The short answer
English is genuinely widespread in Sri Lanka, so nothing here is compulsory. But Sinhala is the heart language of most of the island, and even a greeting in Sinhala changes how people receive you: start with ayubowan, thank with sthuthiyi, and learn the no-meat-no-fish sentence before your first rice-and-curry. Sri Lankans also wobble the head for a friendly yes - it means agreement, not maybe.
The five phrases that matter most
ආයුබෝවන්
aayubovan
Hello (also used for goodbye)
नमस्ते (अलविदा के लिए भी)
ස්තූතියි
sthoothiyi
Thank you
धन्यवाद
ඔයා ඉංග්රීසි කතා කරනවද?
oyaa ingriisi kathaa karanavadha
Do you speak English?
क्या आप अंग्रेज़ी बोलते हैं?
මම මස් මාළු කන්නෙ නෑ
mama mas maalu kanne naa
I do not eat meat or fish
मैं मीट या मछली नहीं खाता/खाती
මේක කීයද?
meeka kiyadha
How much is this?
यह कितने का है?
All the phrases
Greetings and thanks
| English | Local script | How to say it | हिन्दी |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hello (also used for goodbye) | ආයුබෝවන් | aayubovan | नमस्ते (अलविदा के लिए भी) |
| Hello (informal) | හලෝ | halo | हैलो (अनौपचारिक) |
| How are you? | කොහොමද? | kohomada | क्या हाल है? |
| Thank you | ස්තූතියි | sthoothiyi | धन्यवाद |
| Goodbye (informal) | ගිහින් එන්නම් | gihin ennam | अलविदा (अनौपचारिक) |
Getting help
| English | Local script | How to say it | हिन्दी |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | ඔව් | ovu | हां |
| No (it is not) / No (I cannot) / No thanks | නෑ / බෑ / එපා | naa / baa / epaa | नहीं / नहीं सकता / नहीं धन्यवाद |
| Excuse me / sorry to bother | සමාවෙන්න | samaavenna | क्षमा करें |
| I am sorry | කණගාටුයි | kanagaatuyi | मुझे माफ़ करें |
| Do you speak English? | ඔයා ඉංග්රීසි කතා කරනවද? | oyaa ingriisi kathaa karanavadha | क्या आप अंग्रेज़ी बोलते हैं? |
| I do not understand | මට තේරෙන්නෙ නෑ | mata therenne naa | मैं समझा/समझी नहीं |
Food (vegetarian, Jain, allergies)
| English | Local script | How to say it | हिन्दी |
|---|---|---|---|
| I do not eat meat or fish | මම මස් මාළු කන්නෙ නෑ | mama mas maalu kanne naa | मैं मीट या मछली नहीं खाता/खाती |
| Could I have some water, please? | මට වතුර ටිකක් දෙනවද? | mata vathura tikak dhenavadha | थोड़ा पानी मिलेगा? |
| Is this without meat and fish? | මේක මස් මාළු නැතුවද? | meeka mas maalu nathuvadha | क्या इसमें मीट-मछली नहीं है? |
| I do not eat eggs | මම බිත්තර කන්නෙ නෑ | mama bittara kanne naa | मैं अंडा नहीं खाता/खाती |
Directions and transport
| English | Local script | How to say it | हिन्दी |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where is the train/bus to _____? | _____ යන කෝච්චිය කොහෙද? | _____ yana kochchiya kohedha | _____ की ट्रेन/बस कहाँ है? |
| Where is the toilet? | වැසිකිළිය කොහෙද? | vasikiliya kohedha | टॉयलेट कहाँ है? |
Shopping and numbers
| English | Local script | How to say it | हिन्दी |
|---|---|---|---|
| How much is this? | මේක කීයද? | meeka kiyadha | यह कितने का है? |
| That is too much. Can you reduce it? | ගාන වැඩියි. අඩු කරන්න බැරිද? | gaana vadiyi. adu karanna baeridha | बहुत ज़्यादा है। कम कर सकते हैं? |
| One / two ticket(s), please | ටිකට් එකක් / දෙකක් දෙනවද? | ticket ekak / dhekak dhenavadha | एक / दो टिकट दीजिए |
Emergency
| English | Local script | How to say it | हिन्दी |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excuse me (to a man / a woman) | මහත්තය / නෝන | mahaththaya / nona | सुनिए (पुरुष / महिला से) |
| Addressing a Buddhist monk (at temples) | හාමුදුරුවනේ | haamudhuruvane | भिक्षु से संबोधन (मंदिरों में) |
Save or print
Save the top phrases as a picture to send to your parents, or print the whole sheet.
The five phrases that matter most
- Hello (also used for goodbye) / नमस्ते (अलविदा के लिए भी)
- ආයුබෝවන් (aayubovan)
- Thank you / धन्यवाद
- ස්තූතියි (sthoothiyi)
- Do you speak English? / क्या आप अंग्रेज़ी बोलते हैं?
- ඔයා ඉංග්රීසි කතා කරනවද? (oyaa ingriisi kathaa karanavadha)
- I do not eat meat or fish / मैं मीट या मछली नहीं खाता/खाती
- මම මස් මාළු කන්නෙ නෑ (mama mas maalu kanne naa)
- How much is this? / यह कितने का है?
- මේක කීයද? (meeka kiyadha)
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Quick questions
Sources
- Wikivoyage: Sinhala phrasebook · checked 30 Oct 2026