Learn Lao ten words at a time
Ten short games: the 102 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.
Greetings and politeness
Hello, please, thank you, sorry: the ten openers everything else builds on.
- ສະບາຍດີsa-bai-DEE
- Hello
- ອາລຸນສະຫວັດa-lun sa-WAT
- Good morning
- ສະບາຍດີຕອນແລງsa-bai-dee ton LAENG
- Good evening
- ລາກ່ອນla GON
- Goodbye
- ພົບກັນໃໝ່phop kan MAI
- See you
- ກະລຸນາka-lu-NA
- Please
- ຂອບໃຈkhop-JAI
- Thank you
- ບໍ່ເປັນຫຍັງbaw pen NYANG
- You're welcome
- ຂໍໂທດkhaw TOHT
- Sorry
- ຂໍທາງແດ່khaw TANG dae
- Excuse me
- ຍິນດີທີ່ໄດ້ຮູ້ຈັກyin-DEE tee dai hoo-JAK
- Nice to meet you
Order anything by pointing
I would like, this one, how much, the bill: survive any counter or menu.
- ຂ້ອຍຢາກໄດ້...khoy yak DAI
- I would like...
- ອັນນີ້an NEE
- This one
- ລາຄາເທົ່າໃດ?la-KHA tao DAI
- How much is it?
- ໄລ່ເງິນແດ່lai NGEUN dae
- The bill, please
- ຈ່າຍບັດjai BAT
- By card
- ເງິນສົດngeun SOT
- In cash
- ນ້ຳnam
- Water
- ກາເຟka-FEH
- Coffee
- ຊາsaa
- Tea
- ເບຍbia
- Beer
- ບໍ່ໃສ່...baw SAI
- Without...
Yes, no and the essentials
The small words that carry half of every conversation, and the ones that rescue it.
- ແມ່ນmaen
- Yes
- ບໍ່baw
- No
- ໄດ້DAI
- Okay
- ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ເຂົ້າໃຈKHOY-baw-KAO-jai
- I don't understand
- ທ່ານເວົ້າພາສາອັງກິດໄດ້ບໍ?tan wao pha-sa ang-KIT dai BAW
- Do you speak English?
- ເວົ້າອີກເທື່ອໜຶ່ງແດ່wao ik TEUA neung dae
- Can you repeat that?
- ເວົ້າຊ້າໆແດ່wao SA sa dae
- Slowly, please
- ນີ້ແມ່ນຫຍັງ?nee maen NYANG
- What is this?
- ຂ້ອຍຕ້ອງການ...khoy tong-KAN
- I need...
- ຊ່ວຍຂ້ອຍແດ່ໄດ້ບໍ?suay khoy dae dai BAW
- Can you help me?
Counting to ten
One to ten, for prices, platforms, rooms and how many beers.
- ໜຶ່ງneung
- One
- ສອງSONG
- Two
- ສາມSAM
- Three
- ສີ່SEE
- Four
- ຫ້າha
- Five
- ຫົກhok
- Six
- ເຈັດjet
- Seven
- ແປດpaet
- Eight
- ເກົ້າkao
- Nine
- ສິບSIP
- Ten
Shops and hotels
Open, closed, a bag, the wifi password: the checkout and the front desk.
- ມີ...ບໍ?mee ... BAW
- Do you have...?
- ...ຢູ່ໃສ?yoo SAI
- Where is...?
- ເປີດpeut
- Open
- ປິດpit
- Closed
- ເອົາຖົງບໍ?ao THONG baw
- A bag?
- ແພງໂພດphaeng POHT
- Too expensive
- ຂ້ອຍຈອງໄວ້ແລ້ວkhoy jong wai LAEO
- I have a reservation
- ລວມອາຫານເຊົ້າບໍ?luam a-han SAO baw
- Is breakfast included?
- ລະຫັດວາຍຟາຍແມ່ນຫຍັງ?la-HAT wai-fai maen NYANG
- What's the wifi password?
- ຂ້ອຍ...ໄດ້ບໍ?khoy ... dai BAW
- Can I...?
