Learn Lao

Useful Lao Phases and Lao Language Resources

Although it is not necessary to learn Lao before you visit Laos, it is always useful to know some basic words or phases. It can be a rewarding experience to be able to speak to local people in their native tongue while travelling in Laos. You’ll also impress them if you try to use a little Lao when you meet and maybe have some fun trying.
I’m not a Lao language specialist (although I am a native Lao) so I won’t try to give you comprehensive Lao lessons here. However, since you have found this page I will give you some useful Lao phases.
This page can be your starting point for your Lao learning initiative. It provides some useful phases and some links to Lao language resources if you want to learn more.

If you see lots of square boxes or strange charecters on the right column (table below), don't let that push you away, they're just Lao writting (charecters) that come out strangely.
To view that correctly, do the following
- Firefox: Set Character Encoding to Encoding (UTF-8) (under View menu)
- Opera: Set Encoding to Unicode (under View Menu)
- Internet Explore seem to have a problem rendering the Lao script despite the setting
If this deosn't solve the problem, you might need Lao font installed on your computer.

Here are some useful Lao phases:

Hello	ສະບາຍດີ (sabaidee)
Thank you	ຂອບໃຈ (khàwp jai)
Thank you very much	ຂອບໃຈຫລາຍໆ (khàwp jai lai lai)
Sorry/excuse me	ຂໍໂທດ (khãw thôht)
Never mind/ you are welcome	ບໍ່ເປັນຫຍັງ (baw pen nyãng)
Goodbye	ລາກ່ອນ (la khãwn)
Please	ກະລຸນາ (khâluna)
Yes	ເຈົ້າ/ໂດຍ (jâo/dooy)
No	ບໍ່ (baw)
Welcome	ຍິນດີຕ້ອນຮັບ (yin dee torn háp)
I, Me	ຂ້ອຍ (khàwy)
You	ເຈົ້າ (jâo)
She/he	ລາວ or ເຂົາ (lâo or khâo)
We	ພວກເຮົາ (phuak hâo)
They	ພວກເຂົາ (phuak khâo)
How are you?	ສະບາຍດີບໍ? (sábaidee baw?)
I'm fine, thanks. And you?	ສະບາຍດີ, ຂອບໃຈ. ເຈົ້າເດ? (sábaidee, khàwp ja?i. jâo dây?)
I’m not feeling very well	ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ສະບາຍ (khàwy baw sábai)
I'm hungry	ຂ້ອຍຫິວເຂົ້າ (kháwy hew khao)
I’m thirsty	ຂ້ອຍຫິວນ້ຳ (kháwy hew nam)
I am full	ຂ້ອຍອີ່ມ (kháwy im)
I want to eat	ຂ້ອຍຢາກກິນ (kháwy yark kin)
I want to go....	ຂ້ອຍຢາກໄປ (kháwy yark pai....)
I want to go to the airport	ຂ້ອຍຢາກໄປເດີ່ນບິນ (kháwy yark pai dern bin)
I've a headache	ຂ້ອຍເຈັບຫົວ (kháwy jeb hua)
I've got a stomachache	ຂ້ອຍເຈັບທ້ອງ (kháwy jeb thong)
Do you speak English	ເຈົ້າເວົ້າພາສາອັງກິດໄດ້ບໍ? (jâo wâo pasa angkit dai baw?)
Do you speak Lao	ເຈົ້າເວົ້າພາສາລາວໄດ້ບໍ? (jâo wâo pasa lao dai baw?)
Where's the toilet?	ຫ້ອງນ້ຳຢູ່ໃສ? (Hàwng Nâm Yuu Sai?)
Go straight	ໄປຊື່ (pai seu)
Turn left	ລ້ຽວຊ້າຍ (liaw sái)
Turn right	ລ້ຽວຂວາ (liaw khua)
What's your name?	ເຈົ້າຊື່ຫຍັງ? (jâo seu nyãng?)
My name is ...	ຂ້ອຍຊື່ .... (kháwy seu ...)
Pleased to meet you	ດີໃຈທີ່ໄດ້ພົບເຈົ້າ (dee jai thee dái pop jâo)
How much is this?	ເທົ່າໃດ? (anh nee thao dai?)
Where are you going?	ເຈົ້າຈະໄປໃສ (jâo ja pai sai?)
Where to?	ໄປໃສ (pai sai?)
To Morning market	ໄປຕະຫລາດເຊົ້າ (pai ta lard sao)
I want to go to the airport	ຂ້ອຍຢາກໄປເດີ່ນບິນ (kháwy yark pai dern bin)
Where is the post office?	ຫ້ອງການໄປສະນີຢູ່ໃສ? (hàwng karn pai xa nii yuu sai?)
Where is the bus station (North)	ຄິວລົດເມສາຍເໜືອຢູ່ໃສ? (kew lot may xai neua yuu sai?)
Where is the bus station (South)	ຄິວລົດເມສາຍໃຕ້ຢູ່ໃສ? (kew lot may xai tai yuu sai?)
Where is the bus going	ລົດເມຄັນນີ້ຈະໄປໃສ? (lot may khan nii ja pai sai?)

Lao script is best viewed with Firefox and Opera. In Firefox, set Character Encoding to Encoding (UTF-8) (under View menu) and in Opera browsers set Encoding to Unicode (under View Menu). Internet Explorer seems to have a problem rendering the Lao script.