Looking for practical Samoan to Tetum phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Samoan phrase first, then the Tetum translation (Tetum) — so you can scan quickly before a trip, class, or video call.
The phrases are grouped into eight topics: greetings and pleasantries, useful phrases for travellers, everyday conversation, directions and getting around, shopping and dining, emergencies and health, work and business, and time, days and numbers. Use the table of contents to jump straight to greetings, directions, dining, emergencies, or numbers. You do not need perfect grammar to start — short, clear sentences often work better than silence when you are learning Tetum.
Tip: focus on one section per day (travel Monday, dining Tuesday, and so on) if you are preparing for a Tetum-speaking trip in a few weeks.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Samoan to Tetum translator to paste your own messages and get an instant translation.
Greetings and pleasantries
Hello, goodbye, please, thank you, and polite introductions for meeting new people.
Talofa
Olá
Fa'amolemole
Obrigadu
Talofa i le taeao
Bondia
Talofa i le afiafi
Bona tarde
Talofa i le po
Bona noite
O le po lelei
Bona noite
Fa'afetai
Ami hanesan
Tofa
Adeus
O ai lou igoa?
Quale naran ida?
O lo'u igoa o John
Naran hau John.
O a mai oe?
Kona ba o?
O le fiafia e feiloa'i ma oe
Diak ba halo ho o.
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
E te tautala i le Igilisi?
Keta fala Inglês?
E le mafai ona ou tautala i le Hindi lelei
Hau la fala Hindi diak.
E le mafai ona ou malamalama
Hau la hatene.
Fa'amolemole tautala i se fa'atekinolosi
Favor fala ba moris.
E mafai ona e fa'atekinolosi?
Keta bele fala fali?
O fea le umukuka?
Onde mak banheira?
E fa'apefea ona ou o'o i le ogatotonu o le aai?
Kona ne'ebe hau bele baa sentru cidade?
Tali i le itu mauga
Virar ba hadau.
Tali i le itu i matu
Virar ba direita.
O le ala i le fa'atekinolosi
Baa diretamente.
E fia le tau o le ta'avale?
Iha ne'e barak?
O se tiketi, fa'amolemole
Ticket ida, favor.
E mamao mai iinei?
Iha ne'e laran ka?
Ua ou leiloa
Hau nune'e.
O fea e mafai ai ona ou fa'atau se ka'a SIM?
Onde mak hau bele compra SIM card?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Ioe
Sim
Leai
La
Atonu
Talvez
O le fa'amaonia
Hau hakarak
O le fa'amaonia e le o ia
Hau la hakarak
E lelei le fa'ailoa
Nia mak diak
O le a sou manatu?
Ita nian ideia sa?
E mafai ona e fesoasoani mai ia te a'u?
Mak bele ajuda hau?
E manaʻomia le fesoasoani
Hau precisa ajuda
Fa'amolemole taofi se moment
Hakarak momentu
Fa'amolemole, ou te fa'amalie atu
Hau mós
E leai se fa'aletonu
La problema
Fa'afetai
Parabens
Manuia le aso fanau
Parabens ba aniversario
Ia manuia lau malaga
Hau haruka viagen diak
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
O fea le nofoaga o le taavale vae?
Onde está a estacão de trem?(Onde está a estacão de trem?)
O fea le nofoaga taofi o le autobus?
Onde está a paragem de autocarro?(Onde está a paragem de autocarro?)
O le fea le tulaga?
Iha ne'e plataforma sa'e?(Iha ne'e plataforma sa'e?)
O le a le taimi e alu ai?
Hora ne'e sai?(Hora ne'e sai?)
O le ala saʻo lenei?
Ema ne'e dalan certo ka?(Ema ne'e dalan certo ka?)
E latalata iinei
Iha ne'e perto(Iha ne'e perto)
E mamao mai iinei
Iha ne'e laran(Iha ne'e laran)
E mafai ona e fa'aali mai i le mapa?
Kona ba mapa?(Kona ba mapa?)
Taofi iinei, fa'amolemole
Parar iha ne'e, favor(Parar iha ne'e, favor)
E fia le taimi e alu ai?
Kona tempu hira?(Kona tempu hira?)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
E fia le tau o lenei?
Ita nia presu sa'o?(ita nia presu sao?)
O le tau o ia o lo'o maualuga.
Esa mak baratu demais.
E iai ni mea e sili atu le taugofie?
Ita iha coisa baratu seluk?
E mafai ona ou totogi i le kaadi?
Posu ka la, hau bele paga ba kart?
Ou te mana'o i se laulau mo le lua.
Hau hakarak mesa ba rua.
Fa'amolemole, le pili.
Fatu, por favor.
O lo'o aofia i le auaunaga?
Servisu iha ka?
O a'u o se tagata 'ai fa'avae i le la'au.
Hau vegetarian.
E leai ni mea 'ai vevela, fa'amolemole.
Labele comida spicy, por favor.
E manaia lenei.
Esa mak saboru.
E mafai ona ou maua le menu?
Posu ka la, hau bele hakarak menu?
Fa'amolemole, se ipu vai.
Kopa agua, por favor.
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
Faafesootai leoleo
Liga ba polícia
Faafesootai se ambulanse
Liga ba ambulansia
E tatau ia te aʻu se fomaʻi
Hau precisa doutor
O loʻu lagona e le lelei
Hau sente sick
O aʻu e i ai le allergy i fatu peni
Hau iha alergia ba karu
O fea le falemaʻi e sili ona lata mai?
Onde iha ospitál ne'ebe mais perto?
E tiga iinei
Ita hakarak iha ne'e
Ua ou leiloa laʻu pasese
Hau hasai passport
E mafai ona e faafesootai laʻu otel?
O pode liga ba hotel hau?
Fa'amolemole!
Help!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
O le fiafia e feiloai i le fa'avae
Hau kontente hatoo ho ita(O le fiafia e feiloai)
Se'i o tatou fa'ata'ita'iga se fonotaga
Kita halo reunião
O le a le taimi e lelei mo oe?
Hora ne'ebe mak diak ba ita?
O le a ou auina atu le lipoti i le aso
Hau sei hatoo relatoriu ona
E mafai ona tatou talanoa i le taeao?
Ita bele halo conversa fali?
Fa'amolemole, fa'aaoga le fa'amaumauga i le fa'amaumauga
Favor buka arquivo ne'e iha
Fa'afetai mo lou taimi
Obrigadu ba ita-nia tempu
O lo'o ou fa'atali e galulue fa'atasi ma oe
Hau hakarak trabalha ho ita
E mafai ona e fa'amaonia le fa'avae?
Ita bele klarifika ponto ne'e?
Se'i o'u toe fo'i atu i le fa'avae
Hau sei volta ba ita
O le taimi e ta'ita'ia ai o le Aso Faraile
Prazo mak sexta-feira
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.