Martial Arts

1. Hau bele treinu loron ida de'it ka lae?

   Hau be-le trei-nu lo-ron i-da de-it ka la-e?

   Can I train for just one day?

   Usage

   The basic way to ask about dropping in. What you can actually train in Timor-Leste is mostly taekwondo, karate and boxing, run by federation-registered clubs that borrow school halls and community centres. Dedicated premises are rare even in Dili, and the venue can change from day to day

   Grammar Note

   The tag "ka lae" (or not) turns a statement into a yes/no question and is the everyday way to ask one. Numerals follow the noun, hence "loron ida" for one day

2. Hau bele haree treinu uluk?

   Hau be-le ha-re-e trei-nu u-luk?

   May I watch the training first?

   Usage

   For sizing the place up before committing. Clubs in Dili train outdoors or under an open roof and will hardly ever turn a spectator away. Sessions dodge the midday heat, running early morning or after dusk, with the evening drawing the biggest turnout

   Grammar Note

   Tetum verbs never inflect for person or tense; word order and adverbs carry the load. "Uluk" sits at the end of the clause to mean "first, before anything else"

3. Iha luvas atu aluga ka lae?

   I-ha lu-vas a-tu a-lu-ga ka la-e?

   Do you have gloves to rent?

   Usage

   Equipment is expensive in Timor-Leste and mostly imported, so there is never enough of it. Sharing the club's gloves in rotation is normal, free or for a small amount. Wraps and a mouthguard are your own affair, so bring them if you can

   Grammar Note

   "Iha" is the workhorse verb covering "there is", "to be at" and "to have". The marker "atu" plus a verb expresses purpose, here "for renting"

4. Hau foin komesa, hau seidauk hatene buat ida.

   Hau foin ko-me-sa, hau sei-dauk ha-te-ne bu-at i-da.

   I have only just started and do not know anything yet.

   Usage

   Say this up front. Timorese clubs post no skill grades and everyone trains in one session, so unless you speak up you will be paired with experienced people. Many coaches also handle Indonesian or English

   Grammar Note

   "Foin" marks something that has just happened and "seidauk" something that has not happened yet; both precede the verb. "Buat ida" literally means "one thing" and in a negative sentence renders "anything at all"

5. Favór ida, halo neineik ho hau.

   Fa-vor i-da, ha-lo nei-neik ho hau.

   Please take it gently with me.

   Usage

   For asking to dial the intensity down in pad work or paired drills. Timorese sessions run hot and coaches will push a visitor as hard as anyone, so say it plainly. For the opposite, ask for "maka'as liu" (harder)

   Grammar Note

   "Favór ida" descends from the Portuguese "por favor" and opens a request. "Halo" plus an adverb specifies the manner of an action, "do it in such a way"

6. Hau nia ain tuur moras, la bele hasa'e ain.

   Hau ni-a a-in tu-ur mo-ras, la be-le ha-sa-e a-in.

   My knee hurts and I cannot lift my leg.

   Usage

   Say this before you start — there is no intake form and speaking up is the only way to flag an injury. Swap "ain tuur" (knee) for "kabun" (belly), "kotuk" (back) or "liman" (arm). Medical care is concentrated in Dili and getting seen takes far longer in the districts

   Grammar Note

   Possession is built as "owner + nia + noun", giving "hau nia ain tuur" (my knee). "Knee" is "ain tuur"; "kelen" means thigh. Negation puts "la" before the verb, and "la bele" means "cannot"

7. Fulan ida nia presu hira?

   Fu-lan i-da ni-a pre-su hi-ra?

   How much is it for one month?

   Usage

   A monthly rate usually works out cheaper if you are staying more than a week. Timor-Leste uses the US dollar, with only its own centavo coins alongside. Local club fees are very low, and some treat them less as membership dues than as a share of the running costs

   Grammar Note

   The question word "hira" follows whatever is being asked about, and the rest of the word order stays exactly as in a statement. "Fulan" means both the calendar month and the moon

8. Treinu dala ida nia presu hira?

   Trei-nu da-la i-da ni-a pre-su hi-ra?

   How much is a single session?

   Usage

   The standard way to ask a drop-in rate. Local clubs may tell you to put in whatever you like — offer a fair amount anyway. Keep small dollar notes on you, as change is often short

   Grammar Note

   Frequency is "dala" plus a numeral: "dala ida" (once), "dala rua" (twice). Tetum uses both native and Portuguese-derived numerals, and prices are often quoted with the Portuguese ones

9. Iha klase ba feto ka lae?

   I-ha kla-se ba fe-to ka la-e?

   Is there a class for women?

   Usage

   Women's participation in taekwondo and karate has grown in Dili, and Timorese women compete internationally. District clubs, though, can still be all-male, so asking in advance avoids an awkward arrival

   Grammar Note

   "Ba" is both the verb "to go" and the preposition "for, to". The counterpart of "feto" is "mane" (man), and the pair "feto-mane" means people of both sexes

10. Treinu hahú tuku hira?

    Trei-nu ha-hu tu-ku hi-ra?

