Money & Exchange

1. Folin ne'e hira?

   Fo-lin ne-e hi-ra?

   How much does this cost?

   Usage

   Used to ask the price at a market or shop

   Grammar Note

   folin ne'e hira is the standard question for asking a price

2. Hau bele paga ho dolar Amerikanu?

   Hau be-le pa-ga ho do-lar A-me-ri-ka-nu?

   Can I pay with US dollars?

   Usage

   Used to confirm USD payment, as Timor-Leste uses US dollars officially

   Grammar Note

   Timor-Leste's official currency is USD; centavos are the local coin denominations

3. Iha ATM besik?

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

   Is there an ATM nearby?

   Usage

   Used to find a nearby ATM

   Grammar Note

   Iha + noun + besik forms an existential sentence meaning "there is X nearby"

4. Troka osan ne'e bele?

   Tro-ka o-san ne-e be-le?

   Can you exchange this money?

   Usage

   Used at a money changer or bank to exchange currency

   Grammar Note

   bele can appear at the end of a sentence as a modal meaning "possible" or "okay"

5. Hau presiza resibu.

   Hau pre-si-za re-si-bu.

   I need a receipt.

   Usage

   Used to request a receipt for a purchase

   Grammar Note

   Hau presiza + noun forms the basic "I need X" pattern. Receipt is spelled "resibu"; the spelling "rasidu" does not exist

6. Iha deskontu ba turista ka lae?

   I-ha des-kon-tu ba tu-ris-ta ka la-e?

   Is there a tourist discount?

   Usage

   Used to ask about tourist discounts at attractions or shops

   Grammar Note

   "ba turista" marks the beneficiary ("for tourists"). "Discount" is "deskontu"; the Portuguese plural "diskontus" is not used. "turizmu" is the industry, not a person

7. Hau la iha osan sufisiente.

   Hau la i-ha o-san su-fi-si-en-te.

   I do not have enough money.

   Usage

   Used to explain that you don't have enough money

   Grammar Note

   la iha is the negative of iha (to have/exist), meaning "don't have" or "there is no"

8. Kartaun kréditu servisu iha ne'e?

   Kar-taun kre-di-tu ser-vi-su i-ha ne-e?

   Does credit card work here?

   Usage

   Used to check if credit cards are accepted

   Grammar Note

   "servisu" means "work / function" and is used to ask whether a payment method or device operates. "Servisu" also means "employment", and "servisu nain" exists. "La servisu" means "not working".

9. Folin ne'e karun liu. Bele hatun?

   Fo-lin ne-e ka-run li-u. Be-le ha-tun?

   The price is too high. Can you lower it?

   Usage

   Used to bargain at a market or shop

   Grammar Note

   karun (expensive) and baratu (cheap) are the price antonyms. "To lower" is "hatun" (the counterpart of "hasa'e", to raise); "baxa" is not used

10. Konta totál hira?

    Kon-ta to-tal hi-ra?

    What is the total bill?

    Usage

    Used to ask for the total amount at a restaurant or shop

    Grammar Note

    konta totál is the common phrase for requesting the full bill

11. Depózitu

    Deposit

    Usage

    A deposit held by a hotel or rental, returned at checkout

12. Kustu extra

    Extra charge

    Usage

    Word for a charge added on afterward

13. Taxa servisu

    Service fee

    Usage

    Word for a fee charged for a procedure or service

14. Osan

    Cash

    Usage

    Point at it to show how you will pay. "Cash" is "osan (la'os cek)" — money as opposed to a cheque — and there is no separate word for cash. "tunai" is Indonesian

15. Kartaun

    Card (payment)

    Usage

    Point at it to show how you will pay

16. Ida-idak selu nian

    Split the bill

    Usage

    Ask to pay separately

17. Selu hamutuk

    Pay all together

    Usage

    Ask to pay for everyone at once

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