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Pronunciation key
ao = "ow" as in cow
aa = long "ah" sound
ng = can start a word (like "singing" ending)
kh = aspirated K — a soft "k" with a breath
ph = aspirated P — like "p" with a puff of air, not "f"
↗ ↘ = rising/falling tone markers
Hello / Goodbye
ສະບາຍດີ
Sa-bai dee ↗
Thank you very much
ຂອບໃຈຫຼາຍໆ
Khob jai lai lai
Sorry / Excuse me
ຂໍໂທດ
Khor thoht ↘
I don't understand
ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ເຂົ້າໃຈ
Khoy bor khao jai
Do you speak English?
ເຈົ້າເວົ້າພາສາອັງກິດໄດ້ບໍ?
Jao wao pha-sa ang-git dai bor?
How much?
ເທົ່າໃດ?
Tao dai? ↗
Too expensive
ແພງເກີນໄປ
Phaeng gern pai
Where is…?
…ຢູ່ໃສ?
…yu sai? ↗
I want…
ຂ້ອຍຕ້ອງການ…
Khoy torng gaan…
Beautiful
ສວຍງາມ
Suay ngaam
No problem / Never mind
ບໍ່ເປັນຫຍັງ
Bor pen nyang
💡
Sabai dee (ສະບາຍດີ) is the single most useful word in Laos. It means hello, goodbye, how are you, and I'm doing well — all at once. Say it with a smile to every person you meet.
How are you?
ສະບາຍດີບໍ?
Sa-bai dee bor?
I'm fine, thanks
ສະບາຍດີ, ຂອບໃຈ
Sa-bai dee, khob jai
What is your name?
ເຈົ້າຊື່ຫຍັງ?
Jao seu nyang?
My name is…
ຂ້ອຍຊື່…
Khoy seu…
Where are you from?
ເຈົ້າມາຈາກໃສ?
Jao maa jak sai?
I'm from (country)
ຂ້ອຍມາຈາກ…
Khoy maa jak…
Nice to meet you
ດີໃຈທີ່ໄດ້ພົບ
Dee jai thee dai phob
See you later
ພົບກັນໃໝ່
Phob gan mai
Good morning
ອາລຸນສະຫວັດ
Aa-lun sa-wat
Good night
ລາດຕີສະຫວັດ
Laat-tee sa-wat
Cheers! (toast)
ໄຊໂຍ!
Sai-yo! ↗
How much is this?
ນີ້ເທົ່າໃດ?
Nee tao dai?
Can you lower the price?
ລຸດລາຄາໄດ້ບໍ?
Lut laa-khaa dai bor?
I'll take it
ຂ້ອຍເອົາ
Khoy ao
Do you have change?
ມີເງິນທອນບໍ?
Mee ngern ton bor?
💰
Quick conversion: 10,000 LAK ≈ $0.50 USD. So 100,000 LAK ≈ $5. A meal for 25,000 LAK is about $1.20 — always worth it to try the local food stalls.
I'd like to order
ຂ້ອຍຢາກສັ່ງ
Khoy yaak sang
The menu please
ຂໍເມນູແດ່
Khor menu dae
Sticky rice
ເຂົ້າໜຽວ
Khao niao
Papaya salad
ຕໍາໝາກຫຸ່ງ
Tam mak hoong
Grilled fish
ປາຍ່າງ
Paa yaang
Not spicy please
ບໍ່ເຜັດແດ່
Bor phet dae
Vegetarian (no meat)
ບໍ່ໃສ່ຊີ້ນ
Bor sai seen
Delicious!
ແຊບຫຼາຍ!
Saep lai! ↗
Water please
ນ້ຳດື່ມແດ່
Nam deum dae
Beer Lao please
ເບຍລາວແດ່
Bia Lao dae
Coffee (Lao-style)
ກາເຟລາວ
Gaa-fae Lao
The bill please
ຂໍໃບບິນແດ່
Khor bai bin dae
I am allergic to…
ຂ້ອຍແພ້…
Khoy phae…
🌶️
Lao food is genuinely spicy. "Bor phet dae" (not spicy please) is one of the most important phrases you'll learn. Say it early and clearly — street vendors will often add chilli by default.
