A collection of useful phrases in Kam (lix Gaeml), a Tai-Kadai language spoken in Guizhou, Hunan and Guangxi provinces of China. These phrases are specifically in Southern Kam.
See these phrases in any combination of two languages in the Phrase Finder. If you can provide recordings, corrections or additional translations, please contact me.
| Phrase | Kam |
|---|---|
| Welcome | Honnyíng |
| Hello (General greeting) | Tọi Bạn lải |
| How are you? | Bạn hiãng mé? |
| Reply to 'How are you?' | Yáu hiãng / lải |
| Long time no see | Jẳng mé sẳng jủm |
| What's your name? | Bạ̣n guản máng? |
| My name is ... | Yáu guản ... |
| Where are you from? | Bạn dẳng dạ di fảng máng? |
| I'm from ... | Yáu dẳng dạ ... |
| Pleased to meet you | Yáu mặng kằn dũng bạn |
| Good morning (Morning greeting) |
Sẳm Sẳm lải |
| Good evening (Evening greeting) |
Nyằm lải |
| Good night | Biản lải |
| Goodbye (Parting phrases) |
Bải kùn loh |
| Good luck! | Ja yớu |
| I don't know | Yáu mé wọ |
| Do you understand? | Nyá wọ mé? |
| I understand | Yáu wọ |
| I don't understand | Yáu mé wọ |
| Please speak more slowly | Sịn wa ẳn nyỉ |
| Please say that again | Sịn èng wa ỉ dàu |
| Please write it down | Sịn xa ha, lải mé |
| Do you speak English? | Nyá wọ wa sủng Eng mé? |
| Do you speak Kam? | Nyá wọ wa sủng Gảm mé? |
| Yes, a little (reply to 'Do you speak ...?') |
Jẹng |
| How do you say ... in Kam? | ... ảu sủng Gảm ỉ nhủ wa |
| Excuse me | Sịn hàm |
| How much is this? | Ỉ nhủ sín? |
| Sorry | Dùi mé qĩ |
| Please | Sịn |
| Thank you | Kãi |
| Where's the toilet / bathroom? | Díng nyau gó nhủ? |
| I miss you | Yáu lhiảng nyá |
| I love you | Yáu èi nyá |
| Go away! | Bải gẻ |
| Help! | Gàu ming! |
| Stop! | Xăng! |
| Congratulations! | Gong hĩ |
Phrases provided by Levi Maasen, who worked with Ngo Van Lyong, a native speaker of Southern Kam from Rongjiang, to make the