Relationship Vocabulary In Lao: 23 Best Examples

The look of love is in your eyes! Have you found yourself in a relationship with a lucky Lao lady or gentleman? Well, this list of relationship vocabulary in Lao could be the dealbreaker in your burgeoning romance. Let’s take a look at some basic things first: Beautiful (ngam) ງາມ, Boyfriend (aefn) ແຟນ, and Wife (phanlaya) ພັນລະຍາ. Want to learn more? Keep reading below!

Do you love learning Lao but have been left disappointed by other resources out there? Why not try Ling? It is an application that is as fun as it is informative. We have over 200 lessons based on 50 different units–everything from relationships to space travel. Come over and speak Lao now.

Relationship Vocabulary In Lao

EnglishLaoLao Script
Beautifulngamງາມ
Boyfriendaefnແຟນ
Charmingsa neສະເໜ່
Cuddlekodກອດ
Divorcedhangຮ້າງ
Engagedmi suanphuaphanມີສ່ວນພົວພັນ
Fiancekhu manຄູ່ໝັ້ນ
Funmuanມ່ວນ
Funnytalokຕະຫລົກ
Girlfriendaefnແຟນ
Good lookingboeng diເບິ່ງດີ
Handsomeroຫຼໍ່
Hold Handsthu muຖືມື
Hugkodກອດ
Husbandphuaຜົວ
Kisschubຈູບ
Marriedaetngnganແຕ່ງງານ
Partnerkhu huamnganຄູ່ຮ່ວມງານ
Prettyngamງາມ
Singleosdໂສດ
Wifephanlayaພັນລະຍາ

Dating And Marriage In Laos

Laos, and Southeast Asia are not sexually repressed places, compared to, for example, the Middle East. When you learn Lao, you will find that there are a lot of jokes based on innuendo and double entendre. Another thing to note is that certain rules of politeness tend to go out the window in Laos. If you’ve gained a few extra pounds over Pi Mai, your Lao friends will let you know.

Although Lao people are generally very open around dating, it is less common to show public displays of affection. Hugging and holding hands is fine, but I would probably go in for a French Kiss!

Marriage In Laos

In the countryside, it is still very common for people to get married at a young age. Often the groom’s family will pay a dowry to the bride’s. This comes from the old tradition that when a woman was married off to another family, her father would lose a vital source of labor. Thankfully, those days are gone.

However, in some ways, Laos is still experiencing a kind of ancient cultural hangover. For example, it is technically illegal for a Lao person to date a non-Lao person. Although some Lao men date Western women, it is more likely for Lao women to date western men. And this is a law to look out for. With that being said, nobody takes it seriously, and the only way you’d be prosecuted is if you’d really offended the wrong police officer or government official.

Relationship words In Lao

Beauty Standards In Laos

A rather ancient tradition pervades in Laos that reminds me of old Kings and Queens of Europe. It was seen as fashionable to be pale because that meant you were so rich that you could afford to live an idle life and never go outside. You find a similar phenomenon in Laos, where pale skin is seen as fashionable because it means you’re not outside doing backbreaking labor in the fields. Women wear whitening cream and carry umbrellas, so their skin isn’t exposed to the UV effects of the sun.

Like every other country in the world, celebrities are revered, and you will often see western pop stars looked up to as the ideal. However, in recent years, the trend has been moving towards a Korean/Chinese vision of what makes a beautiful woman. 

For men, it is many of the traditional features that have gone back for years. Tall and handsome. A notable exception is that muscles aren’t as valued in Laos as they are in the West, and neither is facial hair. I remember one incident with a taxi driver who pulled to the side of the road and said he wanted to give me advice: ‘shave, and you will be much more handsome.’ 

Plastic Surgery In Laos

Like other Asian countries, Laos has seen a boom in plastic surgery in recent years spurred on by trends in East Asia, mainly Korea, where there are 2500 plastic surgeons. The pandemic has not slowed down this boom. Although data is harder to come by in Laos, surgeries in Korea showed a 10% jump in sales in 2020. That is amazing when you consider there were no medical tourists.

In Laos, there are a few places where you can get cosmetic surgery, but they are far harder to find compared to nearby Thailand, where it is a billion-dollar industry. Common procedures include nose jobs, wrinkle treatment, eye bag removal, body contouring, and liposuction.

Words in Lao

Learn Lao With Ling

Now that you have learned about relationship vocabulary in Lao, it’s time to start practicing the language even more. The Ling App by Simya Solutions is an outstanding platform that brings language learning to you in a stylish and fun way. Our user interface means cycling through our 200 lessons is a quick and painless process.

We start by teaching you the Lao alphabet, i.e., reading Lao consonants and vowels. To read full Lao words, first, you have to learn this alien-looking script of Lao syllables. Native speakers provide our audio so that you will be hearing official Vientiane Lao. However, you will be able to understand other Lao dialects. (There are minor variations between southern Lao, Western Lao, Northern Lao, and Central Lao).

The Lao language is an excellent jump-off point to learn the Khmer and Thai languages(sometimes called Tai languages). In fact, parts of Thailand actually speak a Lao dialect. Don’t forget to keep following this blog where you’ll find useful guides and cultural tips such as Greetings in Lao and shapes and objects in Lao.

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