Where is the bus station?
ສະຖານີລົດໄຟຢູ່ໃສ?
Sa-thaa-nee lot bai yu sai?
I want to go to…
ຂ້ອຍຢາກໄປ…
Khoy yaak pai…
How much to go to…?
ໄປ…ເທົ່າໃດ?
Pai…tao dai?
Stop here please
ຈອດຢູ່ນີ້ແດ່
Jot yu nee dae
Turn left
ລ້ຽວຊ້າຍ
Liao saai
Turn right
ລ້ຽວຂວາ
Liao khwaa
Near / Far
ໃກ້ / ໄກ
Glai / Glai ↗
Train station
ສະຖານີລົດໄຟ
Sa-thaa-nee lot fai
Airport
ສະໜາມບິນ
Sa-naam bin
I have a reservation
ຂ້ອຍມີການຈອງ
Khoy mee gaan jong
Do you have a room?
ມີຫ້ອງວ່າງບໍ?
Mee hong waang bor?
How much per night?
ຄືນໜຶ່ງເທົ່າໃດ?
Keun neung tao dai?
I want to check in
ຂ້ອຍຢາກເຊັກອິນ
Khoy yaak check-in
I want to check out
ຂ້ອຍຢາກເຊັກເອົາ
Khoy yaak check-out
WiFi password?
ລະຫັດ WiFi ແມ່ນຫຍັງ?
La-hat WiFi maen nyang?
Can I have a towel?
ຂໍຜ້າເຊັດໂຕແດ່
Khor phaa set to dae
I need a doctor
ຂ້ອຍຕ້ອງການໝໍ
Khoy torng gaan mor
Pharmacy / Chemist
ຮ້ານຂາຍຢາ
Haan khai yaa
I am sick
ຂ້ອຍເຈັບ
Khoy jep
It hurts here
ເຈັບຢູ່ນີ້
Jep yu nee
Stomach ache
ເຈັບທ້ອງ
Jep torng
I am allergic to…
ຂ້ອຍແພ້…
Khoy phae…
Help!
ຊ່ວຍດ້ວຍ!
Suay duay! ↗↗
Call the police!
ໂທຫາຕຳຫຼວດ!
Tho haa tam-luat!
Call an ambulance!
ໂທຫາລົດພະຍາບານ!
Tho haa lot pha-yaa-baan!
I've been robbed
ຂ້ອຍຖືກລັກ
Khoy theuk lak
I've lost my passport
ຂ້ອຍເສຍ passport
Khoy sia passport
I need help
ຂ້ອຍຕ້ອງການຄວາມຊ່ວຍເຫຼືອ
Khoy torng gaan suay heua
Please call an embassy
ກາລຸນາໂທຫາສະຖານທູດ
Ga-lu-naa tho haa sa-thaan-thut
May I take a photo?
ຂ້ອຍຖ່າຍຮູບໄດ້ບໍ?
Khoy thai hup dai bor?
Very beautiful temple
ວັດສວຍງາມຫຼາຍ
Wat suay ngaam lai
I respect Buddhism
ຂ້ອຍເຄົາລົບພຸດທະສາສະໜາ
Khoy khao-lop phut-tha-saa-sa-naa
I love Laos
ຂ້ອຍຮັກລາວ
Khoy hak Lao ↘
Laos is beautiful
ລາວສວຍງາມ
Lao suay ngaam
The food is delicious
ອາຫານແຊບຫຼາຍ
Aa-haan saep lai
I want to come back
ຂ້ອຍຢາກກັບມາ
Khoy yaak gap maa
🙏
The traditional Lao greeting is the nop — pressing your palms together at chest height and bowing slightly. You don't need to do it, but acknowledging it when others do shows genuine respect.