Top 100 Basic Tibetan Phrases to know in Tibet

Here are Top 100 basic Tibetan Phrases to know while in Tibet. With the help of some basic Tibetan, Phrases can light up your vacation in Tibet. We understand Learning a new language isn’t an easy task. However, when this new language in Tibet, the difficulty of the task would transform into impossible. Therefore, however hard it might be, it would be nice for every traveller to memorize a handful of Tibetan words before venturing to Tibet.

For you, we gathered 100 of the most basic Tibetan phrases that are sure to make your life easier while travelling to Tibet.

Basic Tibetan greetings are the essential phrases visitors will want to learn before journeying to the Land of Spirituality. Speaking of Spirituality, most Tibetan phrases directly connect to Tibetan Buddhism, which is a core to Tibetan culture and tradition. Those who can say these words are almost guaranteed to receive blessing, smile in return and some a warm welcome to their homes for a tea. The small effort it takes from visitors to learn basic greetings will profoundly impact the locals Tibetan. Here are some of the most basic phrases worth remembering.

Hello = Tashi Delek (བཀྲ་ཤིས་བདེ་ལགས།།) Or Kham-Sang (ཁམས་བཟང།།)

How are you? =kayrang kusu debo-yimbay? (ཁྱེད་རང་སྐུ་གཇུགས་བདེ་པོ་ཡིན་པས།)

I’m fine = Nga debo yin (ང་བདེ་པོ་ཡིན)

I’m not well = Nga debo Min dung? (ང་བདེ་པོ་མིན་འདུག།།)

I come from (America) =Nga Ari nay yin(ང་ཨ་རེ་ནས་ཡིན།)

What country are you from? = kayrang kanay yin nam?་(ཁྱེད་རང་ག་ནས་ཡིམ།)

Thank you =thuk-je-che་(ཐུགས་རྗེ་ཆེ་།)་

Sorry = gong-da (དགོང་དག་།)

No problem = Gye nang-Kyi Mare (གལ་གནང་གི་མ་རེད་)

Goodbye = Shug Dan ja (when another person is staying), kha-lay-pheb-A (when another person is going

Can you speak English? = khye-rang yin-ji-kay gyab thub gi yo pe?

What is your name? =Khedrand ming Gangyin?

My name is __ = Ngai ming ___ yin.

Talking to a Local Tibetan could be confusing. Especially talking to waiters and the shop owners. Yet, there is an increasing number of locals learning English as a third language. Regardless of the nature of the conversation, it would be nice to know a few questions words to clarify everything.

If you put a (pe) after the sentence, it would become the question. So here. are a few questions we think would be helpful for you.

Where? = Ga-Pa (ག་པར་)

What? = Ga-rey (ག་རེ་)

When? = Ga-Due (ག་དུས་)

How? = Gang-Day (གང་འདྲ་)

Why? = Ga-rey Jey-ney (ག་རེ་བྱས་ནས།

The way of addressing People in Tibet is very important. People are addressed in Tibet based on ages, social rank, and the Social institution they belong to. Address someone using inappropriate terms could be considered disrespectful. For instance, Addressing someone in the religious community with the title used to address some casually can be regarded as offensive. Here are some essential titles worth remembering.

Word La (ལགས་)་ has to be generally put after the title and names to show respect.

Monk : Kushow la

Nun: Ani-La

I = Nga

You = Kye-rang ( unrespectful), Kye-nang (respectful)

He/She = Kong ( respectful)

They = Kong Tso ( respectful)

Female (junior) = Bhomo La (meaning girl)

Female (senior) = Acha La ( meaning sister)

Male (junior)= Bhu-la ( meaning Boy)

Male (senior)= Jolak (meaning brother)

Somebody in Authority = Genla (Meaning Honorable person)

From the bustling ancient street of Barkhor to the wilderness of Mount Everest base camp, visitors are going to handful of words to asking for direction. Here, some helpful phrases to get you from point A to B.

