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Learn Sinhala ten words at a time

සිංහල

Ten short games: the 102 most useful Sinhala 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.

The rock fortress of Sigiriya
Challenge
Sinhala challenge
12 questions from the 102 phrases, new every time
Wrobell via Wikimedia Commons
Sinhala · 0 of 10 lessons passed

Greetings and politeness

Hello, please, thank you, sorry: the ten openers everything else builds on.

ආයුබෝවන්aa-yu-BOH-wan
Hello
සුබ උදෑසනක්SU-ba u-DAY-sa-nak
Good morning
සුබ සැන්දෑවක්SU-ba SAN-dae-wak
Good evening
ගිහින් එන්නම්gi-HIN en-NAM
Goodbye
පස්සේ හම්බවෙමුpas-SAY ham-ba-WE-mu
See you
කරුණාකරka-ru-NAA-ka-ra
Please
ස්තූතියිSTOO-ti-yi
Thank you
කමක් නෑKA-mak NAA
You're welcome
කණගාටුයිka-na-GAA-tu-yi
Sorry
සමාවෙන්නsa-MAA-wen-na
Excuse me
ඔබව හමුවීම සතුටක්o-ba-WA ha-mu-WEE-ma sa-TU-tak
Nice to meet you
The Avukana Buddha statue in Sri Lanka
Greetings and politeness
11 words · 20 seconds each · 9 of 11 to pass
What it meansHow to say it
Carlos Delgado, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Order anything by pointing

I would like, this one, how much, the bill: survive any counter or menu.

මට ... ඕනේma-TA ... OH-ne
I would like...
මේකMEY-ka
This one
මේක කීයද?MEY-ka KEE-ya-da
How much is it?
බිල ගෙනත් දෙන්නBI-la GE-nat DEN-na
The bill, please
කාඩ් එකෙන්KAARD E-ken
By card
කෑෂ් එකෙන්KAASH E-ken
In cash
වතුරWA-tu-ra
Water
කෝපිKOH-pi
Coffee
තේtay
Tea
බියර්BI-yar
Beer
... නැතුවNAE-tu-wa
Without...
Elephants in Minneriya National Park, Sri Lanka
Order anything by pointing
11 words · 20 seconds each · 9 of 11 to pass
What it meansHow to say it
Carlos Delgado, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Yes, no and the essentials

The small words that carry half of every conversation, and the ones that rescue it.

ඔව්OW
Yes
නෑNAY
No
හරිHA-ri
Okay
මට තේරෙන්නේ නෑma-TA TEY-ren-ney NAY
I don't understand
ඔබට ඉංග්‍රීසි කතා කරන්න පුළුවන්ද?o-BA-ta IN-gree-si ka-TAA ka-RAN-na pu-LU-wan-da
Do you speak English?
ආයෙත් කියන්නAA-yet ki-YAN-na
Can you repeat that?
හෙමින් කියන්නHE-min ki-YAN-na
Slowly, please
මේ මොකක්ද?MEY mo-KAK-da
What is this?
මට ... අවශ්‍යයිma-TA ... a-WASH-ya-yi
I need...
මට උදව් කරන්න පුළුවන්ද?ma-TA u-DAW ka-RAN-na pu-LU-wan-da
Can you help me?
The Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, Sri Lanka
Yes, no and the essentials
10 words · 20 seconds each · 8 of 10 to pass
What it meansHow to say it
මියුරු සංකල්ප, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Counting to ten

One to ten, for prices, platforms, rooms and how many beers.

එකE-ka
One
දෙකDE-ka
Two
තුනTU-na
Three
හතරHA-ta-ra
Four
පහPA-ha
Five
හයHA-ya
Six
හතHA-ta
Seven
අටA-ta
Eight
නවයNA-va-ya
Nine
දහයDA-ha-ya
Ten
The hill town of Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka
Counting to ten
10 words · 20 seconds each · 8 of 10 to pass
What it meansHow to say it
Abdul malik77, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Shops and hotels

Open, closed, a bag, the wifi password: the checkout and the front desk.

ඔබ ළඟ... තිබේද?o-BA lan-ga... ti-BEY-da
Do you have...?
... කොහෙද?... ko-HE-da
Where is...?
විවෘතයිvi-vru-TA-yi
Open
වසා ඇතwa-SAA AE-ta
Closed
බෑගයක් ද?BAG-ya-yak DA
A bag?
හුඟක් ගණන්HUN-gak GA-nan
Too expensive
මට බුකින් එකක් තියෙනවාma-TA BU-kin E-kak ti-YE-na-waa
I have a reservation
උදේ කෑම ඇතුළත්ද?u-DAY KAE-ma ae-tu-LAT-da
Is breakfast included?
වයිෆයි පාස්වර්ඩ් එක මොකක්ද?WAI-fai PAAS-ward E-ka mo-KAK-da
What's the wifi password?
මට ... පුළුවන්ද?ma-TA ... pu-LU-wan-da
Can I...?
Kandy Lake in Sri Lanka
Shops and hotels
10 words · 20 seconds each · 8 of 10 to pass
What it meansHow to say it
Alexey Komarov, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cafe and restaurant

A table, the menu, what you cannot eat, and a compliment to the kitchen.

