ALPHABET MATCHING GAME VOCABULARY FLASHCARDS
Why learn Lao?
Communication skills developed while learning Lao can improve your interpersonal skills in your native langauge as well. Your marketable skills in the global economy are improved when you master Lao. Skills like problem solving, dealing with abstract concepts, are increased when you study Lao. Lao study leads to an appreciation of cultural diversity.
How Long Does it Take to Learn Lao?
*** NOTES *** Lao is the official language of Laos and is also spoken in north east Thailand. The language is so closely related to Thai that speakers of these languages can understand each other to a high degree. This is partly because Lao has borrowed lots of words from Thai. It also borrows from Sanskrit and Pali. Lao is a tonal language: the six tones help differentiate meaning in a largely monosyllabic vocabulary. The Vientiane dialect is generally considered the standard dialect, although this is not officially the case.
Lao Alphabet & Pronunciation
[k]
[d]
[f]
[h]
[ɛ]
[ɛ]
[aj]
[aj]
[aj]
[kʰ,x]
[t]
[pʰ]
[ʔ]
[o]
[o]
[aw]
[kʰ,x]
[tʰ]
[f]
[h]
[ɔ]
[ɔ]
[am]
[ŋ]
[tʰ]
[m]
[a]
[a]
[ɤ]
[tɕ]
[n]
[j]
[i]
[iə]
[iə]
[s]
[b]
[r,l]
[ɯ]
[ɯə]
[s]
[p]
[l]
[u]
[uə]
[uə]
[ɲ]
[pʰ]
[ʋ,w]
[e]
[e]
Basic Phrases in Lao
| Hello | ສະບາຍດີ (sabaidi) |
|---|---|
| Goodbye | ລາກ່ອນ (la kon) |
| Yes | ແມ່ນແລ້ວ (aemnaelv) |
| No | ບໍ່ (bo) |
| Excuse me | ຂໍອະໄພ (kho a phai) |
| Please | ກະລຸນາ (kaluna) |
| Thank you | ຂອບໃຈ (khob chai) |
| You are welcome | ທ່ານຍິນດີຕ້ອນຮັບ (than nyinditonhab) |
| Do you speak english | ເຈົ້າເວົ້າພາສາອັງກິດໄດ້ບໍ່? (chao vao pha sa ang kid dai bo) |
| Do you understand | ເຈົ້າເຂົ້າໃຈບໍ່? (chao khao chai bo) |
| I understand | ຂ້ອຍເຂົ້າໃຈ (khony khao chai) |
| I do not understand | ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ເຂົ້າໃຈ (khony bo khao chai) |
| How are you | ສະບາຍດີບໍ? (sa bai di bo) |
| Fine thanks | ລະອຽດ, ຂອບໃຈ! (laoiad khobchai) |
| What is your name | ເຈົ້າຊື່ຫຍັງ? (chao su jang) |
| My name is | ຊື່ຂອງຂ້ອຍແມ່ນ (su khong khony aemn) |
| Pleased to meet you | ຍິນດີທີ່ໄດ້ຮູ້ຈັກ (nyin di thi dai hu chak) |
Lao Grammar
Lao Nouns
| Man | ຜູ້ຊາຍ (phusai) |
|---|---|
| Woman | ແມ່ຍິງ (aemnying) |
| Boy | ເດັກຊາຍ (deksai) |
| Girl | ເດັກຍິງ (dek nying) |
| Cat | ແມວ (aemv) |
| Dog | ໝາ (ma) |
| Fish | ປາ (pa) |
| Water | ນ້ໍາ (noa) |
| Milk | ນົມ (nom) |
| Egg | ໄຂ່ (khai) |
| House | ເຮືອນ (heuon) |
| Flower | ດອກໄມ້ (dokmai) |
| Tree | ຕົ້ນໄມ້ (tonmai) |
| Shirt | ເສື້ອ (seu) |
| Pants | ກາງເກງ (kang keng) |
Lao Adjectives
Colors in Lao
| Black | ສີດໍາ (sidoa) |
|---|---|
| White | ສີຂາວ (sikhav) |
| Red | ສີແດງ (siaedng) |
| Orange | ສີແສດ (si aesd) |
| Yellow | ສີເຫຼືອງ (si heuong) |
| Green | ສີຂຽວ (sikhiav) |
| Blue | ສີຟ້າ (sifa) |
| Purple | ສີມ່ວງ (si muang) |
| Pink | ສີບົວ (si bua) |
| Gray | ສີຂີ້ເຖົ່າ (si khitheoa) |
| Brown | ສີນ້ ຳ ຕານ (sin am tan) |
