If you have already booked your tickets for Laos, you must have learned some basic words and Lao phrases like Hong nam yu sai (Where is the bathroom?), Khao jai (Thank you), doen thang sok dee (Have a good journey ), Ne se traduit pas (Cheers), etc. However, if you are stuck in those terms and are struggling to move on with learning the Lao language, this blog is here to save your day. From the most common Lao funny phrases with their meanings to a brief overview of basic phrases for beginners, you will get to earn everything in this blog.
Learning a few funny phrases in the local language and understanding their meaning can become significant assets for you during your stay because only the greeting words won’t take you too far. The local phrases and their humor make stronger bonds. So, if you want to make better friends in Laos by giving them a good chuckle, this blog is the right destination for you. Just keep reading and explore the Lao phrases with a big smile!
Page Content
- Lao Funny Phrases With Their Meaning
- More Laotian Funny Phrases To Make Your Day
- Other Basic Words And Lao Phrases
Lao Funny Phrases With Their Meaning
Lao people use slang or funny phrases in their day-to-day lives. It is not always about the basic greetings and formalities that impress the locals. Imagine you meet a friend for the first time, and he ends up laughing all the way through. A lovely day indeed, right? Even during free time or spontaneous meetings with new friends and locals, funny phrases always come in handy when conversing. It allows you to speak more casually and make the atmosphere lively and stress-free, especially in a different country.
Moreover, learning some funny words and lines will improve your vocabulary and communication skills. If you are ready to talk in Lao like you speak English, let’s dive in right away!
1. I Am Nobody. Nobody Is Perfect. I Am Perfect – ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ມີໃຜ. ບໍ່ມີໃຜທີ່ສົມບູນແບບ. ຂ້ອຍສົມບູນແບບ
Beginning the line with a classic phrase, ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ມີໃຜ. ບໍ່ມີໃຜທີ່ສົມບູນແບບ. ຂ້ອຍສົມບູນແບບ. It is pronounced as khony bomiphai bo mi phai thi som bun aebb khony sombunaebb, and as you can guess, it says that nobody can be a perfect being. However, with a witty tone, you refer to yourself as nobody! This is a classic joke that makes everyone chuckle right away.
2. The Elephant In The Room – ຊ້າງຢູ່ໃນຫ້ອງ
Coming to a short one, ຊ້າງຢູ່ໃນຫ້ອງ, pronounced sang yunaihong is another funny and weird phrase that you must know. The elephant in the room indicates that something pretty evident in the room is making everyone uncomfortable, but no one is uttering a word about it. So, when it comes to speaking while being snide and funny with your friends in Lao, you can use this phrase and laugh a little more than usual.
3. Take A Chill Pill – ກິນຢາເຢັນ
I am pretty sure ກິນຢາເຢັນ- kinya yen is a phrase that you have listened to in English quite many times. Although not very common in Laos, you can use this to shut someone down when they are annoying and rude. It is a polite and funny way of asking someone to stop their nonsense and leave you alone.
4. Out Of The Frying Pan And Into The Fire – ອອກຈາກແຊ່ Frying ແລະເຂົ້າໄປໃນໄຟ
We immediately think of delicious (Sep lai) nuggets and rolls when we talk about frying pans. However, the phrase, ອອກຈາກແຊ່ frying ແລະເຂົ້າໄປໃນໄຟ- kchakaes frying lae khaopainai fai has an entirely different meaning. It is quite an exciting and funny phrase where we refer to someone or something going from an already bad situation to an even worse one—for instance, getting a new expensive bag while you already owe a lot of money to someone.
5. Do People Talk About You Behind Your Back? Simply Fart – ມີຄົນເວົ້າກ່ຽວກັບເຈົ້າຢູ່ຫລັງຂອງເຈົ້າບໍ? ພຽງແຕ່ ຟອດ
Say goodbye to your boring self as this phrase will make you the king of hearts. ມີຄົນເວົ້າກ່ຽວກັບເຈົ້າຢູ່ຫລັງຂອງເຈົ້າບໍ? ພຽງແຕ່ ຟອດ, pronounced as mikhon vao kiauakab chaoyu lang khongchao bo phiangaet fart, is simple in meaning and quite direct. It is not only funny but also a peculiar way of dealing with anxiety that can make you look like an incredible person. Especially when your Lao friend is going through a hard time, use this phrase and give him a good laugh.
