Looking for practical Sepedi to Tetum phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Sepedi 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: pick five Tetum phrases from the greetings section and use them in a real message today. Small daily practice beats cramming before a trip.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Sepedi 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.
Dumela
Olá
Ke a leboga
Obrigadu
Dumelang
Bondia
Mokhutsong o motle
Bona tarde
Mokhutsong o motle
Bona noite
Borai bo botle
Bona noite
Tsamaya sentle
Ami hanesan
Siyabonga
Adeus
O na le leina lefe?
Quale naran ida?
Leina la ka ke John
Naran hau John.
O kae?
Kona ba o?
Ke thabela go kopana le wena
Diak ba halo ho o.
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Na o bua Seisemane?
Keta fala Inglês?
Ke sitwa go bua Hindi sentle
Hau la fala Hindi diak.
Ke sitwa go kwele
Hau la hatene.
Tsweetswee bua ka borai
Favor fala ba moris.
Na o ka bo o mpotsa gape?
Keta bele fala fali?
Borai bo kae?
Onde mak banheira?
Ke etse eng go ya borai?
Kona ne'ebe hau bele baa sentru cidade?
Fetola go le letšatši
Virar ba hadau.
Fetola go le letona
Virar ba direita.
Ya ka pela
Baa diretamente.
Phetho ke bokae?
Iha ne'e barak?
Tiketeng e le nngwe, tsweetswee
Ticket ida, favor.
Na ke kgole go tswa fano?
Iha ne'e laran ka?
Ke sitwa go etse
Hau nune'e.
Borai bo kae ke ka reka SIM card?
Onde mak hau bele compra SIM card?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Ee
Sim
Aowa
La
Mohlomong
Talvez
Ke a dumela
Hau hakarak
Ke sitwa go dumela
Hau la hakarak
Seo se utlwa sentle
Nia mak diak
O nagana eng?
Ita nian ideia sa?
O ka nthusa?
Mak bele ajuda hau?
Ke hloka thuso
Hau precisa ajuda
Emela nako
Hakarak momentu
Ke maswabi
Hau mós
Ga go na bothata
La problema
Dumelang
Parabens
Tlhogong e monate
Parabens ba aniversario
Dira leeto le le bolokehileng
Hau haruka viagen diak
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Ke kae boraiwa ba terene?
Onde está a estacão de trem?(Onde está a estacão de trem?)
Ke kae boraiwa ba bosi?
Onde está a paragem de autocarro?(Onde está a paragem de autocarro?)
Ke sehlopha sefe?
Iha ne'e plataforma sa'e?(Iha ne'e plataforma sa'e?)
Nako efe e tlo fofa?
Hora ne'e sai?(Hora ne'e sai?)
A ke tsela e nepahetseng?
Ema ne'e dalan certo ka?(Ema ne'e dalan certo ka?)
E haufi le fa
Iha ne'e perto(Iha ne'e perto)
E hole le fa
Iha ne'e laran(Iha ne'e laran)
O ka mpontsha ka mape?
Kona ba mapa?(Kona ba mapa?)
Emisa fa, tsweetswee
Parar iha ne'e, favor(Parar iha ne'e, favor)
E nka nako e kae?
Kona tempu hira?(Kona tempu hira?)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Ke bokae?
Ita nia presu sa'o?(ita nia presu sao?)
Seo ke sebopego se se kotsi
Esa mak baratu demais.(seo ke se-bo-pe-go se se ko-tsi)
O na le sengwe se se theko e tlase?
Ita iha coisa baratu seluk?(o na le se-ngwe se se the-ko e tla-se)
Nka lefa ka khadi?
Posu ka la, hau bele paga ba kart?(nka le-fa ka kha-di)
Ke rata tafole ya batho ba babedi
Hau hakarak mesa ba rua.(ke ra-ta ta-fo-le ya ba-tho ba ba-be-di)
Bille, tswarela
Fatu, por favor.(bil-le tswa-re-la)
Na tshebeletso e akaretswe?
Servisu iha ka?(na tse-be-let-so e a-ka-re-tswe)
Ke movegetarian
Hau vegetarian.(ke mo-ve-ge-ta-ri-an)
Aowa, dijo tse di phadileng, tswarela
Labele comida spicy, por favor.(a-o-wa di-jo tse di pha-di-leng tswa-re-la)
Se ke se monate
Esa mak saboru.(se ke se mo-na-te)
Nka fumana lenaneo?
Posu ka la, hau bele hakarak menu?(nka fu-ma-na le-na-e-no)
Khalase ya metsi, tswarela
Kopa agua, por favor.(kha-la-se ya me-tsi tswa-re-la)
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
B calla mapolesa
Liga ba polícia
B calla ambulance
Liga ba ambulansia
Ke hloka ngaka
Hau precisa doutor
Ke ikutlwa ke bolaya
Hau sente sick
Ke na le allergy go peanuts
Hau iha alergia ba karu
Hospital e hwetšwa kae?
Onde iha ospitál ne'ebe mais perto?
Go a bohloko fa
Ita hakarak iha ne'e
Ke lahlehetšwe ke passport ya ka
Hau hasai passport
O ka bitsa hotel ya ka?
O pode liga ba hotel hau?
Thusa!
Help!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Ke thabile go kopana le wena
Hau kontente hatoo ho ita
A re beye ngwaga ya kopano
Kita halo reunião
Nako efe e go kgonang?
Hora ne'ebe mak diak ba ita?
Ke tla romela reportone gompieno
Hau sei hatoo relatoriu ona
A re ka bua ka moso?
Ita bele halo conversa fali?
Tsweetswee bona faele e amanang
Favor buka arquivo ne'e iha
Ke a leboga ka nako ya gago
Obrigadu ba ita-nia tempu
Ke lebeletse go dira le wena
Hau hakarak trabalha ho ita
A o ka hlalosa ntlha eo?
Ita bele klarifika ponto ne'e?
A ke tle ke boe go wena
Hau sei volta ba ita
Nako ya borai ke Labohlano
Prazo mak sexta-feira
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.