Looking for practical Bemba to Lao phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Bemba phrase first, then the Lao translation (Lao) — so you can scan quickly before a trip, class, or video call.
The phrases are grouped into eight topics: greetings and pleasantries, useful phrases for travellers, everyday conversation, directions and getting around, shopping and dining, emergencies and health, work and business, and time, days and numbers. Use the table of contents to jump straight to greetings, directions, dining, emergencies, or numbers. You do not need perfect grammar to start — short, clear sentences often work better than silence when you are learning Lao.
Tip: when a Lao phrase looks unfamiliar, compare it with the Bemba wording — noticing word order differences helps you understand grammar naturally.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Bemba to Lao translator to paste your own messages and get an instant translation.
Greetings and pleasantries
Hello, goodbye, please, thank you, and polite introductions for meeting new people.
Shani
ສະບາຍດີ(sabaidee)
Natotela
ຂອບໃຈ(khob chai)
Muli shani
ສະບາຍດີຕອນເຊົ້າ(sabaidee ton sao)
Muli shani
ສະບາຍດີຕອນແລງ(sabaidee ton laeng)
Muli shani
ສະບາຍດີຕອນແລງ(sabaidee ton sang)
Shalenipo bwino
ລາບດີ(laap dee)
Tukakutana
ເອີ້ຍກັນໃໝ່(eiy kan mai)
Twalumba
ລາບອກ(laap bok)
Iwe ulishani?
ຊື່ຂອງທ່ານແມ່ນຫຍັງ?(sue khong than maen nyang)
Ndefwaya John
ຊື່ຂອງຂໍ້ຄືຈອນ(sue khong kho khue John)
Uli bwanji?
ສະບາຍດີບໍ?(sabaidee bor)
Nashitasha kukumona
ດີໃຈທີ່ໄດ້ພົວພັນ(dee jai thi dai phou phan)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Ulyashi ulukanda mu Chingereza?
ທ່ານເວົ້າພາສາອັງກິດໄດ້ບໍ?(thaan veo phasa angkit dai bo?)
Ndefwaya ukulanda Hindi bwino
ຂໍເອົາພາສາຮິນດີບໍ່ໄດ້ດີ(kho eao phasa hindi bo dai di)
Ndefwaya kumfwa
ຂໍເອົາບໍ່ເຂົ້າໃຈ(kho eao bo khao chai)
Nimwandi ulukanda buteko
ຂໍແຈ້ງຊ່ອຍໆ(kho jaeng soi)
Ningaloleleko?
ທ່ານສາມາດເວົ້າອີກເທື່ອໄດ້ບໍ?(thaan samat veo ik thua dai bo?)
Ili kuti ikalamba?
ຫຍັງແມ່ນສະແດງ?(hnyang maen sa daeng?)
Ningalileka shani ku city center?
ຂໍແນະນຳໄປສູ່ສູນການຄໍາສັ່ງແລະສະເຖິມ?(kho na nam pai su sun kan khamsang lae sa thiem?)
Fumya kumwendo
ແລ່ນໄປດ້ານເຊວງ(laen pai dan seung)
Fumya kumwendo
ແລ່ນໄປດ້ານສູງ(laen pai dan sung)
Enda pamo
ເຂົ້າໄປສູງ(khao pai sung)
Kuli shani ifyabukata?
ຄ່າໂດສະບັດເທື່ອແມ່ນດຽວບໍ?(kha do sabat thua maen diao bo?)
Ticket imwe, nomba
ຂໍແບບເດີນທາງໜຶ່ງ(kho baep den thang neung)
Kuli lishilu ukulya?
ມັນໄກຈາກນີ້ບໍ?(man kai jak ni bo?)
Ndi lost
ຂໍເອົາສູນສູນ(kho eao sun sun)
Ili kuti nindeke SIM card?
ຂໍແນະນຳສິນຄ້າສິນຄ້າເພີ່ມຂອງສິນຄ້າສິນຄ້າໄດ້ບໍ?(kho na nam sin kha sin kha dai bo?)
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Eya
ແມ່ນ(mɛ̄n)
Awe
ບໍ່(bɔ̄)
Panga
ອາດຈະ(ʔāt jā)
Ndi bwino
ຂໍໍຍອມ(kʰɔ̄ p̄ɔ̄ nyɔ̄m)
Ndi bwino na
ຂໍໍບໍ່ຍອມ(kʰɔ̄ p̄ɔ̄ bɔ̄ nyɔ̄m)
Ilyo lishibukile
ມັນດີ(mæn dī)
Uchite shani?
ເຈົ້າຄິດວ່າແນວໃດ?(cāo kʰít vā̄ nɛ̄o dāi)
Ushakufwa?
ເຈົ້າຊ່ວຍຂໍເລີຍ?(cāo sǭ̄a kʰɔ̄ lɯ̄)
Ndefwaya ifyakufwa
ຂໍແບບຊ່ວຍ(kʰɔ̄ bɛ̄p sǭ̄a)
Leka ifi
ລໍຖໍ່(lɔ̄ tʰɔ̄)
Nshakufwa
ຂໍອະໄພ(kʰɔ̄ ʔā pʰāi)
Takwaba shani
ບໍ່ມີບັນຫາ(bɔ̄ mī bān hā)
Nshakufwa bwino
ຍິນດີດ່ວນ(ɲīn dī dūan)
Nashala bwino mu mwaka
ສຸດສົດວັນເກິດ(sud sǭ̄t vā̄n kɯ̄t)
Ube na mulimo wabwino
ເດີນທາງດີ(dɯ̄n tʰāng dī)
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Uli kuti ikalamba ya chitima?
ສະຖານທີ່ລົດໄฟຢູ່ໃສ?(sathānthī lotfai yū sai?)
Uli kuti icikalo ca bisi?
ສະຖານທີ່ລົດຊັບຢູ່ໃສ?(sathānthī lotsap yū sai?)
Ninshi ni platform iyi?
ສະຖານທີ່ໃດ?(sathānthī dai?)
Ninshi ikalamba?
ມັນອອກເວລາໃດ?(man ok welā dai?)
Ninshi iyi ni njira shabwino?
ນີ້ແມ່ນທາງຖືກບໍ?(nī maeṇ thāng thūk bō?)
Ili pamo na pano.
ມັນຢູ່ໃກ້ນີ້(man yū kai nī)
Ili lishilu na pano.
ມັນຢູ່ໄກແຈ່ນີ້(man yū kai jānī)
Ushibukishe pa mape?
ເຈົ້າສາມາດແສດໃຫ້ຂໍແຜນທີ່ໄດ້ບໍ?(jao sā māt saēd hai khǭ phænthī dai bō?)
Leka pano, chonde.
ຢຸດທີ່ນີ້, ບຸດໃຈແດ່(yud thī nī, but jai dā)
Kuli shani?
ໃຈເວລາດິ່ນບໍ?(jai welā din bō?)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.