Looking for practical Tiv to Lao phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Tiv 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: focus on one section per day (travel Monday, dining Tuesday, and so on) if you are preparing for a Lao-speaking trip in a few weeks.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Tiv 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.
Mgbakpa
ສະບາຍດີ(sabaidee)
Ior na
ຂອບໃຈ(khob chai)
Mgbakpa u sha
ສະບາຍດີຕອນເຊົ້າ(sabaidee ton sao)
Mgbakpa u kpa
ສະບາຍດີຕອນແລງ(sabaidee ton laeng)
Mgbakpa u ter
ສະບາຍດີຕອນແລງ(sabaidee ton sang)
Mgbakpa u ter sha
ລາບດີ(laap dee)
Kpa a joo
ເອີ້ຍກັນໃໝ່(eiy kan mai)
Ior a joo
ລາບອກ(laap bok)
Ior m ngu?
ຊື່ຂອງທ່ານແມ່ນຫຍັງ?(sue khong than maen nyang)
M ngu John
ຊື່ຂອງຂໍ້ຄືຈອນ(sue khong kho khue John)
Ior m nande?
ສະບາຍດີບໍ?(sabaidee bor)
Ior m nande a joo
ດີໃຈທີ່ໄດ້ພົວພັນ(dee jai thi dai phou phan)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
I kpa English?
ທ່ານເວົ້າພາສາອັງກິດໄດ້ບໍ?(thaan veo phasa angkit dai bo?)
M nahan Hindi nahan.
ຂໍເອົາພາສາຮິນດີບໍ່ໄດ້ດີ(kho eao phasa hindi bo dai di)
M nahan usha.
ຂໍເອົາບໍ່ເຂົ້າໃຈ(kho eao bo khao chai)
M nahan usha kpa.
ຂໍແຈ້ງຊ່ອຍໆ(kho jaeng soi)
I kpa a sha?
ທ່ານສາມາດເວົ້າອີກເທື່ອໄດ້ບໍ?(thaan samat veo ik thua dai bo?)
I we a joo?
ຫຍັງແມ່ນສະແດງ?(hnyang maen sa daeng?)
Nenge a kpa a city center?
ຂໍແນະນຳໄປສູ່ສູນການຄໍາສັ່ງແລະສະເຖິມ?(kho na nam pai su sun kan khamsang lae sa thiem?)
Kpa a joo.
ແລ່ນໄປດ້ານເຊວງ(laen pai dan seung)
Kpa a nahan.
ແລ່ນໄປດ້ານສູງ(laen pai dan sung)
Kpa a sha.
ເຂົ້າໄປສູງ(khao pai sung)
Nenge a kpa a fare?
ຄ່າໂດສະບັດເທື່ອແມ່ນດຽວບໍ?(kha do sabat thua maen diao bo?)
I kpa a ticket, please.
ຂໍແບບເດີນທາງໜຶ່ງ(kho baep den thang neung)
I we a nahan a nahan?
ມັນໄກຈາກນີ້ບໍ?(man kai jak ni bo?)
M nahan sha.
ຂໍເອົາສູນສູນ(kho eao sun sun)
I we a kpa a 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.
Ee
ແມ່ນ(mɛ̄n)
Naa
ບໍ່(bɔ̄)
Iye
ອາດຈະ(ʔāt jā)
M na a kpa
ຂໍໍຍອມ(kʰɔ̄ p̄ɔ̄ nyɔ̄m)
M na a kpa nahan
ຂໍໍບໍ່ຍອມ(kʰɔ̄ p̄ɔ̄ bɔ̄ nyɔ̄m)
I kpa a kpa
ມັນດີ(mæn dī)
U kpa a nahan?
ເຈົ້າຄິດວ່າແນວໃດ?(cāo kʰít vā̄ nɛ̄o dāi)
U kpa m nahan?
ເຈົ້າຊ່ວຍຂໍເລີຍ?(cāo sǭ̄a kʰɔ̄ lɯ̄)
M na a kpa nahan
ຂໍແບບຊ່ວຍ(kʰɔ̄ bɛ̄p sǭ̄a)
Kpa a kpa
ລໍຖໍ່(lɔ̄ tʰɔ̄)
M na a kpa
ຂໍອະໄພ(kʰɔ̄ ʔā pʰāi)
Naa a kpa
ບໍ່ມີບັນຫາ(bɔ̄ mī bān hā)
I kpa a kpa
ຍິນດີດ່ວນ(ɲīn dī dūan)
A kpa a kpa
ສຸດສົດວັນເກິດ(sud sǭ̄t vā̄n kɯ̄t)
U kpa a kpa
ເດີນທາງດີ(dɯ̄n tʰāng dī)
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Ior a kpa?
ສະຖານທີ່ລົດໄฟຢູ່ໃສ?(sathānthī lotfai yū sai?)
Ior a nyam?