Nearby = Dram-La or

Speak slowly = Key-Cha Gale Shoe

Go straight = Kar thu Phep

Go left = Yea la Phep

Go right = Yon la Phep

Stop = Ka kak

Go to the airport = Nam-Thang la Phep

Station = Bab-suk

Bus stop = Che-choe Lang-khor Bab-Suk

Bus = Che-choe Lang-khor

Aeroplane = Nam-Dru

Minibus = Lang-khor Chung wa

Car = Mota

Bicycle = Kang-Khor

Motorcycle = Bak bak

Tricycle= Khor-Sum

Boat = Dru

Your vacation in Tibet would be incomplete without repurchasing souvenirs home. Tibet is home to an abundance of souvenirs worth stowing away in your luggage for a long flight back home. From the traditional stalls of the Bakhor Supermall to handicraft galleries. Knowing a few words related to shopping will prove to be more than a little helpful. Bartering is a must at stalls and vendors. SOmw Tibetan word will a visitor to get a better price. Here are some of the most useful words to keep in your back pocket until arriving the roof of the World.

How much? = Ga-Tsoe Re

Very expensive = Gong Chen-Po

Can you reduce the price? = Gong Chak dang

I want this one = Nga-la Di-Go

Here is a handful of numbers for you to learn. Knowing some numbers will give a chance in getting a price on things. Also able to speak to the merchant in foreign-sounding Tibetan will not only help you in getting the desired price, also you will be able to make some joy in shopping.

1 = Cheek

2 = Nyee

3 = Soom

4 = Zhee

5 = Nga

6 = Drook

7 = Dün

8 = Gyay

9 = G00

10 =Choo

11= Choo Cheek

12= Choo Nyee

20 = Nyee-Choo

21 = Nyee-Choo Tsa Chik

22 =Nyee-Choo Tsa Nye

30 = Soom Choo

40 = Shi Choo

50 = Nga Choo

60 = Drook Choo

70 =Dün Choo

80 = Gyay Choo sip

90 = Goo Choo

100 = Gya

500 = Nga Gya rooi

1,000 = Chik Thong

2,000 = Nyee thong

The restaurant and Cafes are other places every traveller would want to go by their own self without the tour Guide. Whether you trying a butterlicious Tibetan Yak Butter Tea or Yak Steak. Knowing some word in for while dining is a must. From tent Hostel at the Mount Everest base camp to the eateries at the foot of Mount Kailash, Check out the most helpful phrases to utilize while eating in Tibet.

Restaurant = Sa-Kang

Café = Ja-Kang

Excuse me = Gong-pa Ma-sum

Bathroom = Sang Choe

What is this? = De Garey Rye

Hungry = Tok

May I have the menu = Tsel-Dep Nang Rok Nang

Vegetarian = Sha Mye

Water = Cu

Beer = Bi-Cu

Chicken = Ja Sha

Rice = Drey

Cold = Drang-mo

Hot = Tsa-po

No ice = Chakpa Ma-look

No sugar = Cheeni Ma-Look

1 more please = Yang Kyar Chik

I like spicy = Nga Mena la Ga

Not spicy = Mena Myen

Tibet is a relatively very safe place to travel to. If you are travel outside Lhasa city you will have a guide and driver with you all the time. Yet, we never know when will the emergency situation arise. In case if one does, here are some Tibetan Phrases that will help you in an emergency.

• Hurts = Na-Kyi
• Where is the police station? = Che-dey chu Garpa yo rephe
• Where is the hospital? = Nem-Khang Garpa yo rephe
• Call an ambulance = Cheek- Nyee-Lekor La Kapar tang.
• I’m lost = Nga lak Sung
• Can you help = Chak Rok Nang Dang

Tibet is home to some pretty epic nightlife. From Traditional Nangma to Modern KTV, you are going to want to enjoy a drink (or two) and experience all the region has to offer after the sun goes down. Here are some fun phrases that will come in handy on a night out.

Single = Cheek po

Would you like a drink = Nga Thung Kyi Yin

I’m drunk = Nga Zee Duk

Cheers = Shaptak

Once in Tibet though you will have a tour guide with you all the time to assist you to translate. Locals very much appreciate it if foreign travellers speak a word or two in the Tibetan Language. With it, you might get invited into their home for a cup of Tibetan yak butter tea.

We really hope these Basic Tibetan Phrases would be of Great help and Let us know if you would like us to add any additional phrases.

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