Lonely Planet Sinhala Phrasebook [Paperback]

Swarna Pragnaratne (Author)

Book Description

Series: Phrasebook | Publication Date: January 1, 2002

Make the most of your travels in Sri Lanka: speak Sinhala! If you're after a ticket for the cricket, the best way to the beach or a taste of Ayurveda treatment, this is the book for you. Seek out the striking Sigiriya frescoes or kick on with the kolam dancers at Ambalangoda. Barter for your batiks or talk tea at the plantation - whatever you choose, add sparkle to your speech on the Isle of Gems.

In This Guide:

Get the lowdown on full moon days and festivals.
Don't be thrown by signs in script.
Curry favor with your waiter - order in Sinhala.
Use the comprehensive dictionary to find words fast.
Know the right vocab for monk communication.
Wise up on Sinhalese pronunciation and grammar.

Editorial Reviews

Review

National Geographic Traveler, September 2006
'Lonely Planet Phrasebooks. Portable, pocket-size, cheap, and available for almost any country you might want to visit...'

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet; 2 edition (January 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 086442597X
• ISBN-13: 978-0864425973
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 3.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,981,140 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #48 in Books > Travel > Asia > Sri Lanka

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars just a phrase book, May 24, 2010

By 

H. Abadzi "habadzi" (Alexandria, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lonely Planet Sinhala Phrasebook (Paperback)

Phrase books exist in many languages. For those who don't know the grammar, they are not useful. I bought this one for a friend who asked for it, and it's just like others. It's more usable by those who already can handle the grammar.

Sinhala is eminently learnable, particularly by those who know other north Indian languages. There is an older Foreign Service Institute method, now free and availalble for download (no audio). The best known one remains the Fairbanks, Gair, and Karunatilake book and tapes, still available from Cornell University. The tapes have apparently not been digitized yet and cost around $150. But for the serious learner the expense is worth it That method starts using the script after lesson 24, and thus becomes harder to read quickly.

Incidentally, the link next to the review is a fake. The website does not include Sinhalese. One computer dictionary that can be bought is Madura, and it requires knowledge of the script.
Free sinhalese dictionary opens new browser window
[...] - Download Free sinhalese dictionary White smoke - accurate and easy!

0 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lonely Planet Sinhala Phrasebook, May 12, 2007

By 

T. L. Hendricks "Kolohe" (Maui) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lonely Planet Sinhala Phrasebook (Paperback)

Nice little book even though the language is crazy to try to learn.