Learn Lao
Learn Lao fast with an app that gets you speaking in minutes. Build the confidence to chat with family, friends and people you meet across Laos, or get by easily on your travels through Vientiane.
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Learn to speak Lao like a local
Many people want to learn the Lao language to connect with family or for travel or business across Laos. But finding a structured online course for Lao can be surprisingly difficult, especially when there are so many more resources available for the closely related Thai language.
uTalk is the solution. We’ll help you avoid:
- Settling for Thai because you can't find Lao learning resources that suit your needs
- Getting bogged down in grammar before you've learned a single Lao phrase
- Losing confidence because you can't check your Lao pronunciation
Learn Lao online today and start taking part in everyday conversations.
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Three steps to learn Lao fast
No classes to schedule. No confusing jargon. Just a clear path to learning Lao.
Start in minutes
Subscribe now, download the app or open the web app. Choose Lao and select your first category.
Get StartedPractise real phrases
Work through short lessons with native speaker audio and memory-boosting games. Reviews focus on the words you find hardest, so you learn faster.
Speak like a local
Try your Lao in real life. Beginners and more experienced learners can build practical spoken language and start enjoying real conversations across Laos.
Why uTalk is the best Lao learning app
uTalk helps you learn how to speak and recognise a wide variety of Lao words and phrases. It's app-based, online and ready when you are.
Speak first
Practical content covering greetings, travel, work and daily life. Everything you need to start speaking from day one.
Authentic speakers
Learn from real Lao speakers, not computer voices. Hear the language exactly as it's spoken across Laos.
Beginner friendly, fun and effective
Game-like practice builds your confidence. Lessons are short, focused and based on real-life situations.
Learn Lao online — Common phrases and audio
uTalk helps you learn how to speak and recognise key words and phrases. It's app-based, online and ready when you are.
ຂ້ອຍຂໍກາເຟເດີ.
khoy-kho-ka-fe-dae
I’d like a coffee, please.
ສະບາຍດີ.
sa-bay-dee
Hello.
ແມ່ນແລ້ວ.
man-laew
Yes.
ຊໍແດ່ ເຈົ້າ.
kho-dae-jao
Yes please.
ບໍ່ແມ່ນ.
Bor-man
No.
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ບໍ່, ຂອບໃຈ.
Bor-Khob-jai
No thanks.
ກະລຸນາເທາະ.
Ka-lu-na-tor
Please.
ຂອບໃຈ.
khob-jai
Thank you.
ຂອບໃຈຫລາຍໆ
khob-jai-lai-lai
Thank you very much.
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ຍິນດີຕ້ອນຮັບ.
yin-dee-ton-hub
You’re welcome.
ຂອເບຍສອງຈອກ
kho-beer-song-jok
Two beers, please.
ລົດເມ
lod-may
bus
ລົດເກງ
lod-keng
car
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ລົດແທັກຊີ່
lod-taxi
taxi
ລົດໄຟ
lod-fai
train
ສະຖານີລົດໄຟ
sa-ta-ni-lod-fai
railway station
ສະໜາມບິນ
sa-nam--bin
airport
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ໂຮງແຮມ
hong-ham
hotel
ໜັງສືຜ່ານແດນ
nung-su-pan-dan
passport
ໂທລະສັບ
to-la-sup
telephone
ຂໍໂທດເດີ.
kho-thod-der
Excuse me.
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ຈັກໂມງແລ້ວ?
jak-mong-laew
What time is it?
ຂໍໃຫ້ເຈົ້າເວົ້າຄືນອີກໄດ້ບໍ?
kho-hai-jao-wao-khuen-ik-dai-bo?
Can you repeat that please?
ກະລຸນາເວົ້າຊ້າໆລົງອີກແດ່.
ka-lu-na-wao-sa-sa-long-ik-dae
Please speak more slowly.
ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ເຂົ້າໃຈ.
koy-kho-khob-jai
I don’t understand.
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ຂໍໂທດ
kho-toad
Sorry.
ຫ້ອງນໍ້າຢູ່ໃສ?
hong-nam-yu-sai?
Where are the toilets?
ຫ້ອງນໍ້າຍິງ
hong-nam-ying
Ladies’ Toilet
ຫ້ອງນໍ້າຊາຍ
hong-nam-sai
Gents’ Toilet
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ຫາດຊາຍຢູ່ໃສ?
haad-sai-yu-sai
Where is the beach?
