Imagine strolling through lively markets, chatting with friendly locals, and uncovering stunning landscapes. Hold up! Did you say “chatting” with the locals? How is THAT possible? By rocking the Lao vocabulary, of course! It’s like your golden ticket to a travel jackpot. You’ll not only score mouthwatering local eats and find secret spots, but you’ll also high-five culture like a pro. Whether you’re munching on street food or finding your way to hidden gems, speaking Lao shows you’re all about respect and good vibes. It’s like opening a treasure chest of traditions and heart-to-heart chats that’ll make your journey unforgettable.
So, before you jet off, add a dash of Lao words to your travel mix – and watch your adventure dial hit max excitement!
The Beauty Of The Lao Language
Part of the Tai-Kadai language crew, Lao adds a splash of culture and language magic to Laos and its buddies next door. As the official language, it’s the cool connector for millions. What’s the secret sauce? Tones! Lao’s got this rad tonal vibe where a tiny pitch change gives words a whole new groove. And guess what? The writing style is like no other – an abugida that captures the language’s flow.
With a history intertwined with Theravada Buddhism, Lao isn’t just a chatterbox; it’s a time machine preserving traditions and stories. Whether you’re trading tales at family dinners or spinning literary gems, the Lao language is like a high-five to the country’s past, weaving generations together and building an awesome community vibe!
Common Lao Vocabulary And Phrases
Greetings
These basic Lao greetings aren’t just words; they’re your best bet to a local connection. Show some language love, and watch as doors swing open to vibrant experiences and hidden gems.
| English | Lao | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hello / Hi | ສະບາຍດີ | sah-bye-dee |
| How are you? | ບໍ່ໄດ້ຕອນຮັບ | bao-dai ton hup |
| Good morning | ສະບາຍດີເຊົ້າ | sah-bye-dee sao |
| Good afternoon | ສະບາຍດີແລງ | sah-bye-dee leng |
| Good evening | ສະບາຍດີຕານ | sah-bye-dee taan |
| Goodbye | ສະບາຍດີລະອຽດ | sah-bye-dee lao-yoht |
| Thank you | ຂອບໃຈ | kohp jai |
| Yes | ແມ່ນ | maen |
| No | ບໍ່ | baw |
| Excuse me / Sorry | ຂໍຂອບ | khoh khob |
Asking For Directions
Time to amp up your “lost-and-found” game! Navigate winding streets like a pro, with a dash of cultural charm.
| English | Lao | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Can you help me? | ສາມາດຊ່ວຍຄົບເຫລືອນວິທີຍາມຕໍ່ໄປບໍ? | sah-mai soo-ai kawb lao wi-than-yam tau bai bao |
| Where is [place]? | [place] ຢຸດທີ່ເຫລືອນ? | [place] yoot taw lao? |
| How do I get to [place]? | ຂ້ອຍທີ່ຈ່າຍໄປ [place] ຄືນນີ້ແນວນີ້ໄດ້ບໍ? | khoy taw jaao pai [place] kuen nii nai nei dai baw |
| Is it far from here? | ເມື່ອມັກຈະບໍ່? | mua mak ja sa baw? |
| Turn left. | ປາກໃຫ້ຊ້າຍ | pahk hâi saai |
| Turn right. | ປາກໃຫ້ຂວາ | pahk hâi khwaa |
| Go straight. | ຍ້ອນໄປຂວາ | nyawn pai khwaa |
| Stop here. | ຢຸດຢາກນີ້ | yut yaak nii |
Ordering Food
Ready to tantalize your taste buds on a flavor-packed adventure in Laos? It’s time to become a foodie maestro by unlocking the magic of ordering in Lao!
| English | Lao | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| I would like to order food. | ຂ້ອຍຈະຕອບອາຫານ | khoy ja tao a-haan |
| What do you recommend? | ທ່ານເຫັນບໍທີ່ຈະແນະນຳໄດ້? | taan pen baw tii ja nay-nam dai? |
| Can I have [dish]? | ຂ້ອຍໄດ້ບໍຫມາຍ [dish] ບໍ? | khoy dai baw mâi [dish] baw? |
| Can we get the bill, please? | ພິມໃບເກັບລົດນີ້ກໍ? | pim baw geep leuad nii baw? |
| Is service charge included? | ມາດລູກຄ້ານີ້ໄດ້ບໍທີ່ລູກຄ້າກໍ? | maat luuk kaa nii dai baw thii luuk kaa baw? |
| Thank you for the meal. | ຂອບໃຈຫວັງສຸກອາຫານ | khob jai wuang suuk ahaan |
Shopping
Whether you’re bargaining for vibrant textiles at the market or picking up handmade crafts, your efforts to bridge the language gap will earn you smiles and might even lead to insider tips on the best finds!
