To say ‘thank you’ in Burmese less formally, you can use one of the following: If you know the name of the person, you simply add it on to the end of the phrase! It’s pronounced as ‘kyay zuu tin bar tal’. ‘Cè-zù tin-ba-deh’ is the written form of ‘thank you’ in the Myanmar language. As in most Asian nations, respect is always shown to your elders, both in gestures and speech. Both sayings mean ‘hello’, but with a little more reverence.
‘Mingalaba’ is considered the most formal term, but many locals do not use it, and tend to say ‘neh kaun la’. ‘Hello’ should be one of the first words you learn! But which words you use depend a little on who you are saying ‘hello’ to. There are also many online videos to learn available, for example on YouTube. Walking, running, on a train or in the car, give you plenty of opportunities to pick up a variety of words. Audio courses for learning Burmese can be enjoyed at any time, anywhere, whether by compact disc or an app download. Picking up some survival terms will give you more confidence and make the trip more enjoyable. A combination of hearing phonetic pronunciation ‘by ear’ and seeing the written alphabet in words and phrases will be valuable to you. Learning at least basic Burmese or Myanmar terms before you travel will be a wonderful introduction to the country.
#Myanmar language alphabet plus
These will include greetings, simple questions, plus useful vocabulary for essential services such as police, doctors, hospitals etc.Ī fun way to learn relatively quickly is to use the Google Translate app, an interactive tool that you can download onto your smartphone – and it’s free! Where to Learn Burmese/Myanmar Language You could go for the option of learning directly from a Myanmar national if you can find one, or use an online course.Īlternatively, you could purchase a guidebook which has the commonly used words and phrases. There are plenty of options available to learn the basics of the Myanmar language. This will help you to ask important questions and, of course, to politely communicate with your hosts. Whilst some of the local population speak English, it is obviously wise when visiting this country to learn enough basic Myanmar words to be able to get around. However, like any other language, it does have its quirks.
#Myanmar language alphabet how to
How to Learn Basic Myanmar LanguageĪccording to teachers, basic Myanmar language is pretty straightforward to learn and, in general, pronunciation will follow the spelling of the word. It has not, however, affected the written word, which differs significantly from colloquial spoken language. Obviously, it is widely spoken within the country itself, although it’s also spoken in other parts of the world such as Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia and even the USA.Ĭontact with other nations between the 16th and 19th centuries (such as Portugal, Holland, France and England) has influenced the speaking of Burmese. In the main cities and towns in Burma, the population will speak the Myanmar tongue, whereas those living in the hills will use this as their second language. The Myanmar language, or Burmese, is a ‘Sino-Tibetan’ tongue, spoken by 32 million of the world’s inhabitants as a first language, and by a further 10 million as their second language.