Vocabulary for Sri Lanka | 50 Basic Sinhala Words and Phrases with English Meanings

Need useful words for everyday life in Sri Lanka? Begin with ආයුබෝවන් (āyubōvan) for a respectful greeting, ස්තුතියි (stutiyi) for thank you, සමාවෙන්න (samāvenna) for excuse me, කීයද? (kīyada?) for how much and වැසිකිළිය කොහෙද? (väsikiliya koheda?) for where is the toilet. These are useful beginnings for daily conversations.

This 50-word Sinhala phrasebook includes the original Sinhala script, an approximate reading aid, clear English meanings and situations for using each expression. It takes you from greetings to shopping, finding a bus, asking for clarification, recognising a sign and requesting help. A practical phrase is one you can use with another person, not just recite.

Quick summary: Sinhala and Tamil are both official languages of Sri Lanka, and English is the link language. Sinhala is widely spoken, but it is not everyone’s mother tongue. Learn āyubōvan, stutiyi, koheda? and samāvenna first; ask which language a person prefers; check important details in writing; and listen to native pronunciation rather than using the Latin letters as a perfect sound guide.

The first eight words and phrases to learn

ආයුබෝවන් — Hello / respectful greeting
සුබ උදෑසනක් — Good morning
සුබ සැන්දෑවක් — Good evening
ඔව් — Yes
නෑ — No
කරුණාකර — Please (formal)

Go straight to: 50 essential phrases · Conversation examples · Common mistakes · Practice plan · FAQs.

What readers should understand about Sinhala in Sri Lanka

Why this is Sinhala rather than ‘the Sri Lankan language’

Sri Lanka has two official languages, Sinhala and Tamil, with English designated as a link language in its constitutional language policy. Sinhala and Tamil use different scripts and have distinct histories. The greeting āyubōvan is Sinhala, while vanakkam is a Tamil greeting. Learning one should not lead you to assume it is the correct language for every person or place.

How the Sinhala writing system helps in real life

Sinhala script is an abugida: consonant signs and vowel marks combine to represent syllables. A short example is වතුර (water), which you can learn to recognise on a label or show on a phone. Latin approximations are often inconsistent; the same vowel can be written differently by different English-language guidebooks. Keep the original characters whenever possible.

Making a request without translating ‘please’ literally

The formal word කරුණාකර (karuṇākara) means please, but everyday requests can sound more natural as polite questions. Compare a direct ‘give me water’ with මට වතුර ටිකක් දෙන්න පුළුවන්ද?, roughly ‘Could you give me some water?’ The complete request does more social work than the isolated word please.

How to learn prices and directions together

A price question such as මේක කීයද? (How much is this?) may lead to an answer containing a number you have not yet learned. In that case, ask for the amount to be shown, not repeated more loudly. Directions such as වමට (to the left), දකුණට (to the right) and කෙළින්ම (straight ahead) become useful when matched with a map.

What to keep separate from a beginner phrasebook

A short phrase cannot certify a food as free from allergens, communicate a diagnosis or interpret legal conditions. For those issues, show the exact written detail and use a capable interpreter or relevant professional. A polite beginner can still communicate carefully by saying ‘I do not understand’ and requesting written confirmation.

50 useful Sinhala words and phrases with meanings

These fifty entries are arranged by the job they do rather than in alphabetical order. Start with greetings and ways to ask questions; use food and transport vocabulary when you need it. Romanised readings are approximate, and the original script is the more reliable way to show somebody the phrase.

Greetings and courteous replies — words 1–10

#	Original writing	Approximate reading	English meaning	Use it when
1	ආයුබෝවන්	āyubōvan	Hello / respectful greeting	Open an exchange
2	සුබ උදෑසනක්	suba udäsanak	Good morning	Morning greeting
3	සුබ සැන්දෑවක්	suba sändäwak	Good evening	Evening greeting
4	සුබ රාත්‍රියක්	suba rātriyak	Good night	Part for the night
5	කොහොමද?	kohomada?	How are you?	Ask about wellbeing
6	හොඳයි	hondai	Fine / good	Respond or approve
7	ස්තුතියි	stutiyi	Thank you	Express gratitude
8	බොහොම ස්තුතියි	bohoma stutiyi	Thank you very much	Offer stronger thanks
9	සමාවෙන්න	samāvenna	Excuse me / I’m sorry	Get attention or apologise
10	ගිහින් එන්නම්	gihin ennam	I’ll go and come back / bye	Take leave informally

The first ten expressions let you greet somebody and respond courteously. Practise them as a short exchange, not as unrelated dictionary entries.