| English | Lao | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| How much is this? | ເຈົ້າຈະຊ່ວຍນີ້ເດີ່ນໃດ? | jao ja suay nii deuan dai |
| Can you give me a discount? | ທ່ານໃຫ້ສ່ວນລາຄານີ້ໄດ້ບໍ? | taan lai suan la-gaa nii dai baw |
| Do you have a larger/smaller size? | ທ່ານມີຂະຫຍາຍ/ເປັນຂະຍາຍນີ້ໃດ? | taan mii khaai-nyaai/bpen khaai-nyaai nii dai |
| I’m just looking, thank you. | ຂ້ອຍຊິກເບີດຄວາມໄປດ້ວຍ | khoy sik bueat khwaam pai duay |
| Can I try this on? | ຂ້ອຍເຮົາຈະໃຊ້ລາຍການນີ້ໄດ້ບໍ? | khoy hao ja sai laai gaan nii dai baw |
| Do you accept credit cards? | ທ່ານຕ້ອງບໍ່ຮັບບັດສະການການຈ່າຍເຄື່ອງດຽວ? | taan tong baw hâp bát sa-gaan gaan jaao chao-daw |
| Can I get a receipt, please? | ຂ້ອຍຈະໃຊ້ໃບເກັບໃດບໍ? | khoy ja sai pim geep dai baw |
| Do you have any other colors? | ທ່ານມີສີເຫລືອເພື່ອການການຈັດນີ້ໃດບໍ? | taan mii see leuak phueng gaan gaan jaat nii dai baw |
Feelings
Ready for a heartwarming twist to your Laos adventure? Get cozy with feelings in Lao!
| English | Lao | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| I’m happy. | ຂ້ອຍດີສາມາດ | khoy dee sa-maa |
| I’m sad. | ຂ້ອຍດີສຸດ | khoy dee suut |
| I’m excited. | ຂ້ອຍເປີດຄວາມເຕັມ | khoy bpeut khwaam tem |
| I’m tired. | ຂ້ອຍຊື່ກາຍ | khoy seu gaai |
| I’m nervous. | ຂ້ອຍອາຍຸພາຍ | khoy aa-yuu phaa-y |
Pronouns
Let’s talk pronouns! Think of them as your secret handshake into the heart of Lao culture. Get them right, and you’re not just chatting, you’re forming a language bridge built on respect and camaraderie.
| English | Lao | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| I | ຂ້ອຍ | khoy |
| You (singular) | ເຈົ້າ | jaow |
| He | ລາວ | laao |
| She | ລາວ | laao |
| It | ມັນ | man |
| We | ພວກເຮົາ | phuak hao |
| You (plural/formal) | ທ່ານ | taan |
| They | ພວກເຈົ້າ | phuak jaow |
Words For Travelers
Dive into essential travel vocab in Lao – it’s your passport to pure magic! From bustling markets to serene temples, you’ll navigate with flair, earning smiles and nods along the way.
| English | Lao | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Airport | ສະຫນາມານີ້ | sa-naa-maa nii |
| Hotel | ຊ່າງວັດ | saang waat |
| Restaurant | ຮ້ານອາຫານ | haan ahaan |
| Bathroom / Toilet | ຫ້ອງສະຫາຍ | hawng saa haai |
| Bus | ເດີ | deu |
| Train | ປະກອບ | pa-kaob |
| Taxi | ເອສານ | e-saan |
| Hospital | ຂັ້ນສູນ | khaan sun |
| Pharmacy | ຮ້ານແພັດ | haan phet |
| Money | ນະຄອນ | naa kawn |
| Help | ແຊ່ງ | seng |
| Ticket | ຫານ | han |
| Map | ຮູບແບບ | huub baeb |
| Water | ນ້ຳ | nam |
| Food | ອາຫານ | ahaan |
Learn More Basic Lao Words With Ling!
Hey, language learners! Ready to take your Laos journey to the next level after learning a few basic words? Don’t worry, as you’re in for a treat with the Ling app!
Planning to visit another foreign country? Curious about learning the Thai language or maybe French? Well, that may seem like another expedition for learning a new local language as you waltz with their words and phrases. The good news is that Ling has online courses (for 60+ languages!) that are cooler than a tuk-tuk ride, interactive lessons that make learning a blast, and quizzes that’ll have you high-fiving yourself. And here’s the kicker – it won’t cost you a single kip. Yup, Ling is totally free!
So why wait? Grab your phone, head over to the Google Play Store or the App Store, and unleash your inner linguist with the Ling app.
