Looking for practical Mam to Lao phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Mam 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: read the Lao line out loud three times, then cover the Mam side and try to recall the meaning — repetition builds memory faster than silent reading.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Mam 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.
Xo'j
ສະບາຍດີ(sabaidee)
Tz'ik
ຂອບໃຈ(khob chai)
Xo'j nax
ສະບາຍດີຕອນເຊົ້າ(sabaidee ton sao)
Xo'j q'ij
ສະບາຍດີຕອນແລງ(sabaidee ton laeng)
Xo'j k'ux
ສະບາຍດີຕອນແລງ(sabaidee ton sang)
Xo'j k'ux nax
ລາບດີ(laap dee)
K'ux q'ij
ເອີ້ຍກັນໃໝ່(eiy kan mai)
Xo'j k'ux
ລາບອກ(laap bok)
Ja' k'ux nax?
ຊື່ຂອງທ່ານແມ່ນຫຍັງ?(sue khong than maen nyang)
Ja' k'ux nax John
ຊື່ຂອງຂໍ້ຄືຈອນ(sue khong kho khue John)
Jach' k'ux?
ສະບາຍດີບໍ?(sabaidee bor)
Nab' k'ux
ດີໃຈທີ່ໄດ້ພົວພັນ(dee jai thi dai phou phan)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
¿K'ax k'utun English?
ທ່ານເວົ້າພາສາອັງກິດໄດ້ບໍ?(thaan veo phasa angkit dai bo?)
Nek'ux k'utun Hindi k'ax k'utun.
ຂໍເອົາພາສາຮິນດີບໍ່ໄດ້ດີ(kho eao phasa hindi bo dai di)
Nek'ux k'ax k'utun.
ຂໍເອົາບໍ່ເຂົ້າໃຈ(kho eao bo khao chai)
Por favor, k'utun k'ux.
ຂໍແຈ້ງຊ່ອຍໆ(kho jaeng soi)
¿K'ax k'utun k'ux?
ທ່ານສາມາດເວົ້າອີກເທື່ອໄດ້ບໍ?(thaan samat veo ik thua dai bo?)
¿Jach'och k'ux?
ຫຍັງແມ່ນສະແດງ?(hnyang maen sa daeng?)
¿Jach'och k'ux ch'ich'?
ຂໍແນະນຳໄປສູ່ສູນການຄໍາສັ່ງແລະສະເຖິມ?(kho na nam pai su sun kan khamsang lae sa thiem?)
K'utun k'ux.
ແລ່ນໄປດ້ານເຊວງ(laen pai dan seung)
K'utun k'ux.
ແລ່ນໄປດ້ານສູງ(laen pai dan sung)
K'utun k'ux.
ເຂົ້າໄປສູງ(khao pai sung)
¿K'ax k'ux ch'ich'?
ຄ່າໂດສະບັດເທື່ອແມ່ນດຽວບໍ?(kha do sabat thua maen diao bo?)
K'utun ch'ich', por favor.
ຂໍແບບເດີນທາງໜຶ່ງ(kho baep den thang neung)
¿K'ax k'ux jach'och?
ມັນໄກຈາກນີ້ບໍ?(man kai jak ni bo?)
Nek'ux k'ax k'ux.
ຂໍເອົາສູນສູນ(kho eao sun sun)
¿Jach'och k'ux k'utun SIM?
ຂໍແນະນຳສິນຄ້າສິນຄ້າເພີ່ມຂອງສິນຄ້າສິນຄ້າໄດ້ບໍ?(kho na nam sin kha sin kha dai bo?)
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Juj
ແມ່ນ(mɛ̄n)
Man
ບໍ່(bɔ̄)
K'ux
ອາດຈະ(ʔāt jā)
Juj k'ux
ຂໍໍຍອມ(kʰɔ̄ p̄ɔ̄ nyɔ̄m)
Man k'ux
ຂໍໍບໍ່ຍອມ(kʰɔ̄ p̄ɔ̄ bɔ̄ nyɔ̄m)
K'ux juj
ມັນດີ(mæn dī)
¿Juj k'ux k'ut?
ເຈົ້າຄິດວ່າແນວໃດ?(cāo kʰít vā̄ nɛ̄o dāi)
¿Juj k'ux juj k'ux?
ເຈົ້າຊ່ວຍຂໍເລີຍ?(cāo sǭ̄a kʰɔ̄ lɯ̄)
Juj k'ux juj k'ux k'ut
ຂໍແບບຊ່ວຍ(kʰɔ̄ bɛ̄p sǭ̄a)
K'ux k'ut
ລໍຖໍ່(lɔ̄ tʰɔ̄)
Juj k'ux k'ut
ຂໍອະໄພ(kʰɔ̄ ʔā pʰāi)
Man k'ux k'ut
ບໍ່ມີບັນຫາ(bɔ̄ mī bān hā)
K'ux juj k'ut
ຍິນດີດ່ວນ(ɲīn dī dūan)
K'ux juj k'ut k'ux
ສຸດສົດວັນເກິດ(sud sǭ̄t vā̄n kɯ̄t)
K'ux juj k'ut k'ux
ເດີນທາງດີ(dɯ̄n tʰāng dī)
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
¿Jujuk pa ri tren?
ສະຖານທີ່ລົດໄฟຢູ່ໃສ?(sathānthī lotfai yū sai?)
¿Jujuk pa ri bus?
ສະຖານທີ່ລົດຊັບຢູ່ໃສ?(sathānthī lotsap yū sai?)
¿K'ux ri plataforma?
ສະຖານທີ່ໃດ?(sathānthī dai?)
¿K'ux ri tiempo pa k'ux?
ມັນອອກເວລາໃດ?(man ok welā dai?)
¿¿K'ux ri camino?
ນີ້ແມ່ນທາງຖືກບໍ?(nī maeṇ thāng thūk bō?)
Ri k'ut pa ri.
ມັນຢູ່ໃກ້ນີ້(man yū kai nī)
Ri k'ut pa ri k'ul.
ມັນຢູ່ໄກແຈ່ນີ້(man yū kai jānī)
¿¿K'ux k'ut ri mapa?
ເຈົ້າສາມາດແສດໃຫ້ຂໍແຜນທີ່ໄດ້ບໍ?(jao sā māt saēd hai khǭ phænthī dai bō?)
¿¿K'ut pa ri, por favor?
ຢຸດທີ່ນີ້, ບຸດໃຈແດ່(yud thī nī, but jai dā)
¿¿K'ux ri tiempo?
ໃຈເວລາດິ່ນບໍ?(jai welā din bō?)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.