6. Don’t Worry If Plan A Fails, There Are 25 More Letters In The Alphabet – ຢ່າກັງວົນຖ້າແຜນ A ລົ້ມເຫລວ, ມີຕົວອັກສອນອີກ 25 ຕົວຢູ່ໃນຕົວອັກສອນ
Whenever it comes to cheering up your friends during their times of failure, ຢ່າກັງວົນຖ້າແຜນ A ລົ້ມເຫລວ, ມີຕົວອັກສອນອີກ 25 ຕົວຢູ່ໃນຕົວອັກສອນ- ya kangvon thaaephn A lom helv mi tuaaksonik 25 tua yunai tuaakson is just the line you need. It is a pretty witty phrase that can uplift your partner’s mood and give him hope for the future.
7. Fly Off The Handle – ບິນອອກຈາກມືຈັບ
Another phrase, ບິນອອກຈາກມືຈັບ- bin kchak mu chab, is another smart line to use when you need to tell someone to calm down or keep shut without sounding rude. The translation of the phrase means that if you do not stop right now, you might lose control. So, if someone is going out of bounds, you can cool them off using this simple phrase.
8. The Best Part Of Going To Work Is Coming Back Home At The End Of The Day – ສ່ວນທີ່ດີທີ່ສຸດຂອງການໄປເຮັດວຽກແມ່ນກັບມາເຮືອນໃນຕອນທ້າຍຂອງມື້
Everyone can agree that work days can be tiring. So, the best way to release all the stress is by laughing out your heart. Thus, one such work-related funny phrase that will make your day is ສ່ວນທີ່ດີທີ່ສຸດຂອງການໄປເຮັດວຽກແມ່ນກັບມາເຮືອນໃນຕອນທ້າຍຂອງມື້. It is pronounced as suan thi dithisud khongkan paiheduaiak aemn kabma heuon nai tonthai khong mu, and it means exactly the way it sounds.
9. Try Me! You’d Be Surprised – ລອງຂ້ອຍ! ເຈົ້າຈະແປກໃຈ
If you want to sound intelligent and funny at the same time, ລອງຂ້ອຍ! ເຈົ້າຈະແປກໃຈ- long khony chao cha aepkchai is the line for you. It asks someone to try doing something with you when they are expecting the least. Once they get to see what they do not expect, the last line, “you’d be surprised,” is justified then.
10. The Shortest Horror Story: Monday – ເລື່ອງຜີສັ້ນທີ່ສຸດ: ວັນຈັນ
Nobody likes Mondays. Thus, to have a funny and lively start and avoid your Monday blues, you can use the phrase ເລື່ອງຜີສັ້ນທີ່ສຸດ: ວັນຈັນ- leuongphi san thisud vanchan. Your colleagues are going to love your humor!
More Laotian Funny Phrases To Make Your Day
Here we will go through more funny phrases that are easy to understand and works everywhere. Please give them a good read and impress the locals with your sense of humor.
| English | Lao | Pronunciation |
| Thick as thieves | ໜາເປັນໂຈນ | na penochn |
| Nothing is too far away. It can only be nine seas away | ບໍ່ມີຫຍັງຢູ່ໄກເກີນໄປ. ມັນພຽງແຕ່ສາມາດຢູ່ຫ່າງຈາກທະເລໄດ້ເກົ້າ | bomijang yukai koenpai man phiangaet samad yu hangchak thale dai kao |
| When the door closes, the window opens | ເມື່ອປະຕູປິດ, ປ່ອງຢ້ຽມຈະເປີດ | meu patu pid pongyiam chapoed |
| My brain has too many tabs open | ສະໝອງຂອງຂ້ອຍມີແຖບເປີດຫຼາຍເກີນໄປ | samong khongkhony mi aethb poed rai koenpai |
| I don’t care what people think of me. Mosquitos find me attractive! | ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ສົນໃຈສິ່ງທີ່ຄົນຄິດກັບຂ້ອຍ. ຍຸງຊອກຫາຂ້ອຍທີ່ດຶງດູດ! | khony bosonchai singthi khon khid kab khony nyung sokha khony thi dungdud |
