Want To Learn Burmese?
Myanmar, also known as Burma, is located between Thailand, India and China, as well as Laos and Bangladesh. It’s location in the region means that it shares many cultural aspects with neighboring countries. Beyond that, there is a particularly fascinating history to the country, which can be seen in some of the more popular destinations. Bagan, Mandalay and more all hold significant cultural and historical importance and so a well worth a visit. What better way to experience the country than with the ability to speak Burmese.
Burmese is an official language of Myanmar, the most widely spoken in the country. Over 33 million people speak Burmese natively, with a number of different dialects that are, for the most part, mutually intelligible. Burmese is written using the Burmese alphabet, which interestingly has a specific stroke order that should be followed. It is made up of 33 letters as well as 4 diacritics.
Politeness and status are major considerations when using Burmese. Many words have a formal and more colloquial version that should be used appropriately to avoid causing offence. Verbs in Burmese use suffixes to inflect for tense, politeness and more. While there is no grammatical gender, there are particles that are used that distinguish the gender of the word, particularly animals and plants. Otherwise, the language has a word order of subject, object and verb.
When traveling through Southeast Asia, be sure not to miss the beautiful country of Myanmar. There, you will find unique cuisine, beautiful environments, and lovely people. It may not be as easy to get around as some other countries in the region, but it really is worth it. Still a hidden gem, Myanmar is vastly under-appreciated. Want to visit? Start by learning Burmese.