ຈ້າ
chā
The Lao word for stupid is ຈ້າ (chā). Wiktionary also lists ຕຶບ (tưp) and ປຶ (pư).
Meaning: lacking in intelligence (adj)
Ways to say it
| Lao | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| ຈ້າ | chā |
| ຕຶບ | tưp |
| ປຶ | pư |
Which one should you use?
The form ຕຶບ is a more blunt and derogatory way to call someone stupid or dense.
How do you pronounce it?
chā
Did you know?
- While ຈ້າ is often translated as 'stupid' in certain contexts, it is more commonly used as a polite particle at the end of a sentence, similar to 'yes' or 'sir' in English. Using it to call someone 'stupid' would likely result in a massive misunderstanding.
- The word ປຶ can be used to describe both a slow-witted person and a knife that is not sharp.
- In many Lao social settings, expressing that someone is 'stupid' directly is considered much more aggressive than in English, as it directly attacks the person's face or social standing.
Example sentences for Lao are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a bad decision.
- Aເຈົ້າເຮັດແບບນັ້ນໄດ້ແນວໃດ?chao het baeb nan dai naew dai?How could you do that?
- Bຂ້ອຍຮູ້ສຶກວ່າຂ້ອຍຈ້າແທ້ໆ.khoy hoo sueuk wa khoy cha thae thae.I feel like I'm really stupid.
- Aມັນບໍ່ແມ່ນເລື່ອງໃຫຍ່ດອກ.man bo maen lueang nyai dok.It is not a big deal.
- Bຂອບໃຈທີ່ໃຫ້ກຳລັງໃຈ.khob chai thi hai kam lang chai.Thanks for the encouragement.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stupid” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