දෙදෙනෙකුට මේසයක්de-DE-ne-ku-ta MEY-sa-yak
A table for two
මෙනුව කරුණාකරme-NU-wa ka-ru-NAA-ka-ra
The menu, please
මොනවද හොඳ?MO-na-wa-da HON-da
What do you recommend?
මම ... කන්නේ නෑma-MA ... KAN-ne NAE
I don't eat...
මට ...ට ඇලර්ජියිma-TA ...-ta AE-lar-ji-yi
I'm allergic to...
මස්MAS
Meat
කුකුළු මස්ku-KU-lu MAS
Chicken
මාළුMAA-lu
Fish
මේක හරිම රසයිMEY-ka HA-rim RA-sai
It's delicious
චියර්ස්!CHEERS
Cheers
The Royal Botanic Gardens at Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
Cafe and restaurant
10 words · 20 seconds each · 8 of 10 to pass
What it meansHow to say it
Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Meeting people

How are you, what is your name, where are you from, I like it: the first five minutes.

ඔබ කොහොමද?o-BA ko-HO-ma-da
How are you?
හොඳින් ඉන්නවාHON-din IN-na-waa
I'm fine, thanks
ඔබත් හොඳින්ද?o-BAT HON-din-da
And you?
ඔබේ නම මොකක්ද?o-BAY NA-ma mo-KAK-da
What's your name?
මගේ නම ...ma-GAY NA-ma
My name is...
ඔබ කොහෙන්ද?o-BA ko-HEN-da
Where are you from?
මම ...වලින්ma-MA ...-wa-lin
I'm from...
මට කැමතියිma-TA kae-ma-TI-yi
I like it
හරිම ලස්සනයිHA-ri-ma las-sa-NA-yi
It's beautiful
සාදරයෙන් පිළිගනිමුSAA-da-ra-yen pi-li-ga-NI-mu
Welcome
The Queen’s Hotel in Kandy, Sri Lanka
Meeting people
10 words · 20 seconds each · 8 of 10 to pass
What it meansHow to say it
A.Savin, FAL, via Wikimedia Commons

Getting around

Left, right, the station, one ticket, where is the toilet.

වැසිකිළිය කොහෙද?WAY-si-ki-li-ya ko-HE-da
Where is the toilet?
...ට යන්නේ කොහොමද?-ta YAN-ne ko-HO-ma-da
How do I get to...?
වමටWA-ma-ta
To the left
දකුණටda-KU-na-ta
To the right
කෙළින්මke-LIN-ma
Straight ahead
මෙහෙme-HE
Here
දුම්රිය ස්ථානයDUM-ri-ya STHAA-na-ya
Train station
බස් රථයBAS ra-tha-ya
Bus
ගුවන් තොටුපළgu-WAN to-TU-pa-la
Airport
ටිකට් එකක් කරුණාකරTI-kat E-kak ka-ru-NAA-ka-ra
One ticket, please
The ramparts of Galle Fort in Sri Lanka
Getting around
10 words · 20 seconds each · 8 of 10 to pass
What it meansHow to say it
Rovin Shanila, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Time and days

Now, later, tomorrow, what time it opens and one moment please.

දැන්DAN
Now
පස්සෙPAS-se
Later
අදA-da
Today
හෙටHE-ta
Tomorrow
අද රෑA-da RAE
Tonight
කවදාද?ka-wa-DAA-da
When?
කීයටද අරින්නේ?KEE-ya-ta-da a-RIN-ne
What time does it open?
පොඩ්ඩක් ඉන්නPOD-dak IN-na
One moment, please
විනාඩිvi-NAA-di
Minutes
පැයPAE-ya
Hours
The Lion’s Paws entrance at Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
Time and days
10 words · 20 seconds each · 8 of 10 to pass
What it meansHow to say it
Venkasub, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Help and emergencies

The words you hope to never need.

උදව්!u-DAW
Help!
දොස්තරවරයෙකු කතා කරන්නDOS-ta-ra-wa-ra-ye-ku ka-TAA ka-RAN-na
Call a doctor
පොලිසියpo-LI-si-ya
Police
ෆාමසියFAA-ma-si-ya
Pharmacy
රෝහලROH-ha-la
Hospital
මට පාර වැරදුණාma-TA PAA-ra wa-ra-DU-naa
I'm lost
මට හොඳ නෑma-TA HON-da NAY
I don't feel well
හොරකම් කළාho-ra-KAM ka-LAA
It was stolen
මේක හදිසි අවස්ථාවක්MEY-ka ha-DI-si a-was-THAA-wak
It's an emergency
මාව තනියම ඉන්න දෙන්නMAA-wa ta-NI-ya-ma IN-na DEN-na
Leave me alone
The view from the top of Sigiriya in Sri Lanka
Help and emergencies
10 words · 20 seconds each · 8 of 10 to pass
What it meansHow to say it
V. Epiney, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Where Sinhala is spoken