ທະນາຄານຢູ່ໃສ?
ta-na-kaan-yu-sai?
Where is the bank?
ອັນນີ້ລາຄາເທົ່າໃດ?
Un-ni-laka-thor-dai
How much does this cost?
ບັດເຄຣດິດ
but-cre-did
credit card
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ເຄື່ອງຖອນເງິນສົດ
kerng-thorn-gnern-sod
cash machine
ລາກ່ອນ
la-gorn
Goodbye.
ຢາປາຣາ
ัya-pa-la
paracetamol
ລູກກຸນແຈ
look-koon-jae
keys
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ແຜນທີ່
pan-tee
map
ຊ້າຍ
xay
left
ຂວາ
kwa
right
ໜຶ່ງ
nung
one
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ສອງ
song
two
ສາມ
saam
three
Where is it spoken?
Laos
Number of speakers
30,000,000
Language family
Tai-Kadai
Kam-Tai
Tai
Fun facts | Lao
- Laos is known as the 'land of a million elephants', a translation of the name for an ancient Lao empire, Lan Xan.
- In Lao, there are no spaces between words: a space indicates the end of a phrase.
- There have been attempts recently to officially reduce the number of consonants in Lao, as many of them indicate the same sound.
How our Lao lessons work
Learning Lao should feel simple and enjoyable from the start. Begin with greetings and high-frequency words, then move into practical categories covering travel, food and everyday phrases. Lao is a tonal language, so hearing it spoken is essential. Every word and phrase you learn is recorded by native speakers, helping you naturally pick up its tones through repeated listening rather than relying on written rules. Game-like exercises test your speaking and listening skills to reinforce what you learn, and reviews adapt to focus on the words you find trickiest.
Pick a category and the app organises the content into short, bite-sized topics to help you quickly cover the basics. Watch your points build as you progress through the course, and get personalised feedback with a breakdown of what you got right and wrong after each exercise. Save your favourite words in the in-app phrasebook for easy access and, if you want, get tested on them too. Switch categories any time, learn online or offline, on mobile or desktop. If you have questions, contact our friendly UK-based team at support@utalk.com.
Lao vs. Thai
Lao and Thai are closely related languages, but how mutually intelligible are they?
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Key points
- Both Lao and Thai belong to the Kra-Dai language family, and speakers of one can often understand a good deal of what the other says.
- But Lao speakers tend to understand Thai better because Thai television, music and other media reach right across the border, while Thai speakers with little exposure to Lao understand considerably less.
- Lao also has its own script and plenty of vocabulary of its own.
- In uTalk, Lao is taught as its own language, separate from Thai, so you can focus on the language actually spoken across Laos.
Lao and its Southeast Asian neighbours
- Lao is spoken across Laos, but mainland Southeast Asia is home to a number of other major languages.
- Whether you have connections elsewhere in the region or simply want to explore further, uTalk also offers Thai, Khmer, Burmese and Vietnamese.
“We help make learning Lao easy.”
“We understand it can be difficult to find structured, modern Lao learning resources when so many major platforms focus on Thai instead. At uTalk, we believe every language matters, which is why we recorded native Lao speakers, so you can hear exactly how the language is genuinely spoken, not just how it's written in a textbook.”
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Richard Howeson
uTalk Founder
Why learners trust uTalk for Lao
At uTalk, we are passionate about supporting languages that other apps often overlook. Our Lao content is recorded by native speakers, so every lesson gives you audio you can trust. The app works for English speakers and for speakers of more than 140 other languages. Check our reviews and see how learners are turning daily practice into real progress.
Your Lao language learning journey
Maybe you have family roots in Laos, you're relocating for work, or you're simply planning your next trip to Vientiane and beyond. Finding lessons focused on real spoken Lao that you can learn from a wide range of languages can feel like a challenge.
Get StarteduTalk can help. Take your first proper look at Lao with First Words like ຂອບໃຈ (khob-jai — thank you), then build everyday phrases you can use in real situations. You'll listen to native Lao speakers, record yourself copying them and compare your pronunciation with the original. Game-like practice makes it fun for beginners, while practical content helps more experienced learners fill gaps in their knowledge. Learn online or offline, follow a guided path or choose for yourself what to work on and when.