Questions and conversation repair — words 11–20

#	Original writing	Approximate reading	English meaning	Use it when
11	ඔව්	ow	Yes	Confirm
12	නෑ	nä	No	Decline or negate
13	කරුණාකර	karuṇākara	Please (formal)	Make a formal request
14	මට තේරෙන්නෙ නෑ	mata tērenne nä	I don’t understand	Explain confusion
15	ඉංග්‍රීසි	ingrīsi	English language	Ask about a language
16	කොහෙද?	koheda?	Where?	Find a place
17	කීයද?	kīyada?	How much?	Ask a price or quantity
18	මොකක්ද?	mokakda?	What is it?	Ask for identity
19	මට උදව් කරන්න	mata udaw karanna	Help me	Ask for assistance
20	ටිකක්	tikak	A little / some	Modify a quantity

When you cannot understand a reply, asking for repetition or clarifying the exact detail is more useful than guessing.

Food, markets and prices — words 21–30

#	Original writing	Approximate reading	English meaning	Use it when
21	වතුර	vatura	Water	Ask for a drink
22	තේ	tē	Tea	Order tea
23	කෝපි	kōpi	Coffee	Order coffee
24	කිරි	kiri	Milk	Ask about milk
25	සීනි	sīni	Sugar	Read a drink choice
26	බත්	bat	Cooked rice / rice meal	Discuss food
27	මාළු	mālu	Fish	Read an ingredient
28	මස්	mas	Meat	Ask about a dish
29	එළවළු	eḷavaḷu	Vegetables	Discuss a food preference
30	කෑම	kǣma	Food / meal	Find something to eat

A food word becomes useful when you can point to an ingredient or order an item. Medical dietary needs require additional precise confirmation.

Bus, roads and directions — words 31–40

#	Original writing	Approximate reading	English meaning	Use it when
31	බස්	bas	Bus	Find local transport
32	දුම්රිය	dumriya	Train	Ask about rail travel
33	දුම්රිය ස්ථානය	dumriya sthānaya	Railway station	Find departures
34	පාර	pāra	Road / street	Read directions
35	වමට	vamata	To the left	Follow a direction
36	දකුණට	dakuṇata	To the right	Follow a direction
37	කෙළින්ම	keḷinma	Straight ahead	Follow a direction
38	ටිකට්	ṭikaṭ	Ticket	Ask about a fare
39	කොළඹ	koḷamba	Colombo	Recognise a destination
40	හන්දිය	handiya	Road junction	Identify a location

Learn to recognise signs in writing, then check a map or current service information before you act on directions.

Daily needs, signs and services — words 41–50

#	Original writing	Approximate reading	English meaning	Use it when
41	වැසිකිළිය	väsikiliya	Toilet / restroom	Find facilities
42	රෝහල	rōhala	Hospital	Find medical care
43	ඔසුසල	osusala	Pharmacy / medicine outlet	Locate medication
44	පොලීසිය	polīsiya	Police	Find official assistance
45	මුදල්	mudal	Money / funds	Discuss a payment
46	රුපියල්	rupiyal	Rupees	Understand a price
47	අද	ada	Today	Discuss time
48	හෙට	heta	Tomorrow	Discuss plans
49	විවෘත	vivr̥ta	Open	Read opening information
50	වසා ඇත	vasā äta	Closed	Read a notice

Keep these terms available on your phone or in a written note. They are particularly useful when your pronunciation is still developing.

Real conversations you can practise and adapt

A useful exchange has an opening, a task, a response and a courteous ending. Use each scene twice: first while reading, then without looking. Change the item, person or place to test whether you can reuse the language rather than memorise only a script.

At a tea stall

You: ආයුබෝවන්. (Āyubōvan.) — Hello.
You: මට තේ එකක් දෙන්න පුළුවන්ද? (Mata tē ekak denna puluvanda?) — Could you give me a tea?
You: මේක කීයද? (Mēka kīyada?) — How much is this?
You: ස්තුතියි. (Stutiyi.) — Thank you.

Notice how the polite request is a question. Learning one dependable pattern allows you to ask for tea, water or another item without needing a different script for every drink. If you do not understand the price, request that it be shown or written.

Looking for a station

You: සමාවෙන්න. දුම්රිය ස්ථානය කොහෙද? — Excuse me. Where is the railway station?
Helper: කෙළින්ම, පස්සේ වමට. — Straight ahead, then left.
You: බොහොම ස්තුතියි. — Thank you very much.

The words koheda?, vamata and keḷinma form a small direction kit. Check the route against visible signs and the actual destination rather than assuming that a remembered description is current.

