Looking for practical Tetum to Mam phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Tetum phrase first, then the Mam translation (Mam) — 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 Mam.
Tip: pick five Mam 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 Tetum to Mam 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
Xo'j(sho'j)
Obrigadu
Tz'ik(tz'ik)
Bondia
Xo'j nax(sho'j nax)
Bona tarde
Xo'j q'ij(sho'j q'ij)
Bona noite
Xo'j k'ux(sho'j k'ux)
Bona noite
Xo'j k'ux nax(sho'j k'ux nax)
Ami hanesan
K'ux q'ij(k'ux q'ij)
Adeus
Xo'j k'ux(sho'j k'ux)
Quale naran ida?
Ja' k'ux nax?(ha' k'ux nax?)
Naran hau John.
Ja' k'ux nax John(ha' k'ux nax John)
Kona ba o?
Jach' k'ux?(hach' k'ux?)
Diak ba halo ho o.
Nab' k'ux(nab' k'ux)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Keta fala Inglês?
¿K'ax k'utun English?
Hau la fala Hindi diak.
Nek'ux k'utun Hindi k'ax k'utun.
Hau la hatene.
Nek'ux k'ax k'utun.
Favor fala ba moris.
Por favor, k'utun k'ux.
Keta bele fala fali?
¿K'ax k'utun k'ux?
Onde mak banheira?
¿Jach'och k'ux?
Kona ne'ebe hau bele baa sentru cidade?
¿Jach'och k'ux ch'ich'?
Virar ba hadau.
K'utun k'ux.
Virar ba direita.
K'utun k'ux.
Baa diretamente.
K'utun k'ux.
Iha ne'e barak?
¿K'ax k'ux ch'ich'?
Ticket ida, favor.
K'utun ch'ich', por favor.
Iha ne'e laran ka?
¿K'ax k'ux jach'och?
Hau nune'e.
Nek'ux k'ax k'ux.
Onde mak hau bele compra SIM card?
¿Jach'och k'ux k'utun SIM?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Sim
Juj(hoo)
La
Man(mah)
Talvez
K'ux(k'ush)
Hau hakarak
Juj k'ux(hoo k'ush)
Hau la hakarak
Man k'ux(mah k'ush)
Nia mak diak
K'ux juj(k'ush hoo)
Ita nian ideia sa?
¿Juj k'ux k'ut?(¿hoo k'ush k'ut?)
Mak bele ajuda hau?
¿Juj k'ux juj k'ux?(¿hoo k'ush hoo k'ush?)
Hau precisa ajuda
Juj k'ux juj k'ux k'ut(hoo k'ush hoo k'ut)
Hakarak momentu
K'ux k'ut(k'ush k'ut)
Hau mós
Juj k'ux k'ut(hoo k'ush k'ut)
La problema
Man k'ux k'ut(mah k'ush k'ut)
Parabens
K'ux juj k'ut(k'ush hoo k'ut)
Parabens ba aniversario
K'ux juj k'ut k'ux(k'ush hoo k'ut k'ush)
Hau haruka viagen diak
K'ux juj k'ut k'ux(k'ush hoo k'ut k'ush)
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Onde está a estacão de trem?
¿Jujuk pa ri tren?(Onde está a estacão de trem?)
Onde está a paragem de autocarro?
¿Jujuk pa ri bus?(Onde está a paragem de autocarro?)
Iha ne'e plataforma sa'e?
¿K'ux ri plataforma?(Iha ne'e plataforma sa'e?)
Hora ne'e sai?
¿K'ux ri tiempo pa k'ux?(Hora ne'e sai?)
Ema ne'e dalan certo ka?
¿¿K'ux ri camino?(Ema ne'e dalan certo ka?)
Iha ne'e perto
Ri k'ut pa ri.(Iha ne'e perto)
Iha ne'e laran
Ri k'ut pa ri k'ul.(Iha ne'e laran)
Kona ba mapa?
¿¿K'ux k'ut ri mapa?(Kona ba mapa?)
Parar iha ne'e, favor
¿¿K'ut pa ri, por favor?(Parar iha ne'e, favor)
Kona tempu hira?
¿¿K'ux ri tiempo?(Kona tempu hira?)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.