Looking for practical Tumbuka to Lao phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Tumbuka 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 Tumbuka 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 Tumbuka 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.
Moni
ສະບາຍດີ(sabaidee)
Zikomo
ຂອບໃຈ(khob chai)
Muli bwanji
ສະບາຍດີຕອນເຊົ້າ(sabaidee ton sao)
Muli bwanji
ສະບາຍດີຕອນແລງ(sabaidee ton laeng)
Muli bwanji
ສະບາຍດີຕອນແລງ(sabaidee ton sang)
Usiku wabwino
ລາບດີ(laap dee)
Tiwonana
ເອີ້ຍກັນໃໝ່(eiy kan mai)
Tsalani bwino
ລາບອກ(laap bok)
Dzina lanu ndi ndani?
ຊື່ຂອງທ່ານແມ່ນຫຍັງ?(sue khong than maen nyang)
Dzina langa ndi John
ຊື່ຂອງຂໍ້ຄືຈອນ(sue khong kho khue John)
Muli bwanji?
ສະບາຍດີບໍ?(sabaidee bor)
Ndine wokondwa kukumana nanu
ດີໃຈທີ່ໄດ້ພົວພັນ(dee jai thi dai phou phan)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
Muli ndi Chingerezi?
ທ່ານເວົ້າພາສາອັງກິດໄດ້ບໍ?(thaan veo phasa angkit dai bo?)
Sikuyankhula Hindi bwino
ຂໍເອົາພາສາຮິນດີບໍ່ໄດ້ດີ(kho eao phasa hindi bo dai di)
Sindikumva
ຂໍເອົາບໍ່ເຂົ້າໃຈ(kho eao bo khao chai)
Chonde yankhulani pang'ono
ຂໍແຈ້ງຊ່ອຍໆ(kho jaeng soi)
Mungandiyankhulepo?
ທ່ານສາມາດເວົ້າອີກເທື່ອໄດ້ບໍ?(thaan samat veo ik thua dai bo?)
Kuti ndi kuti?
ຫຍັງແມ່ນສະແດງ?(hnyang maen sa daeng?)
Ndingafike bwanji ku msewu waukulu?
ຂໍແນະນຳໄປສູ່ສູນການຄໍາສັ່ງແລະສະເຖິມ?(kho na nam pai su sun kan khamsang lae sa thiem?)
Pita kumanzere
ແລ່ນໄປດ້ານເຊວງ(laen pai dan seung)
Pita kumanja
ແລ່ນໄປດ້ານສູງ(laen pai dan sung)
Pita mwendo
ເຂົ້າໄປສູງ(khao pai sung)
Ndi ndalama zingati?
ຄ່າໂດສະບັດເທື່ອແມ່ນດຽວບໍ?(kha do sabat thua maen diao bo?)
Tiketi imodzi, chonde
ຂໍແບບເດີນທາງໜຶ່ງ(kho baep den thang neung)
Ndi mtunda wautali kuchokera pano?
ມັນໄກຈາກນີ້ບໍ?(man kai jak ni bo?)
Ndakhalapo
ຂໍເອົາສູນສູນ(kho eao sun sun)
Ndingatengere kuti kuti 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.
Iye
ແມ່ນ(mɛ̄n)
Ayi
ບໍ່(bɔ̄)
Pang'ono
ອາດຈະ(ʔāt jā)
Ndikugwirizana
ຂໍໍຍອມ(kʰɔ̄ p̄ɔ̄ nyɔ̄m)
Sindikugwirizana
ຂໍໍບໍ່ຍອມ(kʰɔ̄ p̄ɔ̄ bɔ̄ nyɔ̄m)
Ichi chimaoneka bwino
ມັນດີ(mæn dī)
Muli ndi chiyani choti mumaganize?
ເຈົ້າຄິດວ່າແນວໃດ?(cāo kʰít vā̄ nɛ̄o dāi)
Mungandithandize?
ເຈົ້າຊ່ວຍຂໍເລີຍ?(cāo sǭ̄a kʰɔ̄ lɯ̄)
Ndikufuna thandizo
ຂໍແບບຊ່ວຍ(kʰɔ̄ bɛ̄p sǭ̄a)
Dikirani pang’ono
ລໍຖໍ່(lɔ̄ tʰɔ̄)
Ndikupemphera
ຂໍອະໄພ(kʰɔ̄ ʔā pʰāi)
Palibe vutoli
ບໍ່ມີບັນຫາ(bɔ̄ mī bān hā)
Zikomo
ຍິນດີດ່ວນ(ɲīn dī dūan)
Tsiku lobadwa labwino
ສຸດສົດວັນເກິດ(sud sǭ̄t vā̄n kɯ̄t)
Pita bwino pa ulendo
ເດີນທາງດີ(dɯ̄n tʰāng dī)
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
Kukakhala kuti chiteshi cha njinga?
ສະຖານທີ່ລົດໄฟຢູ່ໃສ?(sathānthī lotfai yū sai?)
Kukakhala kuti malo otchinga basi?
ສະຖານທີ່ລົດຊັບຢູ່ໃສ?(sathānthī lotsap yū sai?)
Ndi chigawo chiti?
ສະຖານທີ່ໃດ?(sathānthī dai?)
Nanga nthawi itangopita?
ມັນອອກເວລາໃດ?(man ok welā dai?)
Kodi iyi ndi njira yoyenera?
ນີ້ແມ່ນທາງຖືກບໍ?(nī maeṇ thāng thūk bō?)
Iyi ndi pafupi apa
ມັນຢູ່ໃກ້ນີ້(man yū kai nī)
Iyi ndi kutali ndi apa
ມັນຢູ່ໄກແຈ່ນີ້(man yū kai jānī)
Mungandionetse pa chithunzi?
ເຈົ້າສາມາດແສດໃຫ້ຂໍແຜນທີ່ໄດ້ບໍ?(jao sā māt saēd hai khǭ phænthī dai bō?)
Chimitsa apa, chonde
ຢຸດທີ່ນີ້, ບຸດໃຈແດ່(yud thī nī, but jai dā)
Zimatenga nthawi yaitali bwanji?
ໃຈເວລາດິ່ນບໍ?(jai welā din bō?)
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
Iyi ikuguliradi chingwe?
ນີ້ເສິບທີ່ໃຈບໍ?(ni seub thi chai bo?)
Iyi ndi mtengo wopusa
ນັ້ນແພງເກຽວເກີນໄປ(iyi ndi mtengo wopusa)
Muli ndi chinthu chochepa mtengo?
ທ່ານມີສິ່ງໃດທີ່ຖູກກວ່າບໍ?(muli ndi chinthu chochepa mtengo)
Ningathe kulipira ndi khadi?
ຂໍອະໄພໃສ່ບັດໄດ້ບໍ?(ningathe kulipira ndi khadi)
Ndikufuna tebulo la anthu awiri
ຂໍຕາບລະບົດສໍາລັບສອງຄົນ(ndikufuna tebulo la anthu awiri)