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Lao Social Phrases
Greetings, introductions, politeness. 12+ essential phrases with phonetic pronunciation and 10 full conversation flows for social situations in Laos.
Start learning freeEssential Social Phrases in Lao
Sorted by usefulness. Phonetic pronunciation included.
เบชเบฐเบเบฒเบเบเบต
sah-bye-dee
Hello / Good day (lit. be comfortable and good)
เบเบญเบเปเบ
khawp-chai
Thank you (lit. gratitude of the heart โ jai = heart)
เบชเบฐเบเบฒเบเบเบตเบเป
sah-bye-dee baw
How are you?
เบชเบฐเบเบฒเบเบเบต
sah-bye-dee
I'm fine (response to 'how are you')
เบเบญเบเปเบเบซเบฅเบฒเบเป
khawp-chai-lie-lie
Thank you very much
เบฅเบฒเบเปเบญเบ
lah-gawn
Goodbye (lit. to leave first)
เบเปเบญเบ
koy
I / Me (informal)
เบเบทเป
suh
Name
เบเบทเปเบซเบเบฑเบ
suh-nyahng
What's your name?
เบเปเบญเบเบเบทเป
koy-suh
My name is...
เบกเบฒเบเบฒเบเปเบช
mah-jahk-sai
Where are you from?
เบเปเปเปเบเบฑเบเบซเบเบฑเบ
baw-pen-nyahng
No problem / It's fine (Lao equivalent of mai pen rai)
...and 135 more social phrases in the app.
Sample: What should I do here?
A real social conversation in Lao -- both sides of the interaction.
You
เปเบฎเบฑเบเบซเบเบฑเบเบเบต เบเบตเปเบเบตเป
het nyang dee thee nee
What should I do here?
Them
pie waht leh-oh
The person asks if you've been somewhere
เปเบเบงเบฑเบ เปเบฅเปเบง เบเป
pie waht leh-oh baw
Have you been to the temple?
You
เบเบฑเบ, เบเบตเบเป
yahng dee baw
Not yet! Is it good?
Them
dee tee-soot pie tawn lehng
The person recommends enthusiastically
เบเบตเบเบตเปเบชเบธเบ, เปเบเบเบญเบเปเบฅเบ
dee tee-soot pie tawn lehng
It's the best! Go in the evening
You
เบเบตเปเบฅเบตเบ, เบเบฑเบเบญเบตเบ
dee luh-ee yahng ik
Oh, that sounds amazing! What else?
Them
lohng nang huh-ah
The person suggests another activity
เบฅเบญเบ เบเบฑเปเบเปเบฎเบทเบญ เบเบฒเบกเบเปเบณ เปเบ
lohng nang huh-ah tahm nahm deh
You should also try a boat ride on the river!
10 social conversations available in the app.
FAQ
What happens when they answer back at the social in Laos?
That's the hard part -- and exactly what TalkThere prepares you for. Each of the 10 social conversations shows you the full back-and-forth: what you say, what they'll likely respond, and how to keep going. You won't freeze when they answer in Lao.
Is this enough to get by at a social in Laos?
Yes. These are the 12+ phrases that actually come up in real social interactions -- not textbook phrases. Sorted by how often you'll need them, with pronunciation you can read at a glance.
Do I need to learn Lao script to use this?
No. Every Lao phrase has phonetic pronunciation written in plain English. You read it like English and say it out loud. The script is there for reference, but you don't need it.
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