Lao phrasebook
Photo: Jpatokal, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Lao (ພາສາລາວ pháa-sǎa láo) is the main and official language of Laos. Thai is also closely related to Lao, and the Isaan dialect spoken in the northeast is, with minor differences in vocabulary aside, virtually identical to Lao.
It is best not to try to learn Lao from local magazines, local books or the internet as they are sometimes fully Thai language (and completely not Lao). The best way to learn Lao is to learn Thai first, then learn Lao while listening to Lao people speaking.
The Lao language, like its neighbours Thai, Khmer, and Burmese, has been strongly influenced by Sanskrit. It also has numerous loan words from French due to the history of French colonial rule in Laos.
Pronunciation guideLao is a tonal language with six tones in the Vientiane dialect: low, mid, high, rising, high falling, and low falling.") typical to English questions.
GrammarLao grammar is generally straightforward and simpler compared to other languages around the world.
PhrasesLao numbers are effectively identical to Thai, the two quirks worth noting being that 20 is sao (not yii-sip) and 100 is hoi. Speakers of Cantonese will find many quite familiar.
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Lao phrasebook" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Jpatokal, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons