with milk, please.

   Usage

   Used to order coffee with milk

   Grammar Note

   "ho" is a preposition meaning "with" or "together with". Coffee with milk is "kafé ho susubeen" (café com leite / white coffee). "leite" is the Portuguese word, not Tetun (leite → susubeen). "susubeen" is susu (milk) + been (liquid)

3. Nuu ida, favór.

   Nu-u i-da, fa-vor.

   One coconut, please.

   Usage

   Used to order a fresh coconut at the beach or a food stall

   Grammar Note

   "Coconut" is "nuu" (young coconut: "nuu mudu"). "siku" means elbow (liman sikun) or corner and has nothing to do with coconuts

4. Serveja malirin, favór.

   Ser-ve-ja ma-li-rin, fa-vor.

   A cold beer, please.

   Usage

   Used to order a cold beer at a bar or restaurant

   Grammar Note

   The adjective "malirin" follows the noun, as Tetun adjectives do. Beer is spelled "serveja" and "cold (to the touch)" is "malirin"; "fresku" is not used

5. Xá manas ida, favór.

   Xa ma-nas i-da, fa-vor.

   One hot tea, please.

   Usage

   Used to order hot tea

   Grammar Note

   manas can mean both "hot" and "spicy"; context determines the meaning

6. Bee ho jelu, favór.

   Be-e ho je-lu, fa-vor.

   Iced water, please.

   Usage

   Used to request iced water especially in hot weather

   Grammar Note

   "Ice" is "jelu" (ice cube: "jelu fatuk"); "ais" is an ad-hoc respelling of English "ice" and is not used. "ho" means "with"

7. Nuu been foun di'ak liu.

   Nu-u be-en foun di-ak li-u.

   Fresh coconut milk is the best.

   Usage

   Used to recommend or comment on fresh coconut milk

   Grammar Note

   "liu" forms comparatives and superlatives. Coconut milk is "nuu been"; "foun" means new/fresh, while "moos" means clean, not fresh

8. Vinhu branku ka tintu?

   Vi-nhu bran-ku ka tin-tu?

   White wine or red wine?

   Usage

   Used to ask about the type of wine

   Grammar Note

   Grape wine is "vinhu branku" (white) and "tintu" (red). "tua" is palm wine, and "tua mutin" is sweet palm wine — not white wine. Attaching a colour adjective to "tua" does not produce "red wine"

9. Hau la hemu alkól.

   Hau la he-mu al-kol.

   I do not drink alcohol.

   Usage

   Used to politely decline alcohol

   Grammar Note

   la is placed before the verb to form negation in Tetum

10. Konta ba hemu hira?

    Kon-ta ba he-mu hi-ra?

    How much is it for the drinks?

    Usage

    Used to ask for the bill for drinks

    Grammar Note

    ba here acts as a preposition indicating purpose or reference

11. Bee minerál

    Bottled water

    Usage

    Ask for sealed bottled water

    Grammar Note

    The spelling is "bee minerál" with the acute accent (água mineral / mineral water); "bee" is water.

12. Bee manas

    Hot water

    Usage

    Ask for hot water

13. Keta tau jelu

    No ice

    Usage

    Ask for a drink without ice

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