12 Beautiful and Useful Lao Words Every Traveler Should Know (2023)

FAQs

What are the basic greetings in Lao? ›

Satu. Put simply, satu is the Buddhist equivalent of “Amen”.

“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.

(ma-derr) is a Laotian phrase that basically means “come eat! or “come thru!” It's an open invitation to our dinner table. Chef Jeff's favorite memories include gatherings with family, friends and a feast of Lao food.

Boualaphan: Traditionally, Lao people greet each other by saying “sa bai dee” and pressing their palms together in a sort of prayer gesture which is called a “nop”.

This question can be useful if you're off the beaten path and need to buy something, as “Nee tao rai?” means “How much is it?”

This can be answered with any affirmative, kin lao – or, I have, is a great response.

Koi (Lao: ກ້ອຍ; Thai: ก้อย, Thai pronunciation: [kɔ̂j]) is a "salad" dish of the Lao people living in modern-day Laos and Isan, Thailand, consisting of raw meat denatured by acidity, usually from lime juice.

At age 53, Mae (translate into "Mother" in Lao language) Phaivan has become an influential voice in her community and a key driver for nutritional behaviour change in rural Southern Laos.

What does mi dai means? ›

English Translation. give me. More meanings for mi dai. you give me.

5 (five) – ha like ha ha ha or laughing. (Actually if you ever get a text sms from a Lao person, instead of the Western LOL, they will use 555 because it sounds like laughing!)

Taboos in Laos

Don't be unkind to the Buddha. In particular, do not touch the Buddha with your hands or lower parts of your body; do not climb or step on the Buddha, litter the Buddha, or put it in your pocket. Don't lose your respect for the monks. Do not stand or sit above the monks, and do not speak rudely to them.

Lao: Bo panang.

A common mistake is to call people from Laos 'Lao'. The correct term for people that live in Laos is 'Laotian'. The term 'indigenous peoples' is not used by the Laotian government. Instead, they refer to non-Lao people as 'ethnic minorities'.

Respect is shown by bowing and bringing the praying hands up to the bottom of the nose. For social leaders, such as an important community elder or a statesman, the praying hands should touch the eyebrows. Finally, for the head monks in the temple, the hands should be brought up to the top of the forehead.

Don't pat people on the head, even if it is meant as a gesture of affection. The traditional greeting is called the "nop" or "wai," and if you can master it you will be considered very polite. You don't do it to waitresses or children. It is a sign of respect for your equals and social superiors.

Taokaenoi means 'little boss'. Itthipat Peeradechapan or tob is the founder and ceo of Taokaenoi. he has started this seaweed snack business since he was just 19 years old.

What does Koh Tao means? ›

Koh Tao means “Turtle Island”

A small island paradise, which is a 90 minute boat ride north of Koh Samui, offers the best dive sites in the Gulf of Thailand.

don't understand = mai kao jai. don't know =mai ru.

Alternate names. They are also known as Lao Gao (Thai: ลาวเกา) or just plain Ga referencing the creaky, crow-like way of speaking peculiar to their dialect of Lao. Gao literally means scratchy, another attribute of the way Lao Ga speakers come across. Naturally, these terms are offensive.

In Lao, “boua” means lotus and “phet” is diamond.

Chan, Chanh, Chantha [càn] ຈັນ ຈັນທ໌, ຈັນທຣ໌ Sanskrit chandra, "moon", not to be confused with the tiane in Vientiane which means "sandalwood".

“Kakatte Koi” is a Japanese phrase that is an answer to a challenge—basically “bring it on” with “yo!” being the emphatic punctuation.

Intimate relationships between Lao citizens and foreigners who are not married are illegal. This includes sexual relationships and living together. Marriages between Lao citizens and foreigners must be pre-approved by Lao authorities.

Dating and Marriage

Typically, single Lao women and men will form a relationship with their longtime friends, with whom they socialise within friendship groups or at festivals, school or work. Once someone is in a relationship, it is typical for each partner to meet one another's family.