| Math class is like watching a foreign movie without subtitles | ຫ້ອງຮຽນຄະນິດສາດແມ່ນຄ້າຍຄືການເບິ່ງຮູບເງົາຕ່າງປະເທດທີ່ບໍ່ມີຄໍາບັນຍາຍ | hong hian khanidsad aemn khai khu kan boeng hubngao tangpathed thibomi khoa bnaiai |
| I’m on a seafood diet. I see food, and then I eat it | ຂ້ອຍຢູ່ໃນອາຫານທະເລ. ຂ້ອຍເຫັນອາຫານ, ແລະຫຼັງຈາກນັ້ນຂ້ອຍກິນມັນ | khony yunai ahanthale khony henoahan lae rangchaknan khony kin man |
| You know what they say—dynamite comes in small packages | ທ່ານຮູ້ວ່າພວກເຂົາເວົ້າແນວໃດ – ໄດນາໄມຢູ່ໃນຊຸດນ້ອຍໆ | than huva phuakkhao vaoaenuadai dai na mai yunai sud nony |
| My wallet is like an onion. Every time I open it, it makes me cry | ກະເປົາເງິນຂອງຂ້ອຍຄືກັບຜັກບົ່ວ. ທຸກໆຄັ້ງທີ່ຂ້ອຍເປີດມັນ, ມັນເຮັດໃຫ້ຂ້ອຍຮ້ອງໄຫ້ | kapaongoen khongkhony khukab phakbov thuk khangthi khony poed man manhedhai khony honghai |
| I’m not lazy. I’m just very relaxed | ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ຂີ້ຄ້ານ. ຂ້ອຍສະບາຍໃຈຫຼາຍ | khonybo khikhan khony sabaichai rai |
| Life is a bowl of soup, and I’m a fork | ຊີວິດແມ່ນແກງແກງ, ແລະຂ້ອຍແມ່ນສ້ອມ | sivid aemn aekng aekng lae khonyaemn som |
| If it doesn’t make sense, it’s not true | ຖ້າມັນບໍ່ມີຄວາມຫມາຍ, ມັນບໍ່ແມ່ນຄວາມຈິງ | thamanbo mikhuaammai manboaemn khuaamching |
Short Phrases
| English | Lao | Pronunciation |
| Skinny legs | ຜິວເນື້ອສີຂາ | phiv neu si kha |
| Stupid Love | ຮັກຮັກ | hak hak |
| Dirty mind | ໃຈເປື້ອນ | chai peuon |
| Monkey House | ລິງ ເຮືອນ | ling heuon |
| Nosey husband | ຜົວ Nosy | phua Nosy |
| Monday blues | ວັນຈັນ blues | vanchan blues |
Other Basic Words And Lao Phrases
If you are entirely new to the Lao language, here is a quick peek at some essential words in Lao that will help you understand better. For detailed learning, check out greeting vocabulary in Lao.
| Lao | English | Pronunciation |
| How are you? | ສະບາຍດີບໍ? | sa bai di bo |
| Have a nice day | ມີວັນທີ່ດີ! | mi van thidi |
| Can you lower the price? | ເຈົ້າສາມາດຫຼຸດລາຄາໄດ້ບໍ? | chao samad rud lakha daibo |
| Where is the bathroom? | ຫ້ອງນໍາ້ຢູ່ໃສ? | hong noa yu sai |
| What’s your name? | ເຈົ້າຊື່ຫຍັງ? | chao su jang |
| Have a nice meal | ເຊີນແຊບ | soen saeb |
| Would you like to dance with me? | ເພິ່ນຢາກໄປເຕັ້ນລຳນຳເຮົາບໍ່? | phoen yark pai ten lum num hao bor? |
| Nice to meet you | ຍິນດີທີ່ໄດ້ຮູ້ຈັກເຈົ້າ | nyin di thi dai hu chak chao |
| Please help! | ຊ່ອຍແດ່! | suay dae! |
| Let’s eat together | ກິນເຂົ້ານຳກັນ | kinkhao namkan |
| Where do you stay? | ເຈົ້າຢູ່ໃສ? | chaoyusai |
| I want to meet your parents | ຂ້ອຍຢາກພົບພໍ່ແມ່ຂອງເຈົ້າ | khonyyak phob phoaemkhong chao |
Onto You
From being the newbie to becoming the funniest and jolliest person in the crowd, these phrases will definitely take you places in Laos and help you make the most incredible memories. At the end of the day, funny phrases lift each other’s moods and share a causal relation that gives you a feeling of belongingness.
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