21 Essential Phrases You'll

Need in Laos

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Regina Beach
22 April 2018

Even if you never totally decipher meaning of the curvy squiggles that are the Lao alphabet, learning these go-to
phrases will win you favor with the locals. With no official transliteration system to the Latin alphabet, you might
see the same Lao word spelled several different ways. With few grammar rules and no requirement to use
punctuation or even put spaces between words, Lao is a challenging tonal language for native English speakers
to pick up. But here are a few key phrases that are good to know.
Greetings and Essentials

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Saibaidee ສະບາຍດ
ີ / Hello
The standard greeting, “suh-bye-dee,” offered with a smile and wave or a bow with hands pressed together at the
chest in a “nop,” will nearly always be enthusiastically reciprocated by Lao people. Want to ask “How are you?”
Say: “Jao saibaidee baw?” The answer: “Saibaidee.” Want to say good morning? “Saibaidee ton sao.” Good
evening is “Saibaidee nyam leng.” You get the picture.

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Khop Jai ຂອບໃຈ / Thank You
“Khop Jai” or “Khop Chai” means “thank you.” Want to get fancy? Both “Khop jai lai lai” and “Khop jai deu” mean
thank you very much. Use the phrase and you’re sure to be met with the standard response: “Baw Pen Nyang.”

່ ນ / Baw ່ບ – Yes/No
Doi ໂດຍ or Men ແມ
It’s not uncommon to hear a chorus of “Doi, doi, doi,” as a form of agreement in conversation. “Men” is also used
in the affirmative. “Baw” means no and when paired with me as in “baw mee” it means “don’t have” and baw dai”
means “cannot.”

Khaw Toot ຂໂທດ / excuse me

While “sorry” isn’t a common phrase spoken by Lao people, “khaw toot” is a polite attention-grabber in a store or
restaurant. You can also say it when squeezing by people in Lao’s impossibly tiny corridors or on crowded busses
and tuk-tuks.

Khoy Baw Khao Jai ຂ

້ ອຍບ ້ າໃຈ / I don’t understand
່ ເຂ
Be forwarned, if you start dropping Lao phrases, locals may assume you know more than you do and talk your
ear off. Repeat this phrase when you’re totally lost.

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La Gon ລາກ
່ ອນ – Goodbye
“La Gon” means “stay well.” Say it to anyone leaving as the most common form of “Goodbye.” If you are at a party
hosted by a Lao person, make sure to seek out the host to say goodbye and thank you before you depart. You
can wave goodbye or give a bow with your hands together in a “nop.” The higher you hold your hands in a nop,
the more respect you show.

Directions

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Hong nam yu sai? ຫ

້ ອງ
້ ນາຢ
່ ໃສ / Where is the bathroom?
“Hong nam yu sai” is an important question for any traveler as it translates to “Where is the bathroom?” But if you
just say “Hong nam?” and look desperate, someone will point you in the right direction. Laos has an abundance of
Western-style toilets, but squat toilets are still common in the provinces and in public parks. Many toilets of both
styles require the user to pour a bucket of water into the bowl to flush. Many washrooms have hoses to spray
yourself down, but carrying around a pack of tissues just in case, it’s always a good idea.

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Leo Sai ລ
້ ຽວຊ
້ າຍ / Leo Kua ລ
້ ຽວຂວາ – Turn Left/Turn
Right
Lao people are not the best with maps, and most people navigate by landmarks. If you’re hiring a taxi or tuk-tuk to
a place more obscure than a major hotel or airport, you would do well to navigate yourself and instruct the driver
where to turn. Addresses are not always prevalent in Laos, neither are street signs.

Yuut ຢ
ຸ ດ /Pai ໄປ – Stop/Go
These are helpful phrases for communicating with drivers, especially local bus and Songtaew drivers who are
dropping off a lot of people at unmarked stops.
At the Restaurant/Bar

Khoy Hew Khao ຂ

້ ອຍຫ ້ າ – I’m hungry
ິ ວເຂ
Literally this phrase means “I’m hungry for rice,” indicating the staple’s prominence in the Lao diet. Eating
communally is a big deal in Laos and being able to express hunger will win you favor with Lao people who are
often talking about food.

Baw Sai Nam Tan ່ບໃສ່ ນາ້

້ ຕານ/Baw Sai Paeng Nua –
Don’t put sugar/MSG
Lao food and especially delicious shakes, juices and coffee can have an overabundance of both sugar and MSG.
Tell your barista or waitstaff ahead of time if you want your order made without either.

