Looking for practical Tetum to Samoan phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Tetum phrase first, then the Samoan translation (Samoan) — 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 Samoan.
Tip: read the Samoan line out loud three times, then cover the Tetum side and try to recall the meaning — repetition builds memory faster than silent reading.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Tetum to Samoan 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
Talofa
Obrigadu
Fa'amolemole
Bondia
Talofa i le taeao
Bona tarde
Talofa i le afiafi
Bona noite
Talofa i le po
Bona noite
O le po lelei
Ami hanesan
Fa'afetai
Adeus
Tofa
Quale naran ida?
O ai lou igoa?
Naran hau John.
O lo'u igoa o John
Kona ba o?
O a mai oe?
Diak ba halo ho o.
O le fiafia e feiloa'i ma oe
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Keta fala Inglês?
E te tautala i le Igilisi?
Hau la fala Hindi diak.
E le mafai ona ou tautala i le Hindi lelei
Hau la hatene.
E le mafai ona ou malamalama
Favor fala ba moris.
Fa'amolemole tautala i se fa'atekinolosi
Keta bele fala fali?
E mafai ona e fa'atekinolosi?
Onde mak banheira?
O fea le umukuka?
Kona ne'ebe hau bele baa sentru cidade?
E fa'apefea ona ou o'o i le ogatotonu o le aai?
Virar ba hadau.
Tali i le itu mauga
Virar ba direita.
Tali i le itu i matu
Baa diretamente.
O le ala i le fa'atekinolosi
Iha ne'e barak?
E fia le tau o le ta'avale?
Ticket ida, favor.
O se tiketi, fa'amolemole
Iha ne'e laran ka?
E mamao mai iinei?
Hau nune'e.
Ua ou leiloa
Onde mak hau bele compra SIM card?
O fea e mafai ai ona ou fa'atau se ka'a SIM?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Sim
Ioe
La
Leai
Talvez
Atonu
Hau hakarak
O le fa'amaonia
Hau la hakarak
O le fa'amaonia e le o ia
Nia mak diak
E lelei le fa'ailoa
Ita nian ideia sa?
O le a sou manatu?
Mak bele ajuda hau?
E mafai ona e fesoasoani mai ia te a'u?
Hau precisa ajuda
E manaʻomia le fesoasoani
Hakarak momentu
Fa'amolemole taofi se moment
Hau mós
Fa'amolemole, ou te fa'amalie atu
La problema
E leai se fa'aletonu
Parabens
Fa'afetai
Parabens ba aniversario
Manuia le aso fanau
Hau haruka viagen diak
Ia manuia lau malaga
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Onde está a estacão de trem?
O fea le nofoaga o le taavale vae?(Onde está a estacão de trem?)
Onde está a paragem de autocarro?
O fea le nofoaga taofi o le autobus?(Onde está a paragem de autocarro?)
Iha ne'e plataforma sa'e?
O le fea le tulaga?(Iha ne'e plataforma sa'e?)
Hora ne'e sai?
O le a le taimi e alu ai?(Hora ne'e sai?)
Ema ne'e dalan certo ka?
O le ala saʻo lenei?(Ema ne'e dalan certo ka?)
Iha ne'e perto
E latalata iinei(Iha ne'e perto)
Iha ne'e laran
E mamao mai iinei(Iha ne'e laran)
Kona ba mapa?
E mafai ona e fa'aali mai i le mapa?(Kona ba mapa?)
Parar iha ne'e, favor
Taofi iinei, fa'amolemole(Parar iha ne'e, favor)
Kona tempu hira?
E fia le taimi e alu ai?(Kona tempu hira?)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Ita nia presu sa'o?
E fia le tau o lenei?(ita nia presu sao?)
Esa mak baratu demais.
O le tau o ia o lo'o maualuga.
Ita iha coisa baratu seluk?
E iai ni mea e sili atu le taugofie?
Posu ka la, hau bele paga ba kart?
E mafai ona ou totogi i le kaadi?
Hau hakarak mesa ba rua.
Ou te mana'o i se laulau mo le lua.
Fatu, por favor.
Fa'amolemole, le pili.
Servisu iha ka?
O lo'o aofia i le auaunaga?
Hau vegetarian.
O a'u o se tagata 'ai fa'avae i le la'au.
Labele comida spicy, por favor.
E leai ni mea 'ai vevela, fa'amolemole.
Esa mak saboru.
E manaia lenei.
Posu ka la, hau bele hakarak menu?
E mafai ona ou maua le menu?
Kopa agua, por favor.
Fa'amolemole, se ipu vai.
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
Liga ba polícia
Faafesootai leoleo
Liga ba ambulansia
Faafesootai se ambulanse
Hau precisa doutor
E tatau ia te aʻu se fomaʻi
Hau sente sick
O loʻu lagona e le lelei
Hau iha alergia ba karu
O aʻu e i ai le allergy i fatu peni
Onde iha ospitál ne'ebe mais perto?
O fea le falemaʻi e sili ona lata mai?
Ita hakarak iha ne'e
E tiga iinei
Hau hasai passport
Ua ou leiloa laʻu pasese
O pode liga ba hotel hau?
E mafai ona e faafesootai laʻu otel?
Help!
Fa'amolemole!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Hau kontente hatoo ho ita
O le fiafia e feiloai i le fa'avae(O le fiafia e feiloai)
Kita halo reunião
Se'i o tatou fa'ata'ita'iga se fonotaga
Hora ne'ebe mak diak ba ita?
O le a le taimi e lelei mo oe?
Hau sei hatoo relatoriu ona
O le a ou auina atu le lipoti i le aso
Ita bele halo conversa fali?
E mafai ona tatou talanoa i le taeao?
Favor buka arquivo ne'e iha
Fa'amolemole, fa'aaoga le fa'amaumauga i le fa'amaumauga
Obrigadu ba ita-nia tempu
Fa'afetai mo lou taimi
Hau hakarak trabalha ho ita
O lo'o ou fa'atali e galulue fa'atasi ma oe
Ita bele klarifika ponto ne'e?
E mafai ona e fa'amaonia le fa'avae?
Hau sei volta ba ita
Se'i o'u toe fo'i atu i le fa'avae
Prazo mak sexta-feira
O le taimi e ta'ita'ia ai o le Aso Faraile
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.