Getting around in Sinhala
Left, right, the station, one ticket, where is the toilet. Play the ten Sinhala words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Sinhala phrases in this lesson
- 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
Public toilets exist at bus stations and tourist sites but vary in quality. In a pinch, any restaurant or hotel will usually allow use of their facilities if you ask politely. Always carry small change as a tip.
When asking for directions, Sri Lankans often point expressively alongside verbal directions. Watch the hand gesture as much as the words.
Short and clear. Point at the ground while saying it to a tuk-tuk driver to signal your destination. Combined with "stop" it is the essential passenger toolkit.
The Sri Lankan train network is scenic, slow, and beloved by travelers. The Ella to Kandy route through tea country is one of the world's great train journeys. Book second-class reserved seats in advance.
Sri Lanka has an extensive and cheap bus network. Intercity buses can be crowded and fast. Private buses are faster, government buses cheaper. Always confirm the destination with the conductor before boarding.
Literally "air harbor".
Used at train stations and bus ticket windows. For tuk-tuks, negotiate the fare verbally before getting in rather than expecting a meter, except in Colombo where meters are increasingly required.