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Baw Pet ່ບເຜ ັ ດ or Pet Noy Nung ເຜ

ັ ດຫນ ່ ງ – Not
້ ອຍຫນ
spicy or a Little Spicy
“Baw pet” means “not spicy” and will be helpful for travelers who don’t want to burn their tongue off eating a meal
with 10 to 20 chili peppers. “Mak pet” means pepper and Lao cooking uses green and red chilis with reckless
abandon. If you want your food a little spicy, ask for “pet noy nung.” Be aware that “a little” is in the eyes of the
beholder, and you might still end up with a fiery meal.

Nam ນາ້
້ – Water
While tap water is not safe to drink in Laos, the locals don’t drink it either, so you don’t have to be worried about
drinking from pitcher in restaurants or from the big blue jugs. The same goes for ice.
Sep ແຊບ – Delicious
If you’ve had something tasty, let your host know by telling them it was “sep” or “sep lai” for very delicious.

At the Market

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Lai Ngun Deh ໄລ

່ ເງ
ິ ນແດ
່ – Check Please
“Lai Ngun Deh” literally translates to “calculate money please.” No one will be in a hurry to push you out of a
restaurant or coffee shop, so you’re going to need to ask for the check. Add “deh” for politeness. It is often
expected that the higher status person or person who invited the group together will pay. It’s nearly always
expected that a man will pay for his female companion, whether or not it’s a date.

Pheng Lai, Lud dai baw? ແພງຫ ຼ າຍ ລດໄດບ – Very

expensive, can you lower the price?
Lao merchants aren’t trying to rip you off, and while you can ask them to lower the price, don’t expect more than a
10-15% discount. Intense haggling is not the norm, and you may cause a merchant to lose face or sell the item to
you at a loss.
Numbers
Numbers:

Soon / 0

Nung / 1

Song / 2

Sam / 3

See / 4

Ha / 5

Hok / 6

Jet / 7

Paed / 8

Gao / 9

Sip / 10

Phan / 1000

Making Friends
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Gin Khao Leo Baw? ກ ້ າແລ

ິ ນເຂ ່ – Have you eaten
້ ວບ
yet?
“Gin khao leo baw” means “Have you eaten yet?” It’s a standard greeting and people aren’t just being polite.
Sharing a meal and food with passersby is standard procedure. Lao style meals are served with a bowl of sticky
rice, spicy sauces, vegetables and meats, and eaten with the hands. If you want to join, say “Baw gin,” and if you
want to continue on, say “Gin leo.”

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Tham Keo! ຕາແກ
້ ວ – Cheers
“Tham Keo,” means “hit glass” and is said while drinking as a toast, akin to “cheers.” You might also hear “tham
jak” if you’re drinking out of small cups. Drinking culture in Laos is serious business. Large bottles of beer are
bought in rounds of three to be shared and poured into smaller cups with ice. Toasting is done often, and all
drinkers at the table are involved. Hold onto the elbow with your free hand during a toast for extra politeness.

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້ າປາກພາສາອັງກ
Jao vao passa Angkit dai baw? ເຈ ້ ່ບ
ິ ດໄດ
– Do you speak English?
“Jao vao passa Angkit dai baw” translates to “Can you speak English?” Many Lao people, especially younger
ones, will have studied English in school but may be shy to speak with foreigners. Asking about their English
abilities in Lao will break the ice. If they can’t or won’t they might say, “baw dai” for “cannot.” If they know a little
you might hear “dai noy nung.” Substitute “passa Ankit” for a language of your choice: “passa Falang” for French,
“passa Lao” for Lao, or “passa Chin” for Chinese.”

Everything Else
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Baw Pen Nyang ່ບເປ

ັ ນຫຍັງ – Don’t worry about it
What “Hakuna Matata” is to Swahili, “Baw Pen Nyang” is to Lao. This phrase literally means “it’s nothing.” Lao
speakers use it to say “you’re welcome,” or as a response when someone makes a mistake or encounters
an awkward situation. Lao people want to “save face” at all costs and greatly down play disagreement and errors.
You’ll almost never hear a Lao person raise his or her voice in anger. Instead they brush off such thoughts: “Baw
pen nyang.”

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 ່ ັ ງ Foreigner
Falang -ຝລ
“Falang” means “French,” but the term now applies to all white Westerners. Laos was a French protectorate from
1893 until 1946, and the name stuck. There is some cognitive dissonance with Westerners of Asian or African
descent, who may be met with questions like “Where are you really from?” Falang isn’t an insult but rather a
category. Young children may point and stare calling out the word.

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Sok Dee! ໂຊກດ

ີ – Good Luck!
“Sok Dee” means “good luck!” It’s often used in place of goodbye or “La Gon.” Luck and superstition play a big
role in Lao culture. Countless lottery tickets are sold at street-side tables, and spirit houses can be seen outside
many homes and businesses. These small decorative houses are a way to honor and give offerings to the spirits
who live on the property so they don’t cause mischief for the inhabitants.