Indulgences

1. Tua

   Tua (palm wine; alcohol in general)

   Usage

   The basic word for palm wine and, by extension, drinking alcohol generally. A "local drink" in Timor-Leste means this, not grape wine. Note that Dili's police command stated in 2024 that it will not tolerate young people gathering to drink tua in public spaces such as the street. Avoid drinking outdoors

   Grammar Note

   "tua" means palm wine and also drinking alcohol in general. Being drunk is "tua lanu". The palms it is tapped from are "tua metan" (arenga palm) and "tua-akadiru" (lontar palm).

2. Tua mutin

   Tua mutin (fresh sweet palm toddy)

   Usage

   Unfermented palm sap: sweet and only slightly alcoholic. A synonym is "tuaka". It is not white wine, despite "mutin" meaning white; it grows stronger as it ferments on its own

   Grammar Note

   "Tua mutin" is not white wine. Grape wine is "vinhu branku" (white) and "tintu" (red); attaching a colour adjective to "tua" does not produce grape wine.

3. Tua manas

   Tua manas (distilled palm spirit)

   Usage

   Palm wine that has been distilled. The strength is high and varies from maker to maker

   Grammar Note

   "Manas" means hot or spicy and here conveys the burn of a spirit. "alku" is medical alcohol, not a drink.

4. Tua sabu

   Tua sabu (home-distilled palm brandy)

   Usage

   A word that comes with a safety warning. Home-distilled palm spirit. In January 2020 the commander of the national police (PNTL) reported that 449 crimes over Christmas and New Year stemmed from intoxication on tua sabu, and recommended that the government regulate its cheap, unregulated sale on street corners. Its strength is not controlled and the buyer has no way to know it. An even stronger grade is called "tua ulun"

5. Bua-malus

   Bua-malus (the betel quid: areca nut and betel leaf)

   Usage

   Areca nut (bua) chewed together with betel leaf (malus) and slaked lime (ahu). It sits at the centre of social life: official government programmes schedule "Loke Bua-Malus", the ritual opening of the betel by the lia-na'in (custodian of tradition). Women sell it in bundles at markets. It carries a real health risk: Betel quid and areca nut are agents carcinogenic to humans; chewing it causes oral cancer. It is perfectly acceptable to decline

   Grammar Note

   "Bua" and "malus" are separate words. The pair "bua-malus" is written with a hyphen.

6. Bua

   Areca nut (betel nut)

   Usage

   The nut of the areca palm, sold in heaps at markets and roadside stalls. It is an agent carcinogenic to humans; it causes oral cancer even without added tobacco. The husk (bua kulit) is also used as a wrapper for cooking

7. Malus

   Betel pepper leaf

   Usage

   The betel leaf that wraps the areca nut for chewing. The leaf itself is also written "malus-tahan". Leaves are counted in bundles (futun). It is offered to guests at rituals and on visits

8. Ahu

   Ahu (slaked lime used in the betel quid)

   Usage

   The white lime powder smeared on the leaf when chewing betel. It is what turns the juice red, hence the red stains on mouths and pavements

   Grammar Note

   "Ahu ruin" means coral — the same word "ahu" (lime) in a compound, distinguished by context.

9. Mama

   To chew (betel)

   Usage

   The verb for chewing without swallowing, used above all for betel. In Indonesian it is "makan sirih". To decline an offer you can use the negator "la": "Hau la mama" — I do not chew

   Grammar Note

   "mama" means chewing without swallowing — betel, or food chewed fine to give to a baby. It is not the word for mother (that is "inan", or "amaa" as a term of address).

10. Look

    To offer betel nut or cigarettes to a guest

    Usage

    The word for offering betel nut or cigarettes between host and guest, or at a formal traditional meeting. It is an act of hospitality, not simply handing something over, so decline politely if you decline

    Grammar Note

    The container for betel is "mama fatin". Do not confuse "look" with "loke" (to open), the verb in the government ceremonial item "Loke Bua-Malus".

11. Sigaru

    Cigarette

    Usage

    Cigarettes, which shops sell by the single stick; for example "Sigaru lolon ida, hira?" — how much for one cigarette? A packet is "masu" and a lighter is "iskeiru". The no-smoking sign is "Labele fuma"

    Grammar Note

    Cigarettes are counted with "lolon", the classifier for long cylindrical items: "sigaru lolon ida" (one cigarette). The verb "to smoke" is "fuma", a Tetum borrowing from Portuguese "fumar".

12. Tabaku

    Tobacco (leaf)

    Usage

    Leaf or loose tobacco. In rural areas people roll their own, and it is sometimes held in the mouth together with betel. Adding tobacco to a betel quid raises the cancer risk further

13. Patisku

    Patisku (snack eaten with palm wine)

    Usage

    A snack eaten alongside drink, palm wine in particular

    Grammar Note

    From Portuguese "petisco"; the Tetun spelling is "patisku". The Portuguese spelling is not used as the Tetun word.

14. Batar sona

    Batar sona (fried corn snack)

    Usage

    Corn kernels fried in oil — a plain, everyday snack. There is also "batar-sona ho fore-rai", made with peanuts. Popcorn is a different word, "batar funan"

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