Learn Tetum

I started learning Tetum in January 2025.

The goal was conversational fluency in preparation for a trip to East Timor in March 2025.

Want to learn Tetum?

Here's what I did for 30 days.

Day 1

Learned basic phrases

This channel was a good start for the basics.

Writing a children's story in Tetum (with ChatGPT)

Bibi ho Haksolok (The Happy Goat)

Iha laran ai-laran ida, bibi ki’ik ida naran Lulu hela. Lulu mak bibi haksolok-liu iha sira nia aldeia. Hela iha laran ai-hanesan, Lulu sempre hariis iha mota ki’ik ho bee malirin.

Lor-loron, Lulu gosta haan ai-manas no ai-dila. Nia sempre tau matan ba rai-funan ho lia-fuan:
"Obrigadu, Rai, tamba ita hatudu ha’u ai-manas no ai-dila! Ha’u sei haksolok sempre!"

Hahú loron ida, Lulu bolu nia belun fuik:
“Oi, Fuik, mai ita baa loke mata ida barak ho kafeu no flores maran. Ita bele buka liafuan matenek iha to’os ida!”

Lulu no Fuik baa haksolok ona. Iha to’os ida, sira hetan ai-manas bo’ot no fahi balu. Lulu dehan ho isin-matenek:
"Oi, ita sei fiar ba natureza. Rai hatudu ema sira hanesan ha’u sempre haksolok!"

Loron nee remata ho rai loron-tolus halai tan, no Lulu ho Fuik fila ba ai-laran. Haksolok Lulu sei iha foho nee!

Translation

Let’s translate the story sentence by sentence:

Title:
Bibi ho Haksolok
The Happy Goat

Iha laran ai-laran ida, bibi ki’ik ida naran Lulu hela.
In a forest, there lived a small goat named Lulu.
Lulu mak bibi haksolok-liu iha sira nia aldeia.
Lulu was the happiest goat in the village.
Hela iha laran ai-hanesan, Lulu sempre hariis iha mota ki’ik ho bee malirin.
Living among the trees, Lulu always bathed in a small stream with cool water.
Lor-loron, Lulu gosta haan ai-manas no ai-dila.
Every day, Lulu loved eating bananas and papayas.
Nia sempre tau matan ba rai-funan ho lia-fuan:
She always looked at the plants and said:
"Obrigadu, Rai, tamba ita hatudu ha’u ai-manas no ai-dila! Ha’u sei haksolok sempre!"
“Thank you, Earth, for giving me bananas and papayas! I will always be happy!”
Hahú loron ida, Lulu bolu nia belun fuik:
One day, Lulu called her friend, the monkey:
“Oi, Fuik, mai ita baa loke mata ida barak ho kafeu no flores maran.
“Hey, Monkey, let’s go explore the forest full of coffee plants and dried flowers.
Ita bele buka liafuan matenek iha to’os ida!”
We might find something interesting in a field!”
Lulu no Fuik baa haksolok ona.
Lulu and Monkey went happily.
Iha to’os ida, sira hetan ai-manas bo’ot no fahi balu.
In a field, they found a big banana tree and some pigs.
Lulu dehan ho isin-matenek:
Lulu said wisely:
"Oi, ita sei fiar ba natureza. Rai hatudu ema sira hanesan ha’u sempre haksolok!"
“Hey, we must trust nature. The Earth shows us how to always be happy!”
Loron nee remata ho rai loron-tolus halai tan, no Lulu ho Fuik fila ba ai-laran.
That day ended with the sunset, and Lulu and Monkey returned to the forest.
Haksolok Lulu sei iha foho nee!
Lulu’s happiness remained on the hill!