Looking for practical Tetum to Kanuri phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Tetum phrase first, then the Kanuri translation (Kanuri) — 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 Kanuri.
Tip: focus on one section per day (travel Monday, dining Tuesday, and so on) if you are preparing for a Kanuri-speaking trip in a few weeks.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Tetum to Kanuri 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.
Olá
Sannu
Obrigadu
Nagode
Bondia
Ina kwana
Bona tarde
Ina yamma
Bona noite
Ina dare
Bona noite
Sai da safe
Ami hanesan
Zan ganka
Adeus
Sai anjima
Quale naran ida?
Menene sunanka?
Naran hau John.
Sunana John
Kona ba o?
Lafiya lau?
Diak ba halo ho o.
Na ji dadin haduwa da kai
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Keta fala Inglês?
Kuna magana da Turanci?
Hau la fala Hindi diak.
Ba na magana da Hindi sosai.
Hau la hatene.
Ba na fahimta.
Favor fala ba moris.
Don Allah, ku yi magana a hankali.
Keta bele fala fali?
Za ku iya faɗin hakan sake?
Onde mak banheira?
Ina wanka?
Kona ne'ebe hau bele baa sentru cidade?
Ta yaya zan isa tsakiyar birni?
Virar ba hadau.
Juya hagu.
Virar ba direita.
Juya dama.
Baa diretamente.
Tafiya kai tsaye.
Iha ne'e barak?
Nawa ne farashin?
Ticket ida, favor.
Tiket ɗaya, don Allah.
Iha ne'e laran ka?
Shin yana da nisa daga nan?
Hau nune'e.
Na ɓace.
Onde mak hau bele compra SIM card?
Ina zan iya sayen kati na SIM?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Sim
Eey(ee-y)
La
A'a(ah-ah)
Talvez
Wata(wah-tah)
Hau hakarak
Na amu(nah ah-moo)
Hau la hakarak
Na a'a amu(nah ah-ah ah-moo)
Nia mak diak
Iya na(ee-yah nah)
Ita nian ideia sa?
Kaya ka yi tunani?(kah-yah kah yee too-nah-nee)
Mak bele ajuda hau?
Za ka iya taimaka min?(zah kah ee-yah tie-mah-kah meen)
Hau precisa ajuda
Na bukaci taimako(nah boo-kah-chee tie-mah-koh)
Hakarak momentu
Duba dan lokaci(doo-bah dahn loh-kah-chee)
Hau mós
Na yi hakuri(nah yee hah-koo-ree)
La problema
Babu matsala(bah-boo maht-sah-lah)
Parabens
Taya murna(tah-yah moor-nah)
Parabens ba aniversario
Barka da haihuwa(bar-kah dah hai-hoo-wah)
Hau haruka viagen diak
Ka yi tafiya lafiya(kah yee tah-fee-yah lah-fee-yah)
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Onde está a estacão de trem?
Nye boko na gari?(Onde está a estacão de trem?)
Onde está a paragem de autocarro?
Nye boko na bas?(Onde está a paragem de autocarro?)
Iha ne'e plataforma sa'e?
Wane boko na?(Iha ne'e plataforma sa'e?)
Hora ne'e sai?
Wane lokaci ya tafi?(Hora ne'e sai?)
Ema ne'e dalan certo ka?
Shin wannan hanya ce?(Ema ne'e dalan certo ka?)
Iha ne'e perto
Yana kusa da nan(Iha ne'e perto)
Iha ne'e laran
Yana nesa da nan(Iha ne'e laran)
Kona ba mapa?
Za ka iya nuna mini a taswirar?(Kona ba mapa?)
Parar iha ne'e, favor
Tsaida nan, don Allah(Parar iha ne'e, favor)
Kona tempu hira?
Yaya tsawon lokaci?(Kona tempu hira?)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Ita nia presu sa'o?
Nayi na kudi?(Nayi na kudi?)
Esa mak baratu demais.
Wannan ya yi tsada sosai.
Ita iha coisa baratu seluk?
Shin kuna da wani abu mai rahusa?
Posu ka la, hau bele paga ba kart?
Zan iya biyan kudi da kati?
Hau hakarak mesa ba rua.
Ina so tebur don biyu.
Fatu, por favor.
Lissafi, don Allah.
Servisu iha ka?
Shin sabis ya haɗa?
Hau vegetarian.
Ni mai ganyayyaki ne.
Labele comida spicy, por favor.
Ba tare da zaki ba, don Allah.
Esa mak saboru.
Wannan yana da dadi.
Posu ka la, hau bele hakarak menu?
Zan iya samun menu?
Kopa agua, por favor.
Kofin ruwa, don Allah.
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
Liga ba polícia
Dawari janga(Dawari janga)
Liga ba ambulansia
Dawari ambulan(Dawari ambulan)
Hau precisa doutor
Ni na doctor(Ni na doctor)
Hau sente sick
Ni na jaga(Ni na jaga)
Hau iha alergia ba karu
Ni na haji goro(Ni na haji goro)
Onde iha ospitál ne'ebe mais perto?
Ina asibiti na kusa?(Ina asibiti na kusa?)
Ita hakarak iha ne'e
Yana ciwo a nan(Yana ciwo a nan)
Hau hasai passport
Ni na rasa passport na(Ni na rasa passport na)
O pode liga ba hotel hau?
Za ka iya dawari otel na?(Za ka iya dawari otel na?)
Help!
Taimako!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Hau kontente hatoo ho ita
Nde gaishe(nde gaishe)
Kita halo reunião
Mu gaishe taro(mu gaishe taro)
Hora ne'ebe mak diak ba ita?
Wai gaishe lokaci?(wai gaishe lokaci)
Hau sei hatoo relatoriu ona
Zan tura rahoto yau(zan tura rahoto yau)
Ita bele halo conversa fali?
Zamu iya magana gobe?(zamu iya magana gobe)
Favor buka arquivo ne'e iha
Don Allah ka sami fayil din da aka makala(don Allah ka sami fayil din da aka makala)
Obrigadu ba ita-nia tempu
Na gode da lokacinka(na gode da lokacinka)
Hau hakarak trabalha ho ita
Ina fatan aiki tare da kai(ina fatan aiki tare da kai)
Ita bele klarifika ponto ne'e?
Za ka iya fayyace wannan batu?(za ka iya fayyace wannan batu)