Greetings and politeness in Lao
Hello, please, thank you, sorry: the ten openers everything else builds on. Play the ten Lao words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 11 Lao phrases in this lesson
- 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
The everyday greeting at any hour, said with a nop, palms together.
Formal, heard in hotels and on the radio. Most people say ສະບາຍດີ (sa-bai-DEE).
Literally "hello, evening time".
A formal goodbye. Friends say ໂຊກດີ (sok-DEE), good luck.
Literally "meet again", the friendly goodbye. ລາກ່ອນ (laa GAWN) sounds final.
Formal. In speech, ແດ່ (dae) at the end of a request does the job.
ຂອບໃຈຫຼາຍ (khop-jai LAI) is thank you very much.
Literally "it is nothing", the reply to thanks and to apologies.
The everyday sorry.
Literally "may I have the way", to get past.
Literally "glad to have got to know you".