Basic Words

1. ၸႂ်ႈ

   tsaue3

   Yes

   Usage

   A confirming answer, "that is right". The word itself is the verb "be true, correct".

   Grammar Note

   There is no dedicated one-word "yes"; the verb "be correct" serves as the affirmative answer.

2. ဢမ်ႇၸႂ်ႈ

   am2-tsaue3

   No (that is not so)

   Usage

   Denies a statement ("that is not so"). The dictionary lists it as a response of denial.

   Grammar Note

   The negator ဢမ်ႇ goes directly before the verb ၸႂ်ႈ.

3. ၶွပ်ႈၸႂ်ၶႃႈ

   khawp3-tsaue1-khaa3

   Thank you

   Usage

   The basic way to thank someone. ၸႂ် is "heart"; ၶွပ်ႈၸႂ် is "feel grateful".

   Grammar Note

   A verb plus the polite particle ၶႃႈ is already a sentence; the subject is dropped. Composed from dictionary-verified words.

4. ဢမ်ႇမီးပၼ်ႁႃ

   am2-mi4-pan1-haa1

   It is OK (no problem)

   Usage

   A reply meaning "no problem" to an apology or a worry.

   Grammar Note

   ဢမ်ႇမီး "there is none" + ပၼ်ႁႃ "problem" (a loan from Pali). Composed from dictionary-verified words.

5. ၶႃႈ ဢမ်ႇၶဝ်ႈၸႂ်

   khaa3 am2-khao3-tsaue1

   I don't understand

   Usage

   Use when you cannot follow. ၶႃႈ is the polite first person, fine for strangers and elders.

   Grammar Note

   Order: subject + negator + verb (SVO). Composed from dictionary-verified words.

6. ၶႃႈ ၶဝ်ႈၸႂ်

   khaa3 khao3-tsaue1

   I understand

   Usage

   Use when you have understood what was said.

   Grammar Note

   Subject + verb is enough; there is no tense inflection. Composed from dictionary-verified words.

7. ၶႃႈ ဢမ်ႇႁူႉ

   khaa3 am2-hu5

   I don't know

   Usage

   Use when you do not know an answer or a place.

   Grammar Note

   ဢမ်ႇႁူႉ is listed in the dictionary as "not to know". Composed from dictionary-verified words.

8. ယဝ်ႉၶႃႈ

   yao5-khaa3

   I am finished

   Usage

   Use when a meal or task is done. ယဝ်ႉ means "be finished, done".

   Grammar Note

   ယဝ်ႉ also follows verbs as a past/completion particle. Composed from dictionary-verified words.

9. ပႂ်ႉၶႃႈ

   paue5-khaa3

   Please wait

   Usage

   Asks someone to wait.

   Grammar Note

   A verb plus the polite particle turns into a request. Composed from dictionary-verified words.

10. ပႂ်ႉ ၵမ်းၼိုင်ႈ

    paue5 kam4-nueng3

    Just a moment

    Usage

    Says "wait a moment". ၵမ်းၼိုင်ႈ is "a moment, an instant".

    Grammar Note

    The time word follows the verb ပႂ်ႉ. Composed from dictionary-verified words.

11. ၸွႆႈထႅမ်ၶႃႈ

    tsawi3-thaem1-khaa3

    Please help me

    Usage

    Asks for help. ၸွႆႈထႅမ် means "help, assist".

    Grammar Note

    Verb + polite particle; the object "me" is left out. Composed from dictionary-verified words.

12. လၢတ်ႈထႅင်ႈ ၵမ်းၼိုင်ႈ ၶႃႈ

    laat3-thaeng3 kam4-nueng3 khaa3

    Once more, please

    Usage

    Asks someone to repeat what they said.

    Grammar Note

    ထႅင်ႈ "again" follows the verb. Composed from dictionary-verified words.

13. လၢတ်ႈ ဢဵၼ်ႉ ၶႃႈ

    laat3 en5 khaa3

    Please speak slowly

    Usage

    Use when someone speaks too fast. ဢဵၼ်ႉ is "slowly".

    Grammar Note

    The adverb ဢဵၼ်ႉ follows the verb. Composed from dictionary-verified words.

14. ၶႃႈ လၢတ်ႈ ၵႂၢမ်းတႆး လႆႈ ဢိတ်းဢီႈ

    khaa3 laat3 kwaam4-tai4 lai3 it4-i3

    I speak a little Shan

    Usage

    Tells people you speak only a little Shan.

    Grammar Note

    လႆႈ expresses ability and follows the verb phrase. Composed from dictionary-verified words.

15. ၸဝ်ႈ လၢတ်ႈ ၵႂၢမ်းဢိင်းၵလဵတ်ႈ လႆႈ ႁႃႉ?

    tsao3 laat3 kwaam4-ing4-ka1-let3 lai3 haa5?

    Do you speak English?

    Usage

    Asks whether the other person speaks English.

    Grammar Note

    The final ႁႃႉ makes a yes/no question. Composed from dictionary-verified words.

16. ဢၼ်ၼႆႉ

    an1-nai5

    This

    Usage

    Points to something close by.

    Grammar Note

    Demonstratives follow the noun; ဢၼ် means "thing".

17. ဢၼ်ၼၼ်ႉ

    an1-nan5

    That

    Usage

    Points to something a little farther away.

    Grammar Note

    ၼႆႉ "this" and ၼၼ်ႉ "that" mark near and far.

18. တီႈၼႆႉ

    ti3-nai5

    Here

    Usage

    Refers to the place where you are.

    Grammar Note

    တီႈ is "place", followed by the demonstrative ၼႆႉ "this". Composed from dictionary-verified words.

19. တီႈၼၼ်ႉ

    ti3-nan5

    There

    Usage

    Refers to a place a little way off.

    Grammar Note

    တီႈ "place" + ၼၼ်ႉ "that". Composed from dictionary-verified words.

20. ၸွမ်းၵၼ်

    tsawm4-kan1

    Together

    Usage

    Means doing something together.

    Grammar Note

    ၸွမ်း "accompany" + ၵၼ် "each other". Composed from dictionary-verified words.

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