ສະຖານທີ່ລົດຊັບຢູ່ໃສ?(sathānthī lotsap yū sai?)
Ior a gande?
ສະຖານທີ່ໃດ?(sathānthī dai?)
Nenge a kpa?
ມັນອອກເວລາໃດ?(man ok welā dai?)
Ior a nenge a?
ນີ້ແມ່ນທາງຖືກບໍ?(nī maeṇ thāng thūk bō?)
I na kpa a.
ມັນຢູ່ໃກ້ນີ້(man yū kai nī)
I na kpa a kpa.
ມັນຢູ່ໄກແຈ່ນີ້(man yū kai jānī)
I ma ior a gande?
ເຈົ້າສາມາດແສດໃຫ້ຂໍແຜນທີ່ໄດ້ບໍ?(jao sā māt saēd hai khǭ phænthī dai bō?)
Kpa a, please.
ຢຸດທີ່ນີ້, ບຸດໃຈແດ່(yud thī nī, but jai dā)
Nenge a kpa?
ໃຈເວລາດິ່ນບໍ?(jai welā din bō?)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Ior kwagh nahan?
ນີ້ເສິບທີ່ໃຈບໍ?(ni seub thi chai bo?)
Ior u kpa a kpa
ນັ້ນແພງເກຽວເກີນໄປ(ior u kpa a kpa)
Ior m ngu u kpa?
ທ່ານມີສິ່ງໃດທີ່ຖູກກວ່າບໍ?(ior m ngu u kpa)
Ior m gban a card?
ຂໍອະໄພໃສ່ບັດໄດ້ບໍ?(ior m gban a card)
A doo a table m ngu a yô
ຂໍຕາບລະບົດສໍາລັບສອງຄົນ(a doo a table m ngu a yô)
Ior a bill, please
ບິນຄ່າໃຫ້ຂໍອະໄພ(ior a bill, please)
Ior a service m nahan?
ບໍ່ບໍ່ມີບໍລິການລວມຢູ່ໃນນີ້ບໍ?(ior a service m nahan)
A m vegetarian
ຂໍອະໄພແມ່ນຄົນບໍ່ກິນເສດສິນ(a m vegetarian)
A m nahan a spicy food
ຂໍອະໄພບໍ່ໃຫ້ອາຫານປາກຈິ່ນ(a m nahan a spicy food)
Ior a kpa
ນີ້ແອບອິດ(ior a kpa)
Ior m gban a menu?
ຂໍອະໄພໃຫ້ເລືອກເອກະສານອາຫານ(ior m gban a menu)
A glass a water, please
ຂໍອະໄພໃຫ້ນ້ຳແກ່ກັນ(a glass a water)
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
Kpa a police
ໂທແອກຕຳລອດ
Kpa a ambulance
ໂທແອກລົດແພດ
M ba a doctor
ຂໍແພດໃຫ້ຂໍ້ອອນ
M kpa a kpa
ຂໍ້ອອນບໍ່ດີ
M kpa a nyam
ຂໍ້ອອນມີການແອລໍຈິດກັບຖົ່ມລາຍ
I kpa a hospital mza?
ໂຮງໝໍໃດແມ່ນໃກ້ທີ່ສຸດ?
I kpa a sha
ມັນເຈັບບ່ອນນີ້
M kpa a passport m
ຂໍ້ອອນສາມາດບັດບໍ່ສຽງສິດ
I kpa a hotel m?
ເຈົ້າສາມາດໂທໂຮງແຮມຂອງຂໍ້ອອນແບບບໍ?
Kpa!
ຊ່ອຍ!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Ior u kpa.
ດີໃຈທີ່ເພີ່ນພົວພັນ(di chai thi phuen phoua phan)
Ka a hia ikyô.
ມາຈັດຕົວກັນສໍາລັບການປະຊຸມ
Nî kpa u kpa?
ເວລາໃດທີ່ເຫຼັກສໍາລັບທ່ານ?
M gbanor u kpe.
ຂໍແຈ້ງລາຍງານວັນນີ້
A hia nî u hia?
ພວກເຮົາສາມາດສົນທະນາກັນວັນໃດ?
M kpa u venge.
ກະລຸນາເບິ່ງໄຟລ໌ທີ່ແນບມາ
Ior u nenge.
ຂອບໃຈສໍາລັບເວລາຂອງທ່ານ
M hia u kpa.
ຂໍໃຫ້ລອດລູກຈິດໃນການເຮັດວຽກກັນ
Ior a hia u mba?
ທ່ານສາມາດອະທິບາຍຈຸດນັ້ນໃຫ້ຊັດເຈນໄດ້ບໍ?
Ka m hia u.
ໃຫ້ຂໍແອບຄືນຄືນໄປຫາທ່ານ
Ikyô u kpa a Friday.
ກຳນົດເວລາແມ່ນວັນສຸກ
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.