Looking for practical Tetum to Lao phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Tetum 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 Tetum 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 Tetum 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.
Olá
ສະບາຍດີ(sabaidee)
Obrigadu
ຂອບໃຈ(khob chai)
Bondia
ສະບາຍດີຕອນເຊົ້າ(sabaidee ton sao)
Bona tarde
ສະບາຍດີຕອນແລງ(sabaidee ton laeng)
Bona noite
ສະບາຍດີຕອນແລງ(sabaidee ton sang)
Bona noite
ລາບດີ(laap dee)
Ami hanesan
ເອີ້ຍກັນໃໝ່(eiy kan mai)
Adeus
ລາບອກ(laap bok)
Quale naran ida?
ຊື່ຂອງທ່ານແມ່ນຫຍັງ?(sue khong than maen nyang)
Naran hau John.
ຊື່ຂອງຂໍ້ຄືຈອນ(sue khong kho khue John)
Kona ba o?
ສະບາຍດີບໍ?(sabaidee bor)
Diak ba halo ho o.
ດີໃຈທີ່ໄດ້ພົວພັນ(dee jai thi dai phou phan)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Keta fala Inglês?
ທ່ານເວົ້າພາສາອັງກິດໄດ້ບໍ?(thaan veo phasa angkit dai bo?)
Hau la fala Hindi diak.
ຂໍເອົາພາສາຮິນດີບໍ່ໄດ້ດີ(kho eao phasa hindi bo dai di)
Hau la hatene.
ຂໍເອົາບໍ່ເຂົ້າໃຈ(kho eao bo khao chai)
Favor fala ba moris.
ຂໍແຈ້ງຊ່ອຍໆ(kho jaeng soi)
Keta bele fala fali?
ທ່ານສາມາດເວົ້າອີກເທື່ອໄດ້ບໍ?(thaan samat veo ik thua dai bo?)
Onde mak banheira?
ຫຍັງແມ່ນສະແດງ?(hnyang maen sa daeng?)
Kona ne'ebe hau bele baa sentru cidade?
ຂໍແນະນຳໄປສູ່ສູນການຄໍາສັ່ງແລະສະເຖິມ?(kho na nam pai su sun kan khamsang lae sa thiem?)
Virar ba hadau.
ແລ່ນໄປດ້ານເຊວງ(laen pai dan seung)
Virar ba direita.
ແລ່ນໄປດ້ານສູງ(laen pai dan sung)
Baa diretamente.
ເຂົ້າໄປສູງ(khao pai sung)
Iha ne'e barak?
ຄ່າໂດສະບັດເທື່ອແມ່ນດຽວບໍ?(kha do sabat thua maen diao bo?)
Ticket ida, favor.
ຂໍແບບເດີນທາງໜຶ່ງ(kho baep den thang neung)
Iha ne'e laran ka?
ມັນໄກຈາກນີ້ບໍ?(man kai jak ni bo?)
Hau nune'e.
ຂໍເອົາສູນສູນ(kho eao sun sun)
Onde mak hau bele compra 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.
Sim
ແມ່ນ(mɛ̄n)
La
ບໍ່(bɔ̄)
Talvez
ອາດຈະ(ʔāt jā)
Hau hakarak
ຂໍໍຍອມ(kʰɔ̄ p̄ɔ̄ nyɔ̄m)
Hau la hakarak
ຂໍໍບໍ່ຍອມ(kʰɔ̄ p̄ɔ̄ bɔ̄ nyɔ̄m)
Nia mak diak
ມັນດີ(mæn dī)
Ita nian ideia sa?
ເຈົ້າຄິດວ່າແນວໃດ?(cāo kʰít vā̄ nɛ̄o dāi)
Mak bele ajuda hau?
ເຈົ້າຊ່ວຍຂໍເລີຍ?(cāo sǭ̄a kʰɔ̄ lɯ̄)
Hau precisa ajuda
ຂໍແບບຊ່ວຍ(kʰɔ̄ bɛ̄p sǭ̄a)
Hakarak momentu
ລໍຖໍ່(lɔ̄ tʰɔ̄)
Hau mós
ຂໍອະໄພ(kʰɔ̄ ʔā pʰāi)
La problema
ບໍ່ມີບັນຫາ(bɔ̄ mī bān hā)
Parabens
ຍິນດີດ່ວນ(ɲīn dī dūan)
Parabens ba aniversario
ສຸດສົດວັນເກິດ(sud sǭ̄t vā̄n kɯ̄t)
Hau haruka viagen diak
ເດີນທາງດີ(dɯ̄n tʰāng dī)
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Onde está a estacão de trem?
ສະຖານທີ່ລົດໄฟຢູ່ໃສ?(sathānthī lotfai yū sai?)
Onde está a paragem de autocarro?
ສະຖານທີ່ລົດຊັບຢູ່ໃສ?(sathānthī lotsap yū sai?)
