Translate English to Lao
Lao is spoken by about 30 million people, primarily in Laos and northeastern Thailand (where the related Isan dialect is used). As Laos opens up to international trade and tourism, the need for English-Lao translation grows. Paste your English text above for a Lao translation in the Lao script.
Common English to Lao translations
| English | Lao | Pronunciation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hello | ສະບາຍດີ | sah-BYE-dee | ||
| Good morning | ສະບາຍດີ ຕອນເຊົ້າ | sah-BYE-dee tawn CHOW | ||
| Thank you | ຂອບໃຈ | KAWP jai | ||
| Please | ກະລຸນາ | gah-ROO-nah | ||
| How much is this? | ອັນນີ້ລາຄາເທົ່າໃດ? | un-NEE lah-KAH tow-DAI | ||
| Where is the bathroom? | ຫ້ອງນ້ຳຢູ່ໃສ? | hawng nahm YOO sai | ||
| I do not understand | ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ເຂົ້າໃຈ | koy baw KOW jai | ||
| Can you help me? | ຊ່ອຍຂ້ອຍໄດ້ບໍ? | suay koy dai BAW | ||
| I would like tea | ຂ້ອຍຢາກດື່ມຊາ | koy YAHK deum CHAH | ||
| The bill, please | ຂໍບິນ, ກະລຸນາ | kaw BIN gah-ROO-nah | ||
| Nice to meet you | ຍິນດີທີ່ໄດ້ຮູ້ຈັກ | yin-DEE tee dai HOO-jak | ||
| Goodbye | ລາກ່ອນ | lah GAWN | ||
| I need a doctor | ຂ້ອຍຕ້ອງການໜໍຫມໍ | koy TAWNG gahn maw | ||
| Excuse me | ຂໍໂທດ | kaw TOHT |
Tips for English to Lao translation
Lao is a tonal language with six tones. The meaning of a word changes completely based on the tone used. Written Lao partially indicates tones through the consonant class (high, mid, low) and tone marks, but the system is not as transparent as Vietnamese tone marking. Listening to the audio is essential for correct pronunciation.
Lao script is closely related to Thai script, as both descended from the Khmer script. Lao has fewer characters than Thai (33 consonants vs. 44) because spelling reforms simplified the system. Despite visual similarities, Lao and Thai scripts are not interchangeable.
Lao grammar is relatively simple. There are no verb conjugations, no grammatical gender, no plural forms, and no articles. Word order is SVO, the same as English. Classifiers are used with numbers, similar to Chinese and Vietnamese.
Lao and Thai are closely related and partially mutually intelligible. Lao speakers can generally understand Thai (due to exposure through Thai media), but Thai speakers may struggle with Lao. Despite the similarity, they are officially separate languages with different scripts and writing conventions.
About the Lao language
Lao is a Tai language closely related to Thai, belonging to the Kra-Dai language family. It is the official language of Laos, spoken by about 7 million people in Laos and understood by roughly 23 million Isan speakers in northeastern Thailand. The Lao script was developed from the Khmer script, which itself derived from Indian Brahmi.
Laos is one of Southeast Asia's smallest economies but is experiencing rapid growth in tourism, hydroelectric power, and trade. The country's Buddhist heritage, French colonial architecture, and natural beauty (Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, the Mekong River) attract increasing numbers of visitors. Lao language skills are valuable for anyone working in development, tourism, or trade in the Mekong region.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. No registration needed.
Yes. Proper Lao Unicode characters.
Yes. Click the speaker icon. Lao tones are essential.
Closely related but officially separate languages with different scripts.
Good for everyday use. Professional review for official texts.
No. Words flow continuously, like Thai. The translator handles segmentation.
Visit our Lao to English page.
Yes.
The tonal system and script are challenging for English speakers. Grammar, however, is relatively simple.
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