๐ฑ๐ฆ
Learn Lao for Travel
566+ essential phrases for traveling in Laos. Real conversation flows with phonetic pronunciation -- know what to say and what you'll hear back.
Essential Lao Phrases
The most useful words for your trip to Laos, with phonetic pronunciation.
เบฅเบฒเบเบฒเปเบเบปเปเบฒเปเบ
lah-kah thow-dye
How much does it cost?
เบเปเบงเบเบเปเบงเบ
soo-eye-doo-eye
Help! / Help me!
เบชเบฐเบเบฒเบเบเบต
sah-bye-dee
Hello / Good day (lit. be comfortable and good)
เบเปเปเปเบเบฑเบเบซเบเบฑเบ
baw-pen-nyahng
No problem / It's nothing / Don't worry
เปเบ
pie
Go / To go
เบเบญเบเปเบ
khawp-chai
Thank you (lit. gratitude of the heart โ jai = heart)
เปเบเบเบฅเบฒเบง
BEE-a-lao
Beerlao (national beer)
เบกเปเบงเบ
moo-AN
Fun / Enjoyable / Great vibes
เบญเบฑเบเบเบตเป
ahn-nee
This one
เปเบเบ
sep
Delicious!
เปเบเบปเปเบฒเปเบฝเบง
khow-nyoh
Sticky rice (Lao staple)
เปเบฎเบเปเป
hohng-moh
Hospital (lit. doctor's building: hong + mo)
เบซเปเบญเบ
hohng
Room
เปเบเบฑเบ
chep
Hurt / Pain
เบเปเบญเบเบเปเบญเบเบเบฒเบเบเปเบงเบ
koy-tawng-kahn-soo-eye
I need help
...and 551 more phrases in the app.
Sample Conversation: Discovering and tasting at the market
TalkThere shows both sides of the conversation -- what you say and what they'll say back.
You
เบชเบฐเบเบฒเบเบเบต, เบญเบฑเบเบเบตเป เปเบกเปเบเบซเบเบฑเบ
sah bye dee ahn nee men nyang
Hello! What is this?
Them
men mahk hoong chow
The vendor names the local fruit or food
เปเบกเปเบเปเบฒเบเบซเบธเปเบ เบเปเบฒเบง
men mahk hoong chow
It's papaya
You
เปเบเบดเปเบเบเบตเปเบฅเบตเบ, เบฅเบญเบเบเบดเบ เปเบเปเบเป
bung dee luh-ee lohng kin dye baw
Oh, it looks good! Can I taste?
Them
dye lohng bung
The vendor says yes, try it!
เปเบเป, เบฅเบญเบเปเบเบดเปเบ
dye lohng bung
Yes, try it!
You
เปเบเบเปเบฅเบตเบ, เปเบเบปเปเบฒเปเบ
sep luh-ee thow-dye
Wow, delicious! How much?
Them
nung mun keep
The vendor states a price in kip
เปเบถเปเบเปเบทเปเบเบเบตเบเบเปเปเบญเบฑเบ
nung mun keep taw ahn
10,000 kip each
44 conversation flows available in the app.
Lao Phrases by Situation
Learn exactly what you'll need for each travel scenario in Laos.
Lao Day One Phrases
Greet, thank, ask the price, get by ยท 70 words, 7 conversations
Lao Social Phrases
Greetings, introductions, politeness ยท 147 words, 10 conversations
Lao Street talk Phrases
ProSwear words, slang, colorful expressions ยท 74 words, 4 conversations
Lao Market Phrases
Buy, negotiate, ask prices ยท 112 words, 4 conversations
Lao Restaurant Phrases
Order, dietary preferences, pay ยท 143 words, 5 conversations
Lao Transport Phrases
Taxis, directions, getting around ยท 122 words, 7 conversations
Lao Hotel Phrases
Check-in, requests, problems ยท 115 words, 4 conversations
Lao Emergency Phrases
Help, health, pharmacy ยท 109 words, 3 conversations
Why Learn Lao with TalkThere?
Conversation flows, not word lists
See both sides of real interactions in Laos -- what you say and what they say back.
Phonetic pronunciation
Every Lao phrase includes pronunciation written in English -- not IPA. Readable at a glance.
Organized by situation
566+ phrases sorted by where you'll use them: markets, restaurants, hotels, transport.
Works offline
No signal at the market? No problem. All phrases, audio, and conversations available without internet in Laos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need to learn what they'll say back?
Because that's where conversations break down. You can memorize "how much is this?" in Lao, but when the vendor answers with a number, a counter-offer, and a question -- you're lost. TalkThere shows you the full back-and-forth so you can actually keep the conversation going in Laos.
How is this different from a phrasebook or Duolingo?
Phrasebooks give you one-liners with no context. Duolingo teaches you grammar you won't use at a market. TalkThere gives you 8 real travel situations with complete conversation flows -- what you say, what they say back, and what comes next. Organized by where you are, not by grammar level.
I can't read Lao script. Can I still use this?
Yes, that's the whole point. Every Lao phrase has phonetic pronunciation written in plain English -- not linguistic notation. You read it exactly like English and say it out loud. No need to learn the script before your trip.
Will it work without internet in Laos?
Yes. Add it to your home screen and everything works offline -- all phrases, audio, and conversations. No signal at the market? No problem.
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