Iha ne'e plataforma sa'e?
ສະຖານທີ່ໃດ?(sathānthī dai?)
Hora ne'e sai?
ມັນອອກເວລາໃດ?(man ok welā dai?)
Ema ne'e dalan certo ka?
ນີ້ແມ່ນທາງຖືກບໍ?(nī maeṇ thāng thūk bō?)
Iha ne'e perto
ມັນຢູ່ໃກ້ນີ້(man yū kai nī)
Iha ne'e laran
ມັນຢູ່ໄກແຈ່ນີ້(man yū kai jānī)
Kona ba mapa?
ເຈົ້າສາມາດແສດໃຫ້ຂໍແຜນທີ່ໄດ້ບໍ?(jao sā māt saēd hai khǭ phænthī dai bō?)
Parar iha ne'e, favor
ຢຸດທີ່ນີ້, ບຸດໃຈແດ່(yud thī nī, but jai dā)
Kona tempu hira?
ໃຈເວລາດິ່ນບໍ?(jai welā din bō?)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Ita nia presu sa'o?
ນີ້ເສິບທີ່ໃຈບໍ?(ni seub thi chai bo?)
Esa mak baratu demais.
ນັ້ນແພງເກຽວເກີນໄປ
Ita iha coisa baratu seluk?
ທ່ານມີສິ່ງໃດທີ່ຖູກກວ່າບໍ?
Posu ka la, hau bele paga ba kart?
ຂໍອະໄພໃສ່ບັດໄດ້ບໍ?
Hau hakarak mesa ba rua.
ຂໍຕາບລະບົດສໍາລັບສອງຄົນ
Fatu, por favor.
ບິນຄ່າໃຫ້ຂໍອະໄພ
Servisu iha ka?
ບໍ່ບໍ່ມີບໍລິການລວມຢູ່ໃນນີ້ບໍ?
Hau vegetarian.
ຂໍອະໄພແມ່ນຄົນບໍ່ກິນເສດສິນ
Labele comida spicy, por favor.
ຂໍອະໄພບໍ່ໃຫ້ອາຫານປາກຈິ່ນ
Esa mak saboru.
ນີ້ແອບອິດ
Posu ka la, hau bele hakarak menu?
ຂໍອະໄພໃຫ້ເລືອກເອກະສານອາຫານ
Kopa agua, por favor.
ຂໍອະໄພໃຫ້ນ້ຳແກ່ກັນ
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
Liga ba polícia
ໂທແອກຕຳລອດ
Liga ba ambulansia
ໂທແອກລົດແພດ
Hau precisa doutor
ຂໍແພດໃຫ້ຂໍ້ອອນ
Hau sente sick
ຂໍ້ອອນບໍ່ດີ
Hau iha alergia ba karu
ຂໍ້ອອນມີການແອລໍຈິດກັບຖົ່ມລາຍ
Onde iha ospitál ne'ebe mais perto?
ໂຮງໝໍໃດແມ່ນໃກ້ທີ່ສຸດ?
Ita hakarak iha ne'e
ມັນເຈັບບ່ອນນີ້
Hau hasai passport
ຂໍ້ອອນສາມາດບັດບໍ່ສຽງສິດ
O pode liga ba hotel hau?
ເຈົ້າສາມາດໂທໂຮງແຮມຂອງຂໍ້ອອນແບບບໍ?
Help!
ຊ່ອຍ!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Hau kontente hatoo ho ita
ດີໃຈທີ່ເພີ່ນພົວພັນ(di chai thi phuen phoua phan)
Kita halo reunião
ມາຈັດຕົວກັນສໍາລັບການປະຊຸມ
Hora ne'ebe mak diak ba ita?
ເວລາໃດທີ່ເຫຼັກສໍາລັບທ່ານ?
Hau sei hatoo relatoriu ona
ຂໍແຈ້ງລາຍງານວັນນີ້
Ita bele halo conversa fali?
ພວກເຮົາສາມາດສົນທະນາກັນວັນໃດ?
Favor buka arquivo ne'e iha
ກະລຸນາເບິ່ງໄຟລ໌ທີ່ແນບມາ
Obrigadu ba ita-nia tempu
ຂອບໃຈສໍາລັບເວລາຂອງທ່ານ
Hau hakarak trabalha ho ita
ຂໍໃຫ້ລອດລູກຈິດໃນການເຮັດວຽກກັນ
Ita bele klarifika ponto ne'e?
ທ່ານສາມາດອະທິບາຍຈຸດນັ້ນໃຫ້ຊັດເຈນໄດ້ບໍ?
Hau sei volta ba ita
ໃຫ້ຂໍແອບຄືນຄືນໄປຫາທ່ານ
Prazo mak sexta-feira
ກຳນົດເວລາແມ່ນວັນສຸກ
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.