When a reply is too fast

You: මට තේරෙන්නෙ නෑ. — I don’t understand.
You: ටිකක් හෙමින් කියන්න. — Please say it a little slowly.
You: ආයෙත් කියන්න. — Please say it again.

The purpose of the exchange is to repair understanding. A polite request to slow down is better than pretending to understand, particularly when a booking, price or medical issue matters.

Asking for a restroom

You: වැසිකිළිය කොහෙද? — Where is the toilet?
Helper: දකුණට. — To the right.
You: ස්තුතියි. — Thank you.

Recognising the written word can be valuable even when pronunciation is difficult. In informal conversation, borrowed forms such as ‘toilet’ can also be heard.

Asking about an ingredient

You: මේ කෑමේ මාළු තියෙනවද? — Does this food contain fish?
You: Show the exact ingredient and confirm how it is prepared.

An ingredient question can help start the conversation, but a real food allergy requires detailed confirmation including sauces and cross-contact. Avoid using a beginner phrase as proof of safety.

Common Sinhala vocabulary mistakes

Treating Sinhala as Sri Lanka’s only official language. Tamil is also official, and English is the link language; different communities have different preferences.
Assuming romanisation captures every Sinhala vowel and consonant. It is only an approximate reading aid.
Using the formal word karuṇākara as a mechanical replacement for every English ‘please’. Polite questions often work better in conversation.
Confusing the word for ‘right’ in a direction with other context-dependent meanings of the underlying term.
Relying on a price heard once without confirming the number. Ask for the amount in writing when necessary.
Treating vegetarian or mild food as automatically safe for someone with a serious allergy.
Trying to memorise every word at once rather than practising short, reusable situations.

How to learn the 50 words in four weeks

The aim is to remember the original word, connect its sound to its meaning and retrieve it when a real situation calls for it. Four shorter weeks of deliberate practice usually serve beginners better than one long evening of highlighting unfamiliar words.

Week 1 — essentials: Rehearse the first ten words with authentic native audio. Greet someone and finish the exchange politely. Copy the original writing for the signs you are most likely to see. Five to fifteen minutes a day is a sustainable starting point.
Week 2 — repair: Study the ten question and understanding words. Ask where something is, how much it costs and what an unfamiliar word means. Practise explaining that you do not understand rather than pretending to follow.
Week 3 — real needs: Learn the food, transport and directions vocabulary. Use pictures, menus and maps to turn words into small decisions. When a price or route matters, ask for it to be written instead of accepting a guess.
Week 4 — recall and mastery: Learn the last group and create ten original mini-dialogues. Test all fifty without the English column, then review missed items after one day, three days and a week.

A working memory test instead of a vocabulary recitation

Imagine an everyday conversation in Sri Lanka. You must greet a person, ask about an item, explain you did not understand the reply, locate a restroom and thank the person who helped. Can you complete these five actions without reading the table? That is a better test of communication than repeating fifty translations in numerical order.

Once you can do this, switch the scene. Replace a café with a shop, or a station with a public building. If a sentence still works after you change the place or object, you have begun to understand a pattern rather than simply memorise a single performance.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say hello in Sinhala?

ආයුබෝවන් (āyubōvan) is a respectful greeting often translated as hello.

How do you say thank you in Sri Lanka?

In Sinhala, say ස්තුතියි (stutiyi); බොහොම ස්තුතියි expresses stronger thanks. In Tamil, nandri means thank you.

How do you ask the price in Sinhala?

මේක කීයද? (mēka kīyada?) means ‘How much is this?’

How do you ask where the toilet is?

Say වැසිකිළිය කොහෙද? (väsikiliya koheda?).

Is Sinhala the same as Tamil?

No. They are different languages with different writing systems, although both are official languages of Sri Lanka.

What does kohomada mean?

කොහොමද? (kohomada?) means ‘How?’ and is often used in the greeting ‘How are you?’

Can I use Sinhala in northern and eastern Sri Lanka?

Many people in those regions use Tamil. Ask which language a person prefers instead of assuming.

Is English an official language of Sri Lanka?

English is the constitutional link language; Sinhala and Tamil are the official languages.

What should I learn after these 50 words?

Learn Sinhala script, numbers, common requests and daily listening. For Sri Lanka-wide communication, learning useful Tamil expressions may also help.

Editorial sources and safety notes

The sources below support the linguistic context, core expressions and practical cautions. The list is an original teaching selection, not certified interpretation. Pronunciation, formal register and regional variation require listening and context. For legal, medical, safety-critical or serious allergy information, use dependable written translation and appropriate professional assistance.

Reviewed: 6 November 2026.