The official language of Laos is Lao, as spoken and written in
Vientiane. Although many of the ethnic groups in Laos have their own language, usually they can speak Lao as well. It is very similar to Thai, which is easily understood in Laos. English and French are understood only in tourist areas. In general it is the older generation speaking French, with English becoming more and more popular among young people.
Laotian sign
Photo: Beccabrian A Lao dictionary or phrase book would be very useful. The Lao people will very much appreciate your efforts to address them in Lao language. The Lao language is written in a Thai-Khmer script. It is a tonal language, which means that words have a different meaning depending on the tone. This makes the language quite difficult to learn for westerners.
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