Wanna speak Lao ?

While I was working in Sae Lao, I had the opportunity to attend to an English/Lao course. One of the volonteer, Victoria speak both English and Lao and she decided to organise a course one a week with the Lao staff and the volonteers to help to improve our skills in Lao or English.

The main subject of the course was to ask what do you want to learn in Lao or English. We had a wonderful time with a lot of laugh. I feel myself lucky to have now few basic word who help me in my trip in Lao.

In Lao, most of the words are small (3 or 4 letters). They only speak in present, that’s one of the reasons why this is difficult for them to learn english. There is no way to use a word or a sentence in Lao in the past or the future because in the Lao culture, they only focuss on present time. This is the cultural point who impressed me the most because you realize it in the language.

sa bai dee -> hello

Jao sabaidee baw ? -> How are you ?

Koi sabaidee -> je vais bien

« I » -> « Koi »

« You » -> « Jao »

« mak » -> « Like » verb

Today is my day off -> meu nee pen meu pak koi

Meu nee -> today

take order -> ao order

take the order for me -> ao order hai koi

I need to sleep -> Koi yak non lai lai

Do you have a room for tonight ? -> Jao mee hong non sam lap mei laeng mee baw ?

Lai lai -> very, a lot

Kop Chai Lai Lai -> Thank you very much

I am hungry -> Koi heu kao

I want to eat -> Koi yak gin kao

« kao » -> litteraly its mean « rice » but used to mean hungry

Do you want to have a beer with me ? -> Jao yak gin biah nam koi baw ?

« Jao yak » -> do you want

« Yak » -> want

« Nam koi » -> with me

Ahn anee -> read this

Why ? -> Pennyang ?

Good work -> hit dee /hit viak dee

No worries/no problem -> bawpon nyang

Beautiful -> ngam

Jao ngam -> tu es beau/belle

You are very strong -> Jao keng heng lai

I like your eyes too -> koi mak taa jao keuh kahn

Can I help you ?-> Koi seuay jao dai baw ?

Yuit -> Stop

Yuit Memai koi tuee laeo -> Stop Memai I am fat already

Nail -> tapoonh

Hammer -> Kawng tee

Saw -> leuay

Shovel -> swan

Machete -> pa

Pig -> thor moo

Cow -> thor ngeua

Buffalo -> qheuay

Dog -> thor ma

Cat -> thor meaow

Can you reduce the price ?-> jao loot hai koi dai baw ?

I am from Sae Lao -> Koi ma the Sae Lao

Can you show/teach me how to do it ? -> Jao saon hai kei dai baw ?

Fast -> why why

Slow -> sa sa

Loud -> boun

Quiet -> njap

Stop -> yuit

Start -> hit

Come here -> maa pee

Come here please -> Maa pee deuh

Everything -> mot took yan