| The official language of communication is Lao,
the language of the Lao people. French has traditionally been used in the
government and diplomatic service. English is gradually replacing French
as the language of business and international relations.
Lao has several dialects. The dialect spoken in
Vientiane is closest to the standard Lao, which is used as the common language
among groups. Lao is similar to Thai, and most Laotians can easily understand
programs on Thai radio and television. |
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Did you know? |
| In
Laos, as in many Asian cultures, the head is the most sacred part of the
body. Touching a person's head is taboo. |
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| Lao is written in a distinct script that uses
curved letter forms. There are 30 consonants and 15 symbols for vowels
sounds. There are also tone marks, which are written over the letters to
indicate pronunciation. Six tones are used: high, medium, low, rising,
high falling, and low falling. A single word may have different meanings
depending on the tone. For example, the word sao may mean twenty,
girl, pillar or morning. All Lao words have only one syllable. Only words
from other languages such as French that have been incorporated into Lao
have more than one syllable.
Lao is a rich and colourful language with an extensive
vocabulary. However, it was suppressed during the French colonial period.
Recently, the United States Agency for International Development produced
four million textbooks in Lao to support the continued use of the Lao language. |
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| Laotians usually address each other by their first
names rather than their family names. Sabaidee, which means "Greetings"
or "Good health," is a typical Laotian greeting. Another common expression
is bo pen nyang, which means "Never mind" or "It doesn't matter."
Laotians use this expression to bring calm to strained situations or conflict.
When Laotians meet, they may greet each other
with the nop. They bring their palms together in a praying position at
chest level without touching the body. This gesture is accompanied by a
slight bow as a mark of respect to older persons or those of higher status. |
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Did you know? |
| A
common Laotian saying is: "When a tiger sleeps, don't wake him up. When
an elephant sleeps, don't feed him." This is similar to our expression,
"Let sleeping dogs lie." |
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English |
Lao |
| Yes |
doi |
| No |
bo |
| Please |
karuna |
| Thank
you |
khob
chi |
| Hello |
sa bai
dee |
| Goodbye |
lakone |
| Go in
peace |
pai dee |
| Elephant |
xang |
| Rice |
khao |
| River |
menam |
| Rain |
phon |
| Village |
ban |
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