Sports & Activities

1. Hau gosta jogu futeból

   Hau gos-ta jo-gu fu-te-bol

   I like playing football

   Usage

   Expressing sports preference. Football is the most popular sport in Timor-Leste

   Grammar Note

   Tetum uses "gosta + verb/noun" to express preference. Many Portuguese loanwords are used in sports vocabulary.

2. Iha jogu futeból ohin?

   I-ha jo-gu fu-te-bol o-hin?

   Is there a football match today?

   Usage

   Checking if there is a match scheduled

   Grammar Note

   "Iha" is Tetum's existential verb. The yes/no question form is "Iha jogu ka lae?"

3. Hau hakarak halai

   Hau ha-ka-rak ha-lai

   I want to run

   Usage

   Expressing desire to exercise

   Grammar Note

   "Hakarak + verb" means "want to do something." Standard Tetum SVO structure.

4. Iha jináziu iha ne'e?

   I-ha ji-na-zi-u i-ha ne-e?

   Is there a gym here?

   Usage

   Looking for a gym or fitness facility

   Grammar Note

   "Iha X iha ne'e?" asks "Is there X here?" The word "iha" serves both as "in/at" and "there is."

5. Sira joga voli

   Si-ra jo-ga vo-li

   They are playing volleyball

   Usage

   Describing what people are doing during sports

   Grammar Note

   Tetum has no progressive aspect marker; context conveys ongoing action. Ball games take "joga" ("joga bola" = play football) and volleyball is "voli" ("joga voli").

6. Hau la hatene nani

   Hau la ha-te-ne na-ni

   I don't know how to swim

   Usage

   Saying you are unable to do something

   Grammar Note

   "La hatene + verb" means "don't know how to." Tetum negation places "la" directly before the verb. "To swim" is the native word "nani".

7. Ekipa ne'e manan

   E-ki-pa ne-e ma-nan

   This team won

   Usage

   Announcing the result of a match

   Grammar Note

   "Ne'e" is a demonstrative meaning "this." In Tetum it follows the noun in a post-nominal position.

8. Hau hakarak haree jogu

   Hau ha-ka-rak ha-ree jo-gu

   I want to watch the game

   Usage

   Expressing desire to watch a sporting event

   Grammar Note

   "Hakarak + verb" expresses desire. "Haree" is a native Tetum word meaning "to look/watch."

9. Tuku hira mak jogu hahú?

   Tu-ku hi-ra mak jo-gu ha-hu?

   What time does the game start?

   Usage

   Asking about the start time of a sporting event

   Grammar Note

   "Tuku hira mak...?" asks for a clock time. "Mak" is a focus particle emphasizing the question word. "Prazu" means "deadline / expiry date", not time of day.

10. Hau presiza ekipamentu desportu

    Hau pre-si-za e-ki-pa-men-tu des-por-tu

    I need sports equipment

    Usage

    Asking for sports equipment at a store or rental

    Grammar Note

    "Presiza + noun" means "need something." Portuguese-borrowed verbs in Tetum do not conjugate for person.

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