Customer Reviews

Lao-English English-Lao Dictionary

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As a Thai of Laotian and Cambodian ancestry, I bought this dictionary to improve my Lao language and learn Lao script. I was born in Udonthani, a province in Northeastern Thailand. People there speak Lao language (in Thailand it is called Isan language but written in Thai script). Thai and Lao are very close language but it is not exactly similar especially pronunciation and spelling. I found this dictionary is very handy. It can help me to read Lao script and check spelling. For non- native speakers, it will help you learn new words and read Lao newspaper. It is a very good dictionary on Lao but I feel like something is missing. It does not contain words about local food, fruits and animals in English-Lao section. There are some but not a lot. For example, you are a tourist in Laos. One day you go to a local market and find papaya (Ma-la-kor in Thai), fermented fish (Pla-ra in Thai) and buffalo meat. If you try to find these words in English-Lao section, you cannot find them. You will find them in phonetic Lao-English section but how you know to pronounce when you've never heard before. You need to ask a local to tell you what they are called in Lao. They are called Maak-hung (papaya), Pa-daek (fermented fish). You will find them in phonetic Lao-English section with Lao script. Unfortunately I cannot find word "buffalo" in this dictionary. It is a common animal in Laos. It is called Kuay (Kwai in Thai). Laotians eat buffalo meat too. If you are learning Thai and Lao in the same time, watch out for this word. In central part of Thailand including Bangkok, the word "Kuay" is a slang word for penis. Do not get confused. There is a joke about confusion between Thai and Lao language. A Thai man gets angry with his Laotian wife and tries to hit her. She says " Do not hit me" but he hits her very hard. The word "I, me" in Lao is pronounced as " Khoi" but in Thai language the word "Khoi" means " softly". He thinks his wife says " Do not hit softly". That's why he hits her very hard.

Anyway, this dictionary is useful to learn Lao language. So buy it.

For what is out there, I find this *the best* Lao - English dictionary. The most complete, the easiest to use. Not to mention, the publishers are great! I bought a copy in Thailand, it had missing pages and upon my return to the US, they replaced it @ no charge! Aside from great publishers, I have found it to be the most complete. I only wish it was a little bigger so it wasn't so hard to read the Lao script.

(Maybe a large print version could be in the works??)

Easy to find the words and very clear, with the chief meanings.

Being in Isaan territory, I haven't had a chance to check the Lao written form yet, but the English to Lao, and Transliterations to Lao are quite helpful out here. The three sections are nice, though once the basic phonetics are mastered, the transliteration section will be virtually useless I assume. For a reference (especially for starters), it's a great buy, and worth having if you will be travelling to Northeast Thailand (Isaan area)or Laos.

It is OK. Not what my mother was really looking for. Had good definitions, but she was trying to buy her something that also had a phenetic "laotion" pronunciation also (not just english phenetic) But good to have!