Essential Lao Words & Phrases For Travelers

99% of tourists that visit Laos can’t speak a word of the local language.

Whilst a lot of people in Laos can speak some English, especially in the touristy areas, many of them can’t so knowing a few words in Lao can go a long way.

In this post, I’ll be teaching you the Lao basics that you’ll need to get around Laos with zero issues.

What Language Is Spoken In Laos?

The official language of Laos is Lao. 

Lao is very similar to Thai so if you already know some Thai then you might notice a lot of similar words and sounds.

Lao is not written using the Latin alphabet like English. It actually has its own script that looks very similar to Thai. Here’s what it looks like: ສະບາຍດີ. 

To make it easier for you, I’ve included the pronunciation of all the Lao phrases so you don’t have to bother learning the script.

Greetings In Lao

Let’s start with the Lao basics like how to say hello in Lao.

Although most people will understand basic English greetings like ‘hello’, the locals really do appreciate it when you make the effort.

Trust me, they’ll be super excited to hear you trying to speak their language as not many tourists do! 

I promise using these phrases will generate a huge smile from whichever local you say them to!

How To Say Thank You In Lao

It’s polite to say thank you when someone does something for you.

You can use this phrase when the server brings over your khao poon (spicy noodle soup) or when a cute old Lao lady rents you a bicycle.

It’s pretty easy to remember and will definitely go a long way.

How To Say Please In Lao

It’s also polite to say please when asking for something. 

Maybe you spilt khao poon all down your front and you need to ask the server for a tissue or maybe you fell into a bush on your bike and need to ask a local Lao to help you up.

It’s pretty simple so learn this one to get the locals to help you out when you need something.

How To Say Yes & No In Lao

Lao people will probably understand nodding or shaking your head but wouldn’t it be so much better to say it in Lao?

You’ll get a lot of use out of these two Lao words!

How To Say ‘How Are You?’ In Lao

Another greeting you can use to connect with the locals is ‘how are you?’.

There’s actually a few different ways to say this so I’ll just teach you the most common ones.

You can use either of these phrases with everyone you meet from the sweet old lady at the street food stall to the friendly taxi driver that might drop you off at your hotel.

The second one (pen jang dai) is more informal so I’d suggest using the first (sabaidee bor) with people you’re meeting for the first time.

How To Respond To ‘How Are You?’ In Lao

There’s no point asking someone how they are if you can’t understand the response!

As you can imagine, there are so many different ways to respond to this question so I’ll just cover the most common ones.

You’ll probably have noticed that all of the responses start with the word ‘khoi’. 

‘Khoi’ literally means ‘I am’ and it’s then followed by the feeling that you feel.

If you want to say ‘I am not…’ then you’d say ‘khoi bor…’ and follow this with the feeling that you don’t feel e.g. I am not well. The word ‘bor’ simply means ‘no’ or ‘not’.

How To Say ‘And You?’ In Lao

If someone asks you how you are then you’ll want to respond and ask it back.

The person you’re speaking with will then respond and tell you how they’re feeling.

Introducing Yourself In Lao

Now that we’ve covered the Lao basics, let’s take it a step further.

Wouldn’t it be great to be able to introduce yourself to new people? 

Giving your name and where you’re from can really help you connect with the local people. 

See how many new Lao friends you can make with these phrases (hint: you’ll make a lot).

Numbers In Lao

Knowing the numbers in Lao can come in really handy especially when shopping but also in many other situations. 

A lot of the locals might not know the English numbers so being able to say them in Lao will come in really handy.

I used these all the time to say how much of each item I wanted e.g. at a shop or street food stall.

These are the basics that I absolutely recommend you learn (I used them a lot).

If you’ve got some extra time then I’d recommend learning some more numbers too.

As you can see, the numbers from 11 – 20 are pretty easy as you just say ‘sip’ then the number from 1 – 10 (number 11 is an exception though!!).

It could also be worth knowing a few bigger numbers for larger purchases.

The hundreds in Lao are pretty easy as you just say the number from 1 – 10 then add ‘loi’ to the end. You can easily figure out the rest using this system.

Directions In Lao

Getting around Laos can be difficult. Google Maps isn’t great here, the roads aren’t super well laid out and at some point, you’re bound to get lost.

It’s a good idea to learn some basic phrases in Lao that will help you get around such as asking for directions and telling a taxi driver which way to turn.

These words and phrases should help you get around town easily.

Shopping Words & Phrases In Lao

Chances are that you will be doing some shopping whilst in Laos whether you’re buying groceries, souvenirs or you’re out haggling at a local market. 

Knowing some common Lao phrases will help you snag a bargain and not get ripped off.

Restaurant Phrases & Words In Lao

Unless you’re planning on doing some weird diet, I’m guessing you’ll be eating some food at a restaurant whilst in Laos.

You’ll want to learn a few words and phrases to do with food to make sure you can order food and get the type of food that you want.

As a vegetarian myself, these were essential for me as without them I often ended up with a plate of chicken (true story).

Lao food is often very spicy so if your taste buds can’t handle it, you can let them know.

I promise these will come in super handy so make the effort to learn them.

Useful Questions & Phrases In Lao

Finally, here’s some other random useful phrases in Lao that you might need. 

You never know when you may find yourself in an emergency situation so it could be worth learning a few of these just in case.

You might not end up using all of these but you’ll be glad you learned them if you do.

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And that’s it!

Thanks for reading this post which covers some common Lao words and phrases that every traveler should know.

Watch them put some huge smiles on the locals’ faces!

If you’re currently planning your trip to Laos then you might wanna check out my Laos bucket list which includes all the top things you should definitely do in Laos.