Table of Contents
Do people speak Bahasa Indonesia?
Over 300 different native languages are spoken in Indonesia. While Bahasa Indonesia is spoken as a mother tongue by only 7\% of the total population, it is the national language and is used by 200 million people as their second language.
How do you say hello in Tetum?
Key to abbreviations: m = said by men, f = said by women….Useful phrases in Tetum.
| English | Lia-Tetun (Tetum) |
|---|---|
| Welcome | Ksolok Bodik Mai Bemvindu |
| Hello (General greeting) | Elo Hi |
| How are you? | Diak ka lai? O di’ak ka lae? |
| Reply to ‘How are you?’ | Hau diak. Obrigadu. Ita mo’s di’ak? (m) Hau diak. Obrigada. Ita mo’s di’ak? (f) |
Who speaks Tetum?
Tetum (Portuguese: Tetum [ˈt̪et̪ũ],; Tetum: Tetun [ˈt̪et̪un̪]) is an Austronesian language spoken on the island of Timor. It is spoken in Belu Regency in Indonesian West Timor, and across the border in East Timor, where it is one of the two official languages.
Is Tetum a written language?
Tetum/n Prasa (market Tetum from the word praça in Portuguese meaning town square) or Tetum/n Dili (given its widespread usage in the capital Dili)….Tetum language.
| Tetun Dili | |
|---|---|
| Writing system | Latin (Tetum alphabet) |
| Official status | |
| Official language in | East Timor |
| Regulated by | National Institute of Linguistics |
Do people in East Timor speak Indonesian?
Yes, East Timorese do speak Indonesian. Especially in the markets because there are a lot of Indonesian (Chinese Indonesians or Javanese) vendors. But in-between themselves they speak either Tetun; the national language of East Timor, or their regional language.
Why did you choose Timor Leste or Indonesia?
Some family in Indonesian side said it hurts to feel separated but they love to remain Indonesian because their other family chosen Timor Leste’s side for the sake of their own people and the Leste’s side said it’s a proud thing to be with their own nation instead of being dependent.
What is it like to work with the East Timorese diaspora?
, Have worked with the East Timorese diaspora for 20 years. They’re fairly pragmatic and there are close links with their giant neighbour and its people, even from the older generation of leaders who were educated in the Portuguese era and escaped just before Indonesia invaded in 1975, and did not return until the end of Indonesian rule in 1999.
Where do East Timorese students go to University?
Even after independence, many East Timorese still go to university in Indonesia, where they are charged the same fees as students from Indonesia, despite Indonesian no longer being widely taught in schools, if at all, making them cheaper than those in Australia or Portugal.