1.

k-bya (by male speaker) or shin (by female speaker) (like Sir/Madam, added for politeness at the
end of the an utterance or .
When people are talking fast k-bya may be pronounced kmya.

/ Greetings
min-g-la-ba.
Note: outside schoold Burmese has no fixed equivalent for the formal English greetings phrases: the
words used depend on the circumstances of the meeting and the relationship between the speakers.
Min-gla ba ( ), however, is widely used between teacher and pupils in school classrorms, and
is therefore appropriate to the situation envisaged in this course.
2. How are you?
ne-kan-l
I am well. (i.e. yes, thank you)
ne-kan-ba-deh.
3. N or N how/What about (noun)? N gw, N yw
How/What about you?
m gw
4. Welcome!
cyo-zo-ba-deh.
5. Whats your name?
name- how- called-open quesiton marker
nan-meh beh-lo-caw-leh.
6. tw - to meet
wn-tha - to be happy (stomach - be pleasant)
tw-y-deh - has the opportunity to meet
tw-y-da - the having the opportunity to meet
I am happy to having the opportunity to meet you.
tw-y-da wn-tha-ba-deh.
7. N N also, N too N-lh
Im also happy to having the opportunity to meet you.
cm/cnaw or cdaw lh tw-y-da wn-tha-ba-deh.
8.
(How old are you?)
age - how much-have-so far- question
theq beh-lauq-leh. theq beh-lauq-sh-bi-leh. theq beh-hn-hniq leh. theq beh-hn-hniq-sh-bi-leh.
Note: Why use (sh-bi-leh)and (sh-bi) rather than (sh-thleh) and (sh-deh).
The verb suffix - is used where the speaker is concerned with (a) a change from one state to another,
and (b) whether is has taken place by the time of speaking: Is it over yet? Are they here yet? and so on.
The change from one age in years to the next is a change of state, and since a persons age is changing
all the time (is he 20 yet?), it is appropriate to use V (V bi) rather than V (V deh). The passing of
time is closely parallel to ageing (is it 12 oclock yet? and so on), so it is no surprise that telling the time
in Burmese also uses (sh-bi-leh)and (sh-bi) rather than (sh-thleh) and (sh-
deh).
/
9. Where are you from? or What country are you from?
beh-g-leh. beh nain-ngan- g-leh.
10. lu-my - nationality, race (person-kind, type)
nain-ngan-th - national, citizen (country-substance of N, member)
/ Whats your nationality?
ba-lu-my/ nain-ngan-th-leh.
Im an American.
me-ri-kan- lu-my-ba.
country and nationality
As a rule the Burmese workds for country and nationality are the same; for example:
Burma, Burmese myan-ma nain-ngan, Myan-ma lu-my
India, Indian Ein-di-y nain-ngan, Ein-di-y lu-my
China, Chinese tyouq nain-ngan, tyouq lu-my
Japan, Japanese jpan nain-ngan, jpan lu-my
Denmark, Danish dan-meq nain-ngan, dan-meq lu-my
Comman exceptions are
Englan, English in-glan nain-ngan, n-gleiq lu-my
Britain, British by-tein nain-ngan, by-t-sh lu-my
American, America me-r-ka nain-ngan, me-r-kan lu-my
Germany, German ja-mni nain-ngan, ja-man lu-my
1. Note tones: // in-glan but //n-gleiq
2. People also say me-ri-kan nain-ngan
Other exceptions depend on the speakers command of English: speakers with less English will use the
same word for both country and nationality, and speakers with more will use a different word if English
has on; for example:
or Switzerland, Swiss
swiq-zlan nain-ngan, swiq-zlan lu-my, swiq lu-my
or Italy, Italian
i-tli nain-ngan, i-tli lu-my, i-ta-liyan lu-my
or or Netherlands or Holland, Dutch
neh-tha-lan nain-ngan or haw-lan nain-ngan, neh-tha-lan lu-my, daq lu-my
or Ireland, Irish
ain-ya-lan nain-ngan, ain-ya-lan lu-my, ain-riq lu-my

Nationality and race
In contexts where it is necessary to make a distinction, you use (country-substance of N,
member) for nationality, citizenship and for race, for example:
Burmese national, myan-ma nain-ngan-th,
Shan by race shn lu-my
British national, by-tein nain-ngan-th,
Scot by race skw lu-my
American national, me-ri-ka nain-ngan-th
Chinese by race tyouq lu-my
11. How many brothers and sisters do you have?
nyi-ko-maun-hnm beh-hnyauq-sh-leh.
12. What job are you doing?
ba-louq-louq-ne-leh.
to work, to do a job
louq-louq-teh

What Im working as a teacher.
sya-m louq-ne-teh.
13. V - know how to V, be able to V
Can you speak Burmese?
bma-zg pyaw-daq-l.
Yes, I can speak a bit.
hote-kh. nh-nh-pyaw-daq-pa-deh.
pi - to be correctly, authentically pronounced
You have fantastically good pronounciation.
bma-zg pyaw-da yn-pi-da-peh.
14. When is your birthday?
mw-n beh-dw-leh.
15. / Do you have bf/gf?
y-z /chiq-thu sh-l.
Y es, I have.
sh-pa-deh.
No, I do not have yet.
msh-th-ba-b.
16. Do you love me?
chit- l.
I love you.
chiq-teh.
I do not love you.
mchiq- b.
16. / Are you single?
pyo-l / lu-byo l.
/
hote-kh. lu-byo/ pyo ba.

17. - here - marks destination
( ) / How long have you been here?
di-go yauq-ta beh-lauq-ca-byi-leh/ sh-bi-leh.
Ive been a week here already.
tbaq- sh-bi.
18. di-hma - in this place, (at) here.
( ) / How long have you stay here?
di-hma ne-dar beh-lauq-ca-byi-leh/ sh-bi-leh.
Ive been a month here already.
tl-sh-bi.
19. Using beh-lauq ca-ja in inquiries about travel plans for the future.
How much longer will you stay on for more?
beh-lauq ca-ja-teq-ne-on-mleh.
20. - working out all right
Is it working out all right you to stay here?
di-hma ne-ya-da sin-pyay-l.
Yes, It is working out all right.
sin-pyay-ba-deh.
21. Have you eaten already?
s-p-b-l.
I have eaten already.
s-p-b.
22. Thank you.
c-z-tin-ba-deh

c-z-beh

c-z-naw

c-z-ba.
23. What is this?
da ba-leh
24. What is that?
da ba-leh.
25. / What is that called/ say in Burmese?
myanmar-lo beh-lo kaw/pyaw leh.
26. Long time no see.
mtw-da ca-bi-naw.
27. meiq-seq - meiq-seq-p to introduce
N I want to introduce you to N.
N n meiq-seq-p-meh-naw
N Please introduce me to N.
N n meiq-seq-p-ba-on
Note: V is a slightly more friendly, more coaxing, alternative to (verb)
28. / htaq/ pyan - again
/ Please say it again.
htaq/ pyan pyaw-ba-on.