Cafe and restaurant
A table, the menu, what you cannot eat, and a compliment to the kitchen.
- ໂຕະສຳລັບສອງຄົນto sam-lap song KHON
- A table for two
- ຂໍເມນູແດ່khaw meh-NOO dae
- The menu, please
- ມີຫຍັງແຊບ?mee nyang SAEP
- What do you recommend?
- ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ກິນ...khoy baw KIN
- I don't eat...
- ຂ້ອຍແພ້...khoy PHAE
- I'm allergic to...
- ຊີ້ນsin
- Meat
- ໄກ່kai
- Chicken
- ປາpa
- Fish
- ແຊບຫຼາຍsaep LAI
- It's delicious
- ຊົນແກ້ວ!son KAEO
- Cheers
Meeting people
How are you, what is your name, where are you from, I like it: the first five minutes.
- ສະບາຍດີບໍ?sa-bai-dee BAW
- How are you?
- ສະບາຍດີ, ຂອບໃຈsa-bai-DEE, khop-JAI
- I'm fine, thanks
- ແລ້ວເຈົ້າເດ?laeo jao DEH
- And you?
- ເຈົ້າຊື່ຫຍັງ?jao seu NYANG
- What's your name?
- ຂ້ອຍຊື່...khoy SEU
- My name is...
- ເຈົ້າມາແຕ່ໃສ?jao ma tae SAI
- Where are you from?
- ຂ້ອຍມາແຕ່...khoy ma TAE
- I'm from...
- ຂ້ອຍມັກkhoy MAK
- I like it
- ງາມຫຼາຍngam LAI
- It's beautiful
- ຍິນດີຕ້ອນຮັບyin-dee ton-HAP
- Welcome
Getting around
Left, right, the station, one ticket, where is the toilet.
- ຫ້ອງນ້ຳຢູ່ໃສ?hong NAM yoo SAI
- Where is the toilet?
- ໄປ...ແນວໃດ?pai ... naeo DAI
- How do I get to...?
- ລ້ຽວຊ້າຍliao SAI
- To the left
- ລ້ຽວຂວາliao KHUA
- To the right
- ກົງໄປkong PAI
- Straight ahead
- ຢູ່ນີ້yoo NEE
- Here
- ສະຖານີລົດໄຟsa-tha-nee lot-FAI
- Train station
- ລົດເມlot MEH
- Bus
- ສະໜາມບິນsa-nam BIN
- Airport
- ປີ້ໜຶ່ງໃບpee neung BAI
- One ticket, please
Time and days
Now, later, tomorrow, what time it opens and one moment please.
- ດຽວນີ້diao NEE
- Now
- ພາຍຫຼັງphai LANG
- Later
- ມື້ນີ້meu NEE
- Today
- ມື້ອື່ນmeu EUN
- Tomorrow
- ຄືນນີ້kheun NEE
- Tonight
- ເມື່ອໃດ?meua DAI
- When?
- ເປີດຈັກໂມງ?peut jak MONG
- What time does it open?
- ຖ້າບຶດໜຶ່ງtha beut NEUNG
- One moment, please
- ນາທີna-TEE
- Minutes
- ຊົ່ວໂມງsua MONG
- Hours
Help and emergencies
The words you hope to never need.
- ຊ່ວຍແດ່!suay DAE
- Help!
- ເອີ້ນໝໍແດ່eun MAW dae
- Call a doctor
- ຕຳຫຼວດtam LUAT
- Police
- ຮ້ານຂາຍຢາhan khai YA
- Pharmacy
- ໂຮງໝໍhong MAW
- Hospital
- ຂ້ອຍຫຼົງທາງkhoy long TANG
- I'm lost
- ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ສະບາຍkhoy baw sa-BAI
- I don't feel well
- ຖືກລັກtheuk LAK
- It was stolen
- ເປັນເຫດສຸກເສີນpen het suk-SEUN
- It's an emergency
- ຢ່າມາລົບກວນຂ້ອຍya ma lop-kuan KHOY
- Leave me alone