ພຸດໂທ
phut thō
In Lao, the phrase for 'bless you' is ພຸດໂທ (phut thō). Wiktionary also lists ທັມໂມ (tham mō) and ສົງໂຄ (song khō).
Meaning: said to somebody who has sneezed (intj)
Ways to say it
| Lao | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| ພຸດໂທ | phut thō |
| ທັມໂມ | tham mō |
| ສົງໂຄ | song khō |
This phrase is used as an interjection when someone has sneezed.
Which one should you use?
There are three different forms used to respond to a sneeze: ພຸດໂທ, ທັມໂມ and ສົງໂຄ.
How do you pronounce it?
phut thō
Did you know?
- While an English speaker says 'bless you' once, a Lao speaker might cycle through ພຸດໂທ, ທັມໂມ and ສົງໂຄ if a person sneezes several times in a row.
- Saying ພຸດໂທ is not just a polite social grace but a way to protect the person sneezing from negative spiritual influences.
- The phrases are derived from Pali, an ancient liturgical language, rather than everyday spoken Lao.
Example sentences for Lao are not verified yet.
Example conversation
A and B are sitting together in a living room.
- A*ຈາມ**achoo**Sneezes*
- Bພຸດໂທ!Phuttho!Bless you!
- Aຂອບໃຈເດີ້.khop chai doe.Thank you.
- Bບໍ່ເປັນຫຍັງ.bo pen yang.You're welcome.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bless you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
