Looking for practical Tetum to Swahili phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Tetum phrase first, then the Swahili translation (Swahili) — 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 Swahili.
Tip: focus on one section per day (travel Monday, dining Tuesday, and so on) if you are preparing for a Swahili-speaking trip in a few weeks.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Tetum to Swahili 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
Habari
Obrigadu
Asante
Bondia
Habari ya asubuhi
Bona tarde
Habari ya mchana
Bona noite
Habari ya jioni
Bona noite
Usiku mwema
Ami hanesan
Tutaonana baadaye
Adeus
Kwaheri
Quale naran ida?
Jina lako nani?
Naran hau John.
Jina langu ni John
Kona ba o?
Habari gani?
Diak ba halo ho o.
Nafurahi kukutana na wewe
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Keta fala Inglês?
Unazungumza Kiingereza?
Hau la fala Hindi diak.
Sizungumza Hindi vizuri.
Hau la hatene.
Sielewi.
Favor fala ba moris.
Tafadhali ongea polepole.
Keta bele fala fali?
Unaweza kusema tena?
Onde mak banheira?
Choo kiko wapi?
Kona ne'ebe hau bele baa sentru cidade?
Ninafika vipi katikati ya jiji?
Virar ba hadau.
Geuka kushoto.
Virar ba direita.
Geuka kulia.
Baa diretamente.
Nenda moja kwa moja.
Iha ne'e barak?
Nauli ni kiasi gani?
Ticket ida, favor.
Tiketi moja, tafadhali.
Iha ne'e laran ka?
Je, ni mbali na hapa?
Hau nune'e.
Nimepotea.
Onde mak hau bele compra SIM card?
Ninaweza kununua kadi ya SIM wapi?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Sim
Ndio
La
Hapana
Talvez
Pengine
Hau hakarak
Ninakubaliana
Hau la hakarak
Sikubaliani
Nia mak diak
Inasikika vizuri
Ita nian ideia sa?
Unafikiriaje?
Mak bele ajuda hau?
Unaweza kunisaidia?
Hau precisa ajuda
Nahitaji msaada
Hakarak momentu
Subiri kidogo
Hau mós
Ninasikitika
La problema
Hakuna shida
Parabens
Hongera
Parabens ba aniversario
Siku ya kuzaliwa njema
Hau haruka viagen diak
Safari njema
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Onde está a estacão de trem?
Kituo cha treni kiko wapi?(Onde está a estacão de trem?)
Onde está a paragem de autocarro?
Kituo cha basi kiko wapi?(Onde está a paragem de autocarro?)
Iha ne'e plataforma sa'e?
Ni jukwaa gani?(Iha ne'e plataforma sa'e?)
Hora ne'e sai?
Inatoka saa ngapi?(Hora ne'e sai?)
Ema ne'e dalan certo ka?
Je, hii ndiyo njia sahihi?(Ema ne'e dalan certo ka?)
Iha ne'e perto
Iko karibu hapa(Iha ne'e perto)
Iha ne'e laran
Iko mbali na hapa(Iha ne'e laran)
Kona ba mapa?
Unaweza kunionesha kwenye ramani?(Kona ba mapa?)
Parar iha ne'e, favor
Simama hapa, tafadhali(Parar iha ne'e, favor)
Kona tempu hira?
Inachukua muda gani?(Kona tempu hira?)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Ita nia presu sa'o?
Hii inagharimu kiasi gani?(ita nia presu sao?)
Esa mak baratu demais.
Hiyo ni ghali sana
Ita iha coisa baratu seluk?
Je, una kitu chochote cha bei nafuu?
Posu ka la, hau bele paga ba kart?
Naweza kulipa kwa kadi?
Hau hakarak mesa ba rua.
Ningependa meza ya watu wawili
Fatu, por favor.
Tafadhali, bili
Servisu iha ka?
Je, huduma imejumuishwa?
Hau vegetarian.
Mimi ni mboga
Labele comida spicy, por favor.
Tafadhali, sina chakula chenye pilipili
Esa mak saboru.
Hii ni tamu
Posu ka la, hau bele hakarak menu?
Naweza kupata menyu?
Kopa agua, por favor.
Tafadhali, glasi ya maji
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
Liga ba polícia
Piga simu polisi
Liga ba ambulansia
Piga simu ya wagonjwa
Hau precisa doutor
Nahitaji daktari
Hau sente sick
Ninajisikia mgonjwa
Hau iha alergia ba karu
Nina mzio wa karanga
Onde iha ospitál ne'ebe mais perto?
Hospitali iliyo karibu iko wapi?
Ita hakarak iha ne'e
Inaniuma hapa
Hau hasai passport
Nimepoteza pasipoti yangu
O pode liga ba hotel hau?
Unaweza kupiga simu hoteli yangu?
Help!
Nisaidie!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Hau kontente hatoo ho ita
Nafurahi kukutana nawe
Kita halo reunião
Tuweke mkutano
Hora ne'ebe mak diak ba ita?
Ni saa ngapi inakufaa?
Hau sei hatoo relatoriu ona
Nitaituma ripoti leo
Ita bele halo conversa fali?
Tunaweza kuzungumza kesho?
Favor buka arquivo ne'e iha
Tafadhali pata faili iliyoambatishwa
Obrigadu ba ita-nia tempu
Asante kwa muda wako
Hau hakarak trabalha ho ita
Natarajia kufanya kazi na wewe
Ita bele klarifika ponto ne'e?
Unaweza kufafanua hiyo pointi?
Hau sei volta ba ita
Nitarudi kwako
Prazo mak sexta-feira
Muda wa mwisho ni Ijumaa
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.