Laos
/la.ɔs/masculine
Laos is the French name for the country in Southeast Asia.
The term refers to the country located in Southeast Asia.
Meaning: country in Southeast Asia (name)
Which one should you use?
The most common and formal way to refer to Laos in French is Le Laos. The full name of the country in French is La République démocratique populaire du Laos.
How does it change in a sentence?
Laos is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /la.ɔs/ across two syllables.
Did you know?
- The name Laos is technically a plural form of the word 'Lao', which refers to the ethnic group. This means the name of the country can be understood as 'the Lao people'.
- In French, even though the word ends in 's', the final syllable is clearly pronounced /ɔs/. Unlike many French words ending in 's' which are silent, the 's' in Laos is mandatory for the correct sound.
- If you were to use the name as an adjective in French, such as to describe a type of food, you would use 'laotien' rather than the word 'laos'.
Examples in context
- La Chine a des frontières avec le Pakistan, l'Inde, l'Afghanistan, le Tadjikistan, le Kirghizistan, le Kazakhstan, la Corée du Nord, le Laos, le Viêt-Nam, le Népal, le Bhoutan, la Birmanie, la Mongolie et la Russie.China shares borders with Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Laos, Vietnam, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Mongolia and Russia.This sentence is useful for seeing Laos used in a list of countries that border China.Tatoeba #522444 by Micsmithel, translation #522439 by shekitten
- J'ai visité le Laos l'année dernière.I visited Laos last year.
- Le Laos est réputé pour sa beauté naturelle.Laos is famous for its natural beauty.
- Nous avons apprécié nos vacances au Laos.We enjoyed our vacation in Laos.
- Je voudrais visiter le Laos un jour.I would like to visit Laos one day.
- Le Laos est un pays magnifique.Laos is a magnificent country.
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are talking about their travel plans.
- LucasEmma, est-ce que tu connais le Laos ?Emma, do you know Laos?
- EmmaNon, je n'y suis jamais allée.No, I have never been there.
- LucasJe pense aller au Laos cet été.I'm thinking of going to Laos this summer.
- EmmaC'est une excellente idée, Lucas !That's an excellent idea, Lucas!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “laos” translations and entries Laos, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Laos, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
