ງາມ
ngām[ŋaːm˧˥]
The Lao word for handsome is ງາມ (ngām).
The word ງາມ is used to describe something or someone as attractive.
Meaning: of man: attractive (adj)
Which one should you use?
The word ງາມ is used for both 'handsome' (men) and 'beautiful' (women/objects).
How do you pronounce it?
ngām
Did you know?
- The word ງາມ is a cognate with the Ahom language of India and the Shan language of Myanmar, showing how the root for 'beautiful' spread across Southeast Asia.
- Lao speakers may use ງາມ to describe a well-organized garden or a tidy room, moving the meaning from physical looks to general aesthetic order.
- While ງາມ means 'beautiful' or 'handsome', it is also used to describe a 'good' or 'proper' way of performing a traditional dance or ritual.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a new colleague.
- Aເຈົ້າເຫັນເພື່ອນຮ່ວມງານໃໝ່ບໍ່?chao hen pheuan ruam ngan mai bo?Did you see the new colleague?
- Bເຫັນແລ້ວ, ລາວງາມຫຼາຍ.hen laew, lao ngam lai.Yes, he is very handsome.
- Aຂ້ອຍກໍຄິດແບບນັ້ນ.khoy ko khit baeb nan.I think so too.
- Bລາວທັງງາມແລະໃຈດີ.lao thang ngam lae chai di.He is both handsome and kind.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ງາມ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ງາມ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