Lao Girl Price

Actually, in some place in Vang Vieng, there is a red light district hidden just outside town. For each small stalls, it's around 5 to 10 girls. It could be from 150,000 to 750,000 kip. Especially, the white-skinned girls were the most expensive, if she was hot or beautiful.

How do you say child in Laos? ›

May 2020) Savannakhet (Lao: ສະຫວັນນະເຂດ) is a province of Laos. The name derives from Savanh Nakhone ('heavenly district' or 'land of fertility suitable for agriculture') the province's original name. It bears the same meaning as Nakhon Sawan, a city in Thailand.

Dai!

But “dai” just means “Come on!” as in, “Please, oblige me.” Use it when someone refuses: “Let's go to Sicily.” “No.” “Dai!” Or to push someone to do something: “One more shot of limoncello, dai!” It can also be similar to “stop it!” Someone's stealing bites of your gelato?

The Chinese word shidai - 时代 - shídài. (age in Chinese)

In Lao, the number 4 is believed to be lucky because it symbolizes a cat that is said to have four lives.

The Lao people are a Tai ethnic group native to Southeast Asia, who speak the Lao language of the Kra–Dai languages. They are the majority ethnic group of Laos, making up 53.2% of the total population. The majority of Lao people adhere to Theravada Buddhism.

The two languages, Lao and Thai depict many similarities mainly because both belong to the Tai-Kadai language family. Thailand and Laos share border, and because of international trade between the two nations, there has been a lot of language exchange since ages.

Common taboos involve restrictions or ritual regulation of killing and hunting; sex and sexual relationships; reproduction; the dead and their graves; as well as food and dining (primarily cannibalism and dietary laws such as vegetarianism, kashrut, and halal) or religious (treif and haram).

There are four major types of taboos namely religious taboos, social taboos, legal taboos, and sexual taboos.

Examples of Religious Taboos

Homosexuality – Several of the major religions have rules against homosexuality. Abortion – Most religions continue to forbid abortion. Adultery – Prohibition of adultery is one of the ten commandments. People who commit adultery usually keep it a secret because their actions are taboo.

What is the motto of Lao? ›

Laos' motto is “Peace, Independence, Democracy, Unity and Prosperity”.

Tipping is not expected in Laos but a little spare change left at the end of a meal or taxi journey will be highly appreciated and will probably make a big difference to the worker's daily wage. 10% at the end of a meal and rounding up a taxi fare is a generous way of showing your thanks for good service.

Lao people generally address others by titles and honorifics in formal/professional settings or when meeting someone for the first time. Titles are used with given names rather than with family names. People use the titles 'Thao' or 'Nai' for men (Mr.) and 'Nang' or 'Sao' for women (Mrs./Miss.)

A handshake is universally accepted as a greeting, both formally and informally. An exchange of “hello” or “hi” is usually enough as a casual greeting among peers. Other cultures kiss each other on the cheek, once, twice or thrice together with a handshake or a brief hug.

Lao people always keep smile during greetings. The standard Lao greeting is "Saibaideebor" means "how are you?" and the often response is "sabaidee". For men greeting men, this is usually done with both hands pressed together in a prayer in front of your body and accompanied with a slight bow or nod.

Lao Script

The most common way to say thank you in Lao is khob chai (ຂອບ​ໃຈ). However if you want to add politeness or formality, you must say khob chai including nop while putting your two hands together near the chest level.

Good Morning / Good Afternoon / Good Evening

The greetings change depending on the time of the day. For example, “Good morning” is generally used from 5:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. whereas “Good afternoon” time is from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. “Good evening” is often used after 6 p.m. or when the sun goes down.

In Laos your head is "high", your feet "low". Using your feet for anything other than walking or playing sport is generally considered rude. The feet form the inferior part of the body (as much spiritually as physically). You must never indicate or touch another person or object with your foot.

What are the dos and don ts in Laos? ›

Koi (Lao: ກ້ອຍ; Thai: ก้อย, Thai pronunciation: [kɔ̂j]) is a "salad" dish of the Lao people living in modern-day Laos and Isan, Thailand, consisting of raw meat denatured by acidity, usually from lime juice.