Numbers in Lao
| Zero | ສູນ (sun) |
|---|---|
| One | ໜຶ່ງ (nung) |
| Two | ສອງ (song) |
| Three | ສາມ (sam) |
| Four | ສີ່ (si) |
| Five | ຫ້າ (ha) |
| Six | ຫົກ (hok) |
| Seven | ເຈັດ (ched) |
| Eight | ແປດ (aepd) |
| Nine | ເກົ້າ (kao) |
| Ten | ສິບ (sib) |
| Eleven | ສິບເອັດ (siboed) |
| Twelve | ສິບສອງ (sibsong) |
| Twenty | ຊາວ (sav) |
| Thirty | ສາມສິບ (samsib) |
| Forty | ສີ່ສິບ (si sib) |
| Fifty | ຫ້າສິບ (hasib) |
| Sixty | ຫົກສິບ (hok sib) |
| Seventy | ເຈັດສິບ (ched sib) |
| Eighty | ແປດສິບ (aepd sib) |
| Ninety | ເກົ້າສິບ (kaosib) |
| Hundred | ຮ້ອຍ (hony) |
| Thousand | ພັນ (phan) |
Lao Verbs
| To be | ຈະ (cha) |
|---|---|
| To have | ມີ (mi) |
| To want | ຕ້ອງການ (tongkan) |
| To need | ຕ້ອງການ (tong kan) |
| To help | ຊ່ວຍເຫຼືອ (suany heu) |
| To go | ໄປ (pai) |
| To come | ມາ (ma) |
| To eat | ກິນ (kin) |
| To drink | ດື່ມ (dum) |
| To speak | ເວົ້າ (vao) |
Building Simple Sentences
More Complex Lao Sentences
| And | ແລະ (lae) |
|---|---|
| Or | ຫຼື (ru) |
| But | ແຕ່ວ່າ (aetva) |
| Because | ເພາະວ່າ (phova) |
| With | ກັບ (kab) |
| Also | ຍັງ (nyang) |
| However | ເຖິງຢ່າງໃດກໍ່ຕາມ (thoeng yangdaikotam) |
| Neither | ທັງ (thang) |
| Nor | ຫລື (lu) |
| If | ຖ້າ (tha) |
| Then | ຫຼັງຈາກນັ້ນ (rangchaknan) |
Useful Lao Vocabulary
Lao Questions
| Who | ຜູ້ທີ່ (phuthi) |
|---|---|
| What | ແມ່ນຫຍັງ (aemn jang) |
| When | ເມື່ອໃດ (meu dai) |
| Where | ບ່ອນທີ່ (bonthi) |
| Why | ເປັນຫຍັງ (penjang) |
| How | ແນວໃດ (aenuadai) |
| How many | ຫຼາຍປານໃດ (rai pan dai) |
| How much | ເທົ່າໃດ (theoa dai) |
Days of the Week in Lao
| Monday | ວັນຈັນ (vanchan) |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | ວັນອັງຄານ (vnoangkhan) |
| Wednesday | ວັນພຸດ (vanphud) |
| Thursday | ວັນພະຫັດ (vanphahad) |
| Friday | ວັນສຸກ (van suk) |
| Saturday | ວັນເສົາ (vansao) |
| Sunday | ວັນອາທິດ (vnoathid) |
| Yesterday | ມື້ວານນີ້ (muuaanni) |
| Today | ມື້ນີ້ (mu ni) |
| Tomorrow | ມື້ອື່ນ (muun) |
Months in Lao
| January | ມັງກອນ (mangkon) |
|---|---|
| February | ເດືອນກຸມພາ (deuonkumpha) |
| March | ມີນາ (mina) |
| April | ເດືອນເມສາ (deuonmesa) |
| May | ພຶດສະພາ (phudsapha) |
| June | ມິຖຸນາ (mithuna) |
| July | ເດືອນກໍລະກົດ (deuonkolakod) |
| August | ສິງຫາ (singha) |
| September | ກັນຍາ (knaia) |
| October | ເດືອນຕຸລາ (deuontula) |
| November | ພະຈິກ (phachik) |
| December | ທັນວາ (thanuaa) |
Seasons in Lao
| Winter | ລະດູຫນາວ (la du nav) |
|---|---|
| Spring | ລະດູໃບໄມ້ປົ່ງ (ladu baimaipong) |
| Summer | ລະດູຮ້ອນ (laduhon) |
| Autumn | ລະດູໃບໄມ້ປົ່ງ (ladu baimaipong) |
Telling Time in Lao
| What time is it | ຈັກໂມງແລ້ວ? (chakomng aelv) |
|---|---|
| Hours | ຊົ່ວໂມງ (souaomng) |
| Minutes | ນາທີ (nathi) |
| Seconds | ວິນາທີ (vinathi) |
| O clock | ໂມງ (omng) |
| Half | ເຄິ່ງ ໜຶ່ງ (khoeng nung) |
| Quarter past | ໄຕມາດທີ່ຜ່ານມາ (tai mad thiphanma) |
| Before | ກ່ອນ (kon) |
| After | ຫລັງຈາກ (langchak) |