The outcome is simple. You'll speak Lao with confidence and understand more of what people say around you. You'll use your new skills with family, friends and people you meet across Laos. uTalk fits your life.
Learn real-life categories in Lao
Explore the Kra-Dai language family
Lao belongs to the Tai branch of the Kra-Dai language family, which makes Thai one of its closest relatives. If you're curious to compare words, sounds or everyday phrases, Thai is a useful place to start.
Lao and Thai share deep historical roots and a great deal of recognisable vocabulary, so learning one can give you a genuine head start with the other. A closely related group of Lao varieties known as Isan is also spoken in northeastern Thailand, where it is written using the Thai script and has been influenced by Thai.
Get StartedYour Lao questions, answered
Do you offer live online classes or is it just an app?
uTalk is an app and online language learning software. Lessons are digital, short and practical. If you want a tutor, the app still helps you prepare for class and review between sessions.
Can I start as a beginner?
Yes. The course begins with basic greetings and everyday words and phrases and takes you to an A1–A2 level on the CEFR scale. Some of our topics even cover material you’d learn as you grow your skills to B1 or B2.
What application languages do you support? Can I learn without English?
Yes. uTalk works for speakers of more than 140 languages. Choose the one that suits you in Settings.
How is content selected and ordered?
Topics are based on real-life situations. You can select any category and the app suggests a smart learning order for beginners. You can change it at any time.
How does uTalk compare with YouTube lessons?
YouTube can be useful, but it’s hard to check pronunciation or get structured reviews. uTalk gives you native speaker audio, games that test tricky words more often and a clear path from basic to practical use.
Is Lao the same as Thai?
They're closely related and partly mutually intelligible, but they're not identical, and understanding isn't evenly shared. Lao speakers can often understand Thai quite well, partly because Thai TV, music and other media are widely enjoyed in Laos, while Thai speakers tend to find Lao more difficult to understand. Lao also has its own writing system and plenty of distinct vocabulary.
Is Lao spoken in Thailand?
Yes, in a sense. Northeastern Thailand is home to Isan, a group of varieties that are closely related to Lao and are sometimes classified as varieties of Lao. Isan is written in Thai script and has absorbed a lot of Thai vocabulary, but Lao and Isan speakers can generally understand each other without much difficulty.
Is Lao a tonal language?
Yes. Lao uses tones to distinguish between words that would otherwise sound similar. The Vientiane variety is commonly described as having six tones, although the number of tones varies between regions and depends on how they are analysed. uTalk's native speaker audio helps you pick up the tones naturally through listening rather than memorising rules.
How fast can I learn to speak Lao?
Short, regular sessions work best. Many learners can handle simple conversations after a few weeks of steady practice. Your progress depends on how often you use the app and how much you review.
Can I learn Lao for free with uTalk?
Yes. Getting started with uTalk is easy, and you can cancel whenever you want. We want you to love uTalk, so we even offer a 28-Day Money Back Guarantee if you are not satisfied.
Where can I learn Lao with uTalk?
We’re available on iOS, Android, web, Mac and PC. Get started now and you’ll be directed to download uTalk for your device.
Topics
- First Words
- Transport
- Restaurant
- Food and Drink
- Cooking
- Places
- Directions
- Illness
- Doctor
- Body
- Emergencies
- Social Phrases
- Leisure
- Likes and Dislikes
- Football Match Abroad
- Football Commentary
- Sports
- Shopping Words
- Fruit
- Vegetables
- Clothes
- Ingredients
- Home
- Bathroom
- Kitchen
- Tools
- Family
- Occupations
- Animals
- Animals' Bodies
- Farming
- Technology
- School
- Business
- Numbers up to Twenty
- Numbers up to Ten Million
- Essential Phrases
- Adjectives
- Prepositions
- Colours
- Countries
- Calendar
- Time
- Timetable
- Outdoors
- Holiday
- Skiing
- Camping
- Golf
- Sailing
- Driving
- Olympics
- Summer Olympics
- Winter Olympics
- Military Commands
- Military Peace Keeping
- Military Intelligence
- Accommodation
- Shopping Phrases
- Travelling
- Free Starter Words
- Disaster Relief - Volunteers
- Natural Disasters
Get by with basic greetings, words and phrases including 'hello', 'thank you' and 'I'd like a coffee please'.