Daily Activities
Master the fundamentals of Daily Activities
Module 3: Daily Activities
Skill 1 – Morning to Evening Conversations
This lesson focuses on the most common conversational phrases you can use from the moment you wake up until you go to sleep. Instead of just vocabulary lists, you'll see how these phrases work in short, realistic dialogues.
You will learn to:
- Greet people depending on the time of day.
- Ask and answer "How are you?" politely.
- Make simple small talk about daily plans.
2. Key Phrases
| Tetum | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Dader-diak | Good morning |
| Loraik-diak | Good afternoon |
| Kalan-diak | Good evening / night |
| Diak ka lae? | How are you? |
| Diak, obrigada/o | I'm fine, thank you |
| Ita halo saida? | What are you doing? |
| Hau baa servisu | I'm going to work |
| Hau fila mai uma | I'm coming back home |
| Ate amanhá | See you tomorrow |
3. Examples & Mini Dialogues
Dialogue 1 – Morning greeting
A: Bondia, diak ka lae?
B: Diak, obrigada. Ita halo saida ohin?
A: Hau baa servisu.
Dialogue 2 – Afternoon small talk
A: Botarde! Ita fila mai uma ona?
B: Sín, hau fila mai uma hosi merkadu.
Dialogue 3 – Evening farewell
A: Bonoite, ate amanhá!
B: Ate amanhá!
4. Practice
A. Fill in the blanks:
- ______, diak ka lae? (Good morning, how are you?)
- Hau ______ servisu. (I'm going to work)
- ______ amanhá! (See you tomorrow!)
B. Translate to Tetum:
- Good afternoon! Are you going home?
- I'm fine, thank you.
- I'm coming back home from the market.
5. Answer Key & Explanation
A. Fill in the blanks
- Bondia → "Bondia, diak ka lae?"
- baa → "Hau baa servisu."
- Ate → "Ate amanhá!"
B. Translation
- Botarde! Ita fila mai uma ka?
- Diak, obrigada/o.
- Hau fila mai uma hosi merkadu.
Explanation:
- Obrigada is used if the speaker is female; obrigado if male.
- baa = to go, fila mai = to return/come back.
- Time-based greetings are common and polite in Timorese culture.