    What time does training start?

    Usage

    Timings are rarely posted on paper here; they travel by word of mouth or on the club's Facebook page. Sessions get called off for power cuts or rain, so a message or call on the day is the reliable check

    Grammar Note

    Clock time is "tuku" plus a numeral: "tuku lima" is five o'clock. "Tuku" originally means to strike, the hour taking its name from the strokes of a bell

11. Favór ida, hanorin hau atu kesi liman.

    Fa-vor i-da, ha-no-rin hau a-tu ke-si li-man.

    Please teach me how to wrap my hands.

    Usage

    Gloves without wraps put your knuckles and wrist at risk. Proper wraps are hard to come by in Timor-Leste and some clubs improvise with strips of cloth. Learn the sequence on day one while a coach does it for you

    Grammar Note

    The frame "hanorin + person + atu + verb" means "teach someone how to do something". "Liman" covers both hand and arm, while a finger is "liman-fuan"

12. Bainhira hau bele treinu ho ema seluk?

    Bain-hi-ra hau be-le trei-nu ho e-ma se-luk?

    When can I train with other people?

    Usage

    Paired work and sparring are gated behind the coach's approval because of injury risk, and the usual answer is once your stance and defence hold up. Where protective gear is short, visitors often never go beyond pads and bag work

    Grammar Note

    "Bainhira" is one of the few question words that can stand either at the front or the end of a sentence. Modifiers otherwise follow their noun, as in "ema seluk" (other people)

13. Iha fatin atu hariis ka lae?

    I-ha fa-tin a-tu ha-ri-is ka la-e?

    Is there somewhere to shower?

    Usage

    Even in Dili the water pressure is unreliable and washing usually means a bucket and a dipper. Assume you bring your own towel, change of clothes and drinking water. Supply can cut out altogether at the end of the dry season

    Grammar Note

    "Fatin atu" plus a verb yields "a place for doing X". "Hariis" covers both the traditional bucket wash and using a shower

14. Kompetisaun halo iha ne'ebé?

    Kom-pe-ti-saun ha-lo i-ha ne-e-be?

    Where are the competitions held?

    Usage

    Timorese martial arts events run a few times a year in Dili's sports halls and school auditoriums under the federations. Dates spread on social media and by word of mouth, so ask at a club. Note that the government banned the major martial arts groups in 2013 after fatal violence; the subject remains politically sensitive, so avoid tossing those group names around

    Grammar Note

    "Iha ne'ebé" combines "iha" (at) with "ne'ebé" (where). Tetum has no dedicated passive: "halo" stays active and context supplies the passive reading

15. Hasa'e liman! Proteje ó nia oin!

    Ha-sa-e li-man! Pro-te-je o ni-a o-in!

    Hands up! Protect your face!

    Usage

    Said by the coach — the most frequent call during pad work and paired drills. Commands come out short and sharp with no rudeness intended, and Indonesian or English cues often get mixed in

    Grammar Note

    A command is simply the bare verb at the front. Tetum distinguishes familiar "ó" from polite "Ita" for "you", and a coach addressing a student uses "ó"

16. Baku maka'as! Keta ta'uk!

    Ba-ku ma-ka-as! Ke-ta ta-uk!

    Hit hard! Do not be afraid!

    Usage

    Said by the coach holding the pads when he wants full power. A half-committed punch is actually harder on your wrist, so take it as permission to let go

    Grammar Note

    A prohibition needs only "keta" before the verb. "Maka'as" doubles as adjective and adverb, and placed after a verb it means "do it hard"

17. Deskansa minutu lima, hemu bee.

    Des-kan-sa mi-nu-tu li-ma, he-mu be-e.

    Rest five minutes and drink water.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. Dili is hot and humid year round and sessions run outdoors or in halls with nothing but cross-ventilation, so water calls come often. Tap water is not drinkable — bring bottled water of your own

    Grammar Note

    Numerals follow the noun, giving "minutu lima" for five minutes. Native "lima" competes with the Portuguese-derived "sinku", and speakers mix them freely

18. Ohin loron to'o ne'e de'it. Ó halo di'ak tebes!

    O-hin lo-ron to-o ne-e de-it. O ha-lo di-ak te-bes!

    That is it for today. You did really well!

    Usage

    The coach's closing line. "Obrigadu barak" is all you need in reply — "Obrigada barak" if you are a woman. Sessions usually end with a handshake or a brief embrace, and tipping is not a custom

    Grammar Note

    "Tebes" follows an adjective or adverb to intensify it: "di'ak tebes" is "very good". "To'o ne'e de'it" means "up to here only" and is the stock phrase for ending a session (to'o = until, ne'e = this, de'it = only)

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