ງາມ
ngām[ŋaːm˧˥]
The English word 'beautiful' can be translated into Lao using several forms, most commonly ງາມ (ngām). Wiktionary also lists ງ້ອມ (ngǭm) and ຈຸບຸ (chu bu).
Meaning: attractive (adj)
Ways to say it
| Lao | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ງາມ | ngām | [ŋaːm˧˥] (narrow) [ŋaːm˩˨] (narrow) |
| ງ້ອມ | ngǭm | |
| ຈຸບຸ | chu bu | |
| ຊະແລບ | sa lǣp | |
| ທີ່ສວຍງາມ | thīus nya ngām | |
| ກັນລະຍາ | kan la nyā | |
| ກັນລະຍານ | kan la nyān | |
| ຄ່ອງ | khǭng |
The word ງາມ is the most common and versatile way to express that something or someone is beautiful or pretty.
Which one should you use?
While ງາມ is the standard term used in most situations, ທີ່ສວຍງາມ serves as a more formal and literary way to express 'beautiful' or 'lovely'.
How do you pronounce it?
ngām
Did you know?
- The term ກັນລະຍາ is a poetic way to refer to a beautiful woman and is derived from Pali and Sanskrit roots.
- In Lao, when describing a person's character as beautiful, one might use words related to 'virtue' rather than the visual descriptors used for landscapes.
- The word ງາມ is part of the broader Tai language family, making it a distant cousin to many words in languages spoken in Myanmar and Southern China.
Examples in context
- ລາວງາມຫຼາຍ.lao ngam lai.She is very beautiful.
- ດອກໄມ້ນີ້ງາມຫຼາຍ.dok mai nee ngam lai.This flower is very beautiful.
- ວິວຢູ່ພູເຂົານັ້ນງາມ.viw yu phu khao nan ngam.The view on that mountain is beautiful.
Example conversation
Two friends are admiring a dress at a shop.
- Aເບິ່ງຊຸດນີ້ດູ, ງາມບໍ່?beung xut ni du, ngam bor?Look at this dress, is it beautiful?
- Bອືມ, ມັນງາມຫຼາຍ.eum, man ngam laiYes, it is very beautiful.
- Aເຈົ້າຄິດວ່າຂ້ອຍໃສ່ແລ້ວຈະງາມບໍ່?chao khit va khoy sai laew cha ngam bor?Do you think I will look beautiful in it?
- Bເຈົ້າໃສ່ແລ້ວຕ້ອງງາມແນ່ນອນ.chao sai laew tong ngam nae nonYou will definitely look beautiful in it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “beautiful” translations and entries ງາມ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ງາມ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
