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 Phrases for greetings
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.
Essential Tibetan Words for Questions.
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།
Basic Tibetan phrases for addressing people
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)
Basic Tibetan phrases for directions (taxis, buses, airport, etc.)
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
Basic Tibetan phrases for shopping
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
Basic Tibetan numbers
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
Basic Tibetan phrases for restaurants or cafes
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
Basic Tibetan phrases for an emergency
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
Tibetan phrases for a night out
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
Conclusion of Basic Tibetan Phrases
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.
We are I Tibet travel and tours in Lhasa. We are a 100% Tibetan owned Local Travel agency providing authentic Tibet experiences for international visitors.
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