ຄຳອ່ວຍພອນປີໃຫມ່
kham ʼuāi phǭn pī mai
ຄຳອ່ວຍພອນປີໃຫມ່ (kham ʼuāi phǭn pī mai) is the Lao way to say Happy New Year. Wiktionary also lists ຄຳອ່ວຽພອນປີໃຫມ່ (kham ʼuāi phǭn pī mai).
Meaning: Happy New Year (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Lao | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| ຄຳອ່ວຍພອນປີໃຫມ່ | kham ʼuāi phǭn pī mai |
| ຄຳອ່ວຽພອນປີໃຫມ່ | kham ʼuāi phǭn pī mai |
In Lao, there is a distinction between naming the concept of a New Year blessing and the greeting itself. The phrase ຄຳອ່ວຍພອນປີໃຫມ່ refers to the 'New Year blessing' as a noun phrase. For a more direct equivalent to the English greeting 'Happy New Year', you may use ສຸກສັນປີໃໝ່.
How do you pronounce it?
kham ʼuāi phǭn pī mai
Did you know?
- During the Lao New Year, known as ບຸນປີໃໝ່ (Bun Pi Mai), people often greet each other by splashing water, a custom that makes 'Happy New Year' a very physical and wet celebration.
- Lao New Year celebrations often involve building sand stupas in temple courrains. This tradition is a way of symbolically replacing the sand that people carry away on their shoes throughout the year.
- While English speakers say 'Happy New Year' to anyone, in Lao traditions, the specific blessing you offer can change depending on whether you are speaking to a monk, an elder, or a peer.
Example sentences for Lao are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Two friends meet during the Lao New Year festival.
- Aສະບາຍດີ! ຂ້ອຍມີຄຳອ່ວຍພອນປີໃຫມ່ໃຫ້ເຈົ້າ.sabai dee! khoy mee kham ouay phone pi mai hai chao.Hello! I have a New Year greeting for you.
- Bຂອບໃຈຫຼາຍໆ, ເຈົ້າມີຫຍັງຈະບອກ?khop chai lai lai, chao mee nyang cha bok?Thank you very much, what do you want to say?
- Aຂໍໃຫ້ເຈົ້າມີຄວາມສຸກໃນປີໃຫມ່ນີ້.khor hai chao mee khuam suk nai pi mai nee.I wish you happiness in this new year.
- Bຂອບໃຈ, ຂໍໃຫ້ເຈົ້າມີຄວາມສຸກຄືກັນ.khop chai, khor hai chao mee khuam suk khu kan.Thank you, I wish you happiness as well.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “happy new year” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
