Weather & Climate

1. Ohin loron manas tebes

   O-hin lo-ron ma-nas te-bes

   It's hot today, isn't it?

   Usage

   Conversation about hot weather in Timor-Leste

   Grammar Note

   Tetum is an Austronesian language influenced by Portuguese. "Tebes" is an intensifier

2. Haree hanesan sei udan

   Ha-ree ha-ne-san sei u-dan

   It looks like it will rain

   Usage

   When rain is expected

   Grammar Note

   "Haree" = to see, "hanesan" = like/as. Together: "it looks like"

3. Udan boot ida atu mai

   U-dan boot i-da a-tu mai

   Heavy rain is coming

   Usage

   Warning about approaching heavy rain

   Grammar Note

   "Udan" = rain, "boot" = big. Together: heavy rain. "Atu mai" = about to come

4. Ohin loron malirin

   O-hin lo-ron ma-li-rin

   It's cool today

   Usage

   Comment on cool weather

   Grammar Note

   "Malirin" means cool or cold in Tetum

5. Bele hatete ba hau aban rai sei oinsá?

   Be-le ha-te-te ba hau a-ban rai sei oin-sa

   Can you tell me the weather forecast?

   Usage

   Asking for a weather forecast

   Grammar Note

   There is no word for "weather forecast"; the weather is expressed as "rai oinsá" (literally "how is the land"). "Rai" is the subject of most Tetun weather expressions. "sei" marks the future

6. Presiza kreme protesaun husi loro matan ka lae?

   Pre-si-za kre-me pro-te-saun hu-si lo-ro ma-tan ka lae?

   Do I need sunscreen?

   Usage

   Ask on sunny days

   Grammar Note

   Protection is "protesaun" (not spelled "proteksaun"). The sun is "loro matan" ("loron" is a day). "Ka lae" = "or not" — question structure

7. Di'ak liu ka lae lori guardaxuva?

   Di-ak liu ka lae lo-ri guar-da-xu-va

   Should I bring an umbrella?

   Usage

   Before going out in uncertain weather

   Grammar Note

   "guardaxuva" is umbrella — the assimilated form of Portuguese guarda-chuva (Tetun writes the ch sound as x). "Di'ak liu" = "better"

8. Bailoro iha bainhira?

   Bai-lo-ro i-ha bain-hi-ra?

   When is the dry season?

   Usage

   Travel planning question

   Grammar Note

   "Bailoro" = dry season; "bainhira" = when. Timor-Leste dry season: May–November

9. Tempu udan iha bainhira?

   Tem-pu u-dan i-ha bain-hi-ra?

   When is the rainy season?

   Usage

   Ask about the rainy season for travel planning

   Grammar Note

   Timor-Leste rainy season: December–April. "Udan" = rain

10. Loro matan maka'as tebes

    Lo-ro ma-tan ma-ka-as te-bes

    The sun is really strong

    Usage

    Exclamation about strong sunlight

    Grammar Note

    The sun is written as two words, "loro matan" ("loron" is a day). "Naroman" is a different word meaning "bright" and cannot stand for "sunlight". "Maka'as" means strong/powerful and is written without a hyphen

11. Udan

    Rain

    Usage

    Ask or talk about the weather

12. Anin

    Wind

    Usage

    Ask or talk about the weather

13. Kalohan

    Cloudy

    Usage

    Ask or talk about the weather

14. Loro matan

    Sunny

    Usage

    Ask or talk about the weather

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