If you’re planning a trip to Luang Prabang or just curious about this landlocked corner of Southeast Asia, you’ve probably asked: what language laos speak? It sounds like a straightforward question. You might expect a one-word answer. But honestly, the linguistic reality on the ground is way more chaotic and fascinating than a textbook would lead you to believe.
Laos is a "linguistic patchwork." That’s the best way to describe it. While Lao is the official language, it is only the tip of the iceberg. Imagine a country roughly the size of Great Britain but home to over 80 different languages.
The Lowdown on Lao (The Official Tongue)
Lao is the heavy hitter. It’s the language of government, the one you’ll hear on the news in Vientiane, and what kids learn in school. It belongs to the Kra-Dai language family. If that sounds like gibberish, just think of it as a sibling to Thai.
Lao is a tonal language. This is where most English speakers start sweating. In the Vientiane dialect, there are six different tones.
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- Low
- Mid
- High
- Rising
- High falling
- Low falling
Basically, you can say the same syllable—like "mai"—and depending on whether your voice goes up, stays flat, or drops, you could be saying "wood," "new," "not," or "silk." It's a bit of a minefield. If you accidentally use the wrong tone, people will usually be kind enough to guess what you mean from the context, but it can lead to some pretty funny misunderstandings.
Why Lao and Thai are Kinda the Same (But Not)
Here is a secret: if you speak Thai, you basically speak Lao. Well, sort of. The two are mutually intelligible. This means a person from Vientiane can chat with someone from Bangkok and they’ll understand about 70% to 80% of what the other is saying.
It’s like the relationship between Spanish and Portuguese.
Actually, the connection is even deeper. Most people in Laos watch Thai television. Because of this, Laotians are often better at understanding Thai than the other way around. However, don't tell a Lao person their language is "just a dialect of Thai." That’s a quick way to kill the vibe. Lao has its own distinct script—a beautiful, curvy alphabet derived from Brahmi—and its own unique history that dates back centuries.
The Minority Languages You’ve Never Heard Of
This is where the "what language laos speak" question gets really interesting. Only about half the population speaks Lao as their first language. The rest of the country is a mix of ethnic groups who have their own "mother tongues."
Khmu is the big one. There are over 600,000 Khmu speakers, mostly in the northern mountains. Their language sounds completely different from Lao because it belongs to the Austroasiatic family—the same family as Khmer (Cambodian) and Vietnamese. Unlike Lao, Khmu traditionally isn't a tonal language, though some dialects are starting to pick up tones because of the influence of the surrounding Lao speakers.
Then you have the Hmong. If you’ve spent any time in the US, particularly in Minnesota or California, you might already be familiar with Hmong culture. In Laos, Hmong-Mien speakers live in the high-altitude regions. Their language is famous for having an incredible number of tones—sometimes up to eight or twelve depending on the specific dialect.
Does Anyone Still Speak French?
You might see "Rue" on street signs or see "Boulangerie" written on a cafe. This is a leftover from the French colonial era. While French used to be the language of the elite and diplomacy, it’s definitely on the decline.
Today, only about 3% of the population is truly fluent in French.
However, Laos remains a member of La Francophonie. You'll still find elderly people in the cities who speak it beautifully, and it’s still used in some legal and medical circles. But if you’re under 30 in Laos, you’re much more likely to be studying English.
English is Taking Over (Slowly)
In the tourist hubs like Vientiane, Vang Vieng, and Luang Prabang, English is the new lingua franca. Since Laos joined ASEAN, the government has been pushing English hard because it’s the official working language of the organization.
If you’re a traveler, you’ll get by just fine with English in the main cities. But the moment you step off the beaten path into a rural village? English is gone. You’re back to using hand gestures, smiles, and hopefully a few words of Lao you’ve picked up.
Helpful Phrases to Get You Started
If you want to show some respect and win over the locals, ditch the English for a second. Even a terrible attempt at Lao is usually met with a massive grin.
- Sabaidee (Sah-bye-dee): Hello. This is your bread and butter. Use it for everyone.
- Khob Chai (Kob-chai): Thank you.
- Khob Chai Lai Lai: Thank you very much.
- Baw Pen Nyang (Bor-pen-nyang): No problem / It’s okay. This is basically the national motto of Laos. It reflects the laid-back, "don't worry about it" attitude of the culture.
- Tao Dai? (Tao-die): How much? (Essential for the night markets).
The Script: A Visual Masterpiece
The Lao script is called Akson Lao. It’s gorgeous. It’s an abugida, which is a fancy linguistic term meaning that each character represents a consonant, and vowels are added as little marks above, below, or to the side.
One thing that trips up westerners? There are no spaces between words.
Sentences are written as one long string. Spaces are only used to show the end of a sentence or a clause. It looks like a wall of beautiful loops and swirls to the untrained eye, but it’s actually quite logical once you learn the phonetic building blocks.
Actionable Tips for Navigating the Language Gap
If you are heading to Laos, don't just rely on Google Translate. The app struggles with the nuances of Lao tones and often gives translations that are technically correct but socially weird.
Download an offline dictionary. Data can be spotty in the mountains. Having a dedicated Lao dictionary app can save your life when you're trying to find a pharmacy or a bus station.
Watch your body language. In Laos, how you say something is almost as important as the words. Keeping a low voice and a "cool heart" (chai yen) is key. If you get loud or angry, people will often just stop talking to you. It’s a "loss of face" thing.
Use "Baw" for questions. In English, we raise our voice at the end of a sentence to ask a question. In Lao, if you do that, you've just changed the tone of the last word and probably said something nonsensical. To ask a question, keep your voice flat and just add the word "Baw" at the end.
Learn the numbers. While many vendors know English numbers, knowing the Lao versions (nueng, song, saam...) will often get you a "local price" instead of the "tourist price." It shows you aren't just a passerby; you've put in the effort.
Laos is a place where language is a bridge to one of the most welcoming cultures on earth. Whether you’re navigating the complex tones of the official language or listening to the ancient sounds of Khmu in a mountain village, the linguistic diversity is what makes the country feel so alive. Just remember to keep it "Baw Pen Nyang" and you'll do just fine.
To get the most out of your trip, try to learn the Lao script for common food items. Being able to recognize the characters for "Khao Piak Sen" (noodle soup) or "Beerlao" on a menu will make your rural explorations significantly more successful. Focus on the "Vientiane" dialect as it is the most widely understood across all provinces.