Laundry

1. Iha fatin fase ropa ne'ebé besik?

   Is there a laundry place nearby?

   Usage

   Used to find a nearby laundry service.

   Grammar Note

   Laundry is "fatin fase ropa" (place for washing clothes). "fó" means to give and "sasan" means goods; together they do not mean a laundry.

2. Hau hakarak fase ropa sira ne'e.

   I want to wash these clothes.

   Usage

   Used when dropping off clothes at a laundry service.

   Grammar Note

   "sira" is the Tetum plural marker added after nouns.

3. Bainhira ropa sira maran tiha?

   When will the clothes be dry?

   Usage

   Used to ask when laundry will be dry and ready.

   Grammar Note

   "tiha" is a completion particle meaning "finished/done".

4. Favór ida hasai foer husi ropa ida ne'e.

   Please remove the stain from this clothing.

   Usage

   Used when requesting stain removal from a garment.

   Grammar Note

   "hasai ... husi ..." means "remove ... from ...". "Dirt / dirty" is "foer"; "hamlaha" means hungry ("Hau hamlaha" is "I am hungry"). There is no separate word for a stain.

5. Hira mak kusta ba fase ropa?

   How much does laundry cost?

   Usage

   Used to inquire about the cost of laundry service.

   Grammar Note

   "hira mak" is the question phrase for "how much".

6. Iha sabaun ba fase ropa?

   Is there laundry soap?

   Usage

   Used when doing your own laundry and asking for detergent.

   Grammar Note

   "Soap" is "sabaun" (also "saboneti"); the Portuguese spelling "sabão" is not used in Tetun.

7. Ropa sira presiza hoban iha bee manas.

   The clothes need to be soaked in hot water.

   Usage

   Used to give washing instructions for clothes.

   Grammar Note

   "bee manas" combines "water" and "hot" to mean hot water. "To soak" is "hoban"; "tun" means to descend and never means to soak.

8. Hau presiza estrika ropa ne'e.

   I need to iron these clothes.

   Usage

   Used when requesting ironing service for clothes.

   Grammar Note

   "Iron" is "estrika", used as both noun and verb ("estrika ropa" = iron clothes). "planxa" is not used.

9. Hau nia ropa maran ona iha loro matan.

   My clothes are already dry in the sun.

   Usage

   Used in the context of sun-drying laundry in Timor-Leste's tropical climate.

   Grammar Note

   "Sun" is "loro matan"; "loron boot" means a big day (a holiday), not the sun. "ona" marks completion. Possession is "hau nia + noun"; "ropa hau" alone does not express possession.

10. Mákina fase ropa iha ne'e?

    Is there a washing machine here?

    Usage

    Used to ask about washing machine availability at accommodation or facilities.

    Grammar Note

    "mákina" is borrowed from Portuguese "máquina" (machine).

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