A collection of useful phrases in Lao, a Tai-Kaidai language spoken mainly in Laos.
See these phrases in any combination of two languages in the Phrase Finder. If you can provide recordings, corrections or additional translations, please contact me.
| English | ພາສາລາວ (Lao) |
|---|---|
| Welcome | ຍິນດີຕ້ອນຮັບ (nyín dee) |
| Hello (General greeting) | ສະບາຍດີ (sába̖ai-di̖i) |
| How are you? | ສະບາຍດີບ (sába̖ai-di̖i baw?) |
| Reply to 'How are you?' | ສະບາຍດີ (sábaai-di̖i) |
| Long time no see | ບໍ່ເຫັນໜ້າກັນດົນລະນໍ (bor hen naa gun don la nor) |
| What's your name? | ເຈົ້າຊື່ຫຍັງ? (jâo seu nyãng?) |
| My name is ... | ຂ້ອຍຊື່ ... (kháwy seu ...) |
| Where are you from? | ເຈົ້າມາແຕ່ໃສ? (jâo máa tae sai?) |
| I'm from ... | ຂ້ອຍມາແຕ່ ... (kháwy m a tae ...) |
| Pleased to meet you | ດີໃຈທີ່ຮູ້ກັບເຈົ້າ (di̖i ja̖i thii hûu káp jâo) |
| Good morning (Morning greeting) |
ສະບາຍດີ ton sao (sába̖ai-di̖i ton sao) |
| Good afternoon (Afternoon greeting) |
ສະບາຍດີຍາມແລງ (sabaidee yarm laeng) ສະບາຍດີ (sabaidee) |
| Good evening (Evening greeting) |
ສະບາຍດີຍາມແລງ (sabaidee yarm laeng) ສະບາຍດີ (sabaidee) |
| Good night | ຝັນດີ (fun dee) ນອນຫຼັບຝັນດີ (non lub fun dee) |
| Goodbye (Parting phrases) |
ໂຊກດີເດີ້ (sôhk dii der) ລາກ່ອນ (la kon) - stay well ໄປດີ (pai di) - go well |
| Good luck! | ໂຊກດີ (sok dee) |
| Cheers! Good Health! (Toasts used when drinking) |
ຕຳແກ້ວ! (thum keo!) - hit glass ສຸຂະພາບແຂງແຮງ (sukhaphab khaeng haeng) ຂໍໃຫ້ສຸຂະພາບແຂງແຮງ (khor hai sukhaphab khaeng haeng) - wish (you) strong health |
| Have a nice day | ມີວັນທີ່ດີ! (mi van thidi) |
| Bon appetit / Have a nice meal |
ເຊີນແຊບ (soen saeb) |
| Bon voyage / Have a good journey |
ເດິນທາງໂຊກດີ (doen thang sok dee) ເດິນທາງປອດໄພ (doen thang pord phai) |
| I don't know | ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ຮູ້ (khoi bor hu) |
| I understand | ເຂົ້າໃຈ (khao jai) |
| I don't understand | ບໍ່ເຂົ້າໃຈ (baw khào ja̖i) |
| Please speak more slowly | ກະລຸນາເວົ້າຊ້າໆ (kálunaa wâo sâa sâa) |
| Please say that again | ກະລຸນາເວົ້າໃໝ່ເບິ່ງດູ (kállunaa wâo mai boeng duu) |
| Please write it down | ກະລຸນາ ຈົດລົງໄປ (kaluna chod long pai) |
| Do you speak Lao? | ເຈົ້າປາກພາສາລາວໄດ້ບໍ່ (jâo páak pháasaa láo dâi baw?) ເຈົ້າເວົ້າພາສາລາວໄດ້ບໍ່ (jâo vâo pháasaa láo dâi baw?) |
| Yes, a little (reply to 'Do you speak ...?') |
dai, noi nung |
| Do you speak English? | ເຈົ້າປາກພາສາອັງກິດໄດ້ບໍ່ (jâo páak pháasaa a̖ngkít dâi baw?) |
| How do you say ... in Lao? | ພາສາລາວ ... pe wa nyang (phasaa lao ... pe wa nyang?) |
| Speak to me in Lao | ກະລຸນາ ເວົ້າພາສາລາວກັບຂ້ອຍ (kaluna vao phasaa lao gub khoi) |
| Excuse me | ຂໍໂທດ (khãw thôht) |
| How much is this? | ເທົ່າໃດ? (thao da̖i?) |
| Sorry | ຂໍໂທດ (khãw thôht) |
| Please | ກະລຸນາ (kaluna) |
| Thank you | ຂອບໃຈ (khàwp ja̖i) ຂອບໃຈຫລາຍໆ (khàwp ja̖i lãi lãi) |
| Reply to thank you | ບໍ່ເປັນຫຍັງ (baw pe̖n nyãng) |
| Where's the toilet / bathroom? | ຫ້ອງ້ຳຢູ່ໃສ (hàwng nâm yuu sǎi?) |
| This gentleman will pay for everything | |
| This lady will pay for everything | |
| Would you like to dance with me? | ເພິ່ນຢາກໄປເຕັ້ນລຳນຳເຮົາບໍ່? (phoen yark pai ten lum num hao bor?) - frm ໄປເຕັ້ນນຳກັນບໍ່? (paii ten num gun bor) - inf ຂໍເຊີນເຕັ້ນລຳນຳກັນ (khor soen ten lum num gun) - traditional, used at weddings |
| I miss you | |
| I love you | ຂ້ອຍຮັກເຈົ້າ (kho huk jâo/chau) |
| Get well soon | ເຊົາໄວໆເດີ (sao vai vai de) |
| Leave me alone! | Boh tong koun khoy! |
| Help! | ຊ່ອຍແດ່! (suay dae!) |
| Fire! | ໄຟໄໝ້! (fái mài!) |
| Stop! | ຢຸດ! (yút!) |
| Call the police! | ຊ່ອຍເອີ້ນຕໍາຫລວດແດ່! (suay ôen tem-lùat dae!) |
| Christmas greetings | ສຸກສັນວັນຄິສມາດ (suksan van khismad) |
| New Year greetings | ສະບາຍດີປີໃຫມ່ (sabai di pi mai) |
| Easter greetings | |
| Birthday greetings | ສຸກສັນວັນເກີດ (suksan van koed) |
| Congratulations! | ຊົມເຊີຍ! (somsoeny) |
| One language is never enough | ພາສາດຽວບໍ່ພໍ (pasa diao bor phor) |
| My hovercraft is full of eels | ມີປາໄຫຼເຕັມຢູ່ໃນເຮືອພັດລົມຂອງຂ້ອຍ (mi pa lai tem yunai heu phad lom khong khoi) |
Corrections and additions by Irene Holmes
If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.
Hear some Lao phrases
Information about Lao | Phrases | Numbers | Family words | Tower of Babel | Learning materials
Collections of Lao phrases (some with audio)
http://wikitravel.org/en/Lao_phrasebook
http://www.phrasebook.thai-isan-lao.com
http://laos411.com/language/
Kam, Lao, Thai, Yongbei Zhuang
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