The Lao course
Learn Lao ten words at a time
ລາວ
Ten games of ten words: the hundred most useful Lao words and expressions you could live on for years, from greetings and ordering food to numbers, small talk and getting around. Play a lesson in the box beside its words, and the next one starts itself.
Lao challenge
Do you know the essentials? 25 quick questions from across the course. Score high and you are ready for the trip.
Lao · Lesson 1 of 10
Greetings and politeness
Hello, thanks, please: the ten openers everything else builds on.
- ສະບາຍດີsa-BAI-dee
- Hello
- ຫວັດດີWAT-dee
- Hi
- ອາລຸນສະຫວັດa-LUN-sa-WAT
- Good morning
- ລາດຕີສະຫວັດLA-tee-sa-WAT
- Good night
- ຂອບໃຈຫຼາຍໆKAWP-jai-LY-LY
- Thank you very much
- ຂອບໃຈKAWP-jai
- Thanks
- ບໍ່ເປັນຫຍັງbaw-PEN-NYANG
- You're welcome
- ກະລຸນາga-lu-NA
- Please
- ຂໍໂທດKAW-TOHT
- Excuse me
- ລາກ່ອນLA-gawn
- Goodbye
Lao · Lesson 2 of 10
Order anything by pointing
One beer please, one of these please, the bill: survive any menu.
- ເບียນນຶ່ງ, ຂອບໃຈbian-NUNG, KAWP-jai
- One beer, please
- ອັນນີ້ນຶ່ง, ຂອບໃຈAN-nee-NUNG, KAWP-jai
- One of these, please
- ກາເຟນຶ່ງ, ຂອບໃຈgah-FAY-NUNG, KAWP-jai
- One coffee, please
- ສອງ, ຂອບໃຈSONG, KAWP-jai
- Two, please
- ໃຫ້ເພີ່ມອີກນຶ່ງ, ຂອບໃຈhai-PHEM-eek-NUNG, KAWP-jai
- One more, please
- ລາຄາເທົ່າໃດla-KA-tao-DAI
- How much is it?
- ບິນ, ຂອບໃຈbin, KAWP-jai
- The bill, please
- ຂໍໂທດ, ສາມາດ...ໄດ້ບໍ?KAW-TOHT, sa-MAT...dai-baw
- May I...?
- ຕຳຈອກ!tam JOK
- Cheers!
- ໂຊກດີsohk DEE
- Bless you
Lao · Lesson 3 of 10
Yes, no and the essentials
The tiny words that carry half of every conversation.
- ແມ່ນMEN
- Yes
- ບໍ່ຫຼືບໍ່ແມ່ນbaw or baw-MEN
- No
- ໄດ້DAI
- Okay
- ບໍ່ເປັນສະຫຍາງbaw-PEN-sa-NYANG
- Sure, no problem
- ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ຮູ້KHOY-baw-HOO
- I don't know
- ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ເຂົ້າໃຈKHOY-baw-KAO-jai
- I don't understand
- ທ່ານເວົ້າພາສາອັງກິດໄດ້ບໍ?THAN-vao-PA-sa-ANG-kit-dai-baw
- Do you speak English?
- ນິດໜຶ່ງnit-NUNG
- A little
- ແນ່ນອນNEN-non
- Of course
- ທຸກຢ່າງໂອເຄະTHUK-yang-OH-KAY
- Everything is fine
Lao · Lesson 4 of 10
Numbers and money
Counting, prices, paying by card or cash.
- ນຶ່ງNUNG
- One
- ສອງSONG
- Two
- ສາມSAM
- Three
- ສີ່SEE
- Four
- ສິບSIP
- Ten
- ຫ້າສິບHA-sip
- Fifty
- ຮ້ອຍHOY
- One hundred
- ກີບKIP
- Kip
- ໂດຍການ໋າກັດບັນຊີdoy-GA-na-KAT-ban-see
- By card
- ເງິນສົດNGIN-SOT
- In cash
Lao · Lesson 5 of 10
At the supermarket
Bread, milk, a bag, nothing else thanks: the checkout routine.
- ເຂົ້າຕອບໄກ່KAO-TOP-gai
- Bread
- ນົມNOM
- Milk
- ເນີຍNEIA
- Cheese
- ນ້ຳNAM
- Water
- ຖົງ, ໄດ້ບໍ?THONG, dai-baw
- A bag?
- ມີ...ບໍ?MEE...baw
- Do you have...?
- ຢູ່ໃສ...?YOO-sai
- Where is...?
- ອັນນີ້AN-nee
- This one
- ອື່ນ ບໍ່ມີOUN-baw-MEE
- Nothing else
- ມື້ນີ້ສະດວກMOO-nee-sa-DUAN
- Have a nice day
Lao · Lesson 6 of 10
Cafe and restaurant
A table, the menu, a compliment to the kitchen.
- ໂຕະສອງທີ່TOH-SONG-TEE
- A table for two
- ລາຍການອາຫານ, ຂອບໃຈLAI-GAN-a-HAN, KAWP-jai
- The menu, please
- ກາເຟແສກສໍ່ນຶ່ງgah-FAY-PRESS-soh-NUNG
- One espresso
- ເສື້ອລາວSAO-LAO
- A glass of wine
- ເບຍທຸກເຮັດbian-THUK-HET
- Draft beer
- ຫລາບLAP
- Larb
- ແຫລ້ວ, ອາຫານນີ້맛ຫຼາຍa-HAN-nee-MAT-LY
- It's delicious
- ບໍ່ໃສ່ນ້ຳແຂ້ງbaw-SAI-nam-KHAENG
- Without ice
- ເອົາໄປAO-PAI
- To take away
- ເກັບເງິນທີ່ເຫລືອGEP-ngin-tee-LAO
- Keep the change
Lao · Lesson 7 of 10
Small talk and neighbors
How are you, nice day, see you soon: superficial and proud of it.
- ທ່ານສະບາຍດີ ບໍTHAN-sa-BAI-dee-baw
- How are you? (polite)
- ສະບາຍດີ ບໍsa-BAI-dee-baw
- How are you? (casual)
- ສະບາຍດີsa-BAI-dee
- I'm fine
- ທ່ານຫລາ?THAN-la
- And you?
- ມີຫຍັງ ໃໝ່?MEE-nyang-MAI
- What's new?
- ອາກາດດີ, ບໍ?a-GAT-dee, baw
- Nice weather, huh?
- ຜ່ອນໂຕ້ວ, ໂຕ້ວບໍ່PHON-tao, tao-baw
- See you soon
- ປະ ຣ້ ຕ້ອນຮັບ ຕອນ ແລງan-TAI-ton-LENG
- Have a nice evening
- ບອກສະບາຍໄປຫາ ຄອບຄົວBOK-sa-BAI-PAI-HA-KHOB-KUA
- Say hi to the family
- ຂໍໃຫ້ໄຊ້ດີKAW-hai-SAI-dee
- All the best
Lao · Lesson 8 of 10
Getting around
Left, right, the station, one ticket, where is the toilet.
- ຫ້ອງນ້ຳ ຢູ່ໃສ?HONG-nam-YOO-sai
- Where is the toilet?
- ຊ້າຍSAI
- Left
- ຂວາKUA
- Right
- ຊື່ໄປSHOO-PAI
- Straight ahead
- ທີ່ນີ້TEE-nee
- Here
- ທີ່ໂນ້ນTEE-NON
- There
- ລົດເມLOT-MAY
- Bus
- ສະຖານີລົດໄຟsa-THA-nee-LOT-FAI
- Train station
- ປີ້ນປ໋າຫນຶ່ງ, ຂອບໃຈbeen-NUNG, KAWP-jai
- One ticket, please
- ຈອດຢູ່ທີ່ນີ້, ຂອບໃຈCHOT-YOO-tee-nee, KAWP-jai
- Stop here, please
Lao · Lesson 9 of 10
Time and days
Today, tomorrow, later, the weekend.
- ມື້ນີ້MOO-nee
- Today
- ມື້ອື່ນMOO-OUN
- Tomorrow
- ມື້ວານMOO-VAN
- Yesterday
- ດຽວນີ້DIAO-nee
- Now
- ລັງນ້ອຍLANG-NOY
- Later
- ເວລາ ເທົ່າໃດ?wa-LA-tao-DAI
- What time is it?
- ວັນຈັນWAN-CHAN
- Monday
- ວັນເສົາWAN-SAO
- Saturday
- ວັນອາທິດWAN-A-THIT
- Sunday
- วิ ຸ ຊາຍສັປາະຫ໋THAI-SAP-AH
- The weekend
Lao · Lesson 10 of 10
Help and emergencies
The words you hope to never need.
- ຊ່ວຍ!SHWAY
- Help!
- ໂທຫາ ຫມໍTOH-HA-MO
- Call a doctor
- ຕຳຫລວດTAM-LOAT
- Police
- ຮ້ານຜາHAN-PHA
- Pharmacy
- ໂຮງຫມໍHONG-MO
- Hospital
- ຂ້ອຍຫລົ້ວທາງKHOY-LAO-THANG
- I'm lost
- ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ສະບາຍKHOY-baw-sa-BAI
- I don't feel well
- ໂທລະສັບຂອງຂ້ອຍTHOLE-SA-BAP-KHONG-KHOY
- My phone
- ມັນໄດ້ຖືກຂったທໍMAN-DAI-THUK-KHA-TAO
- It was stolen
- ມັນຮີບMAN-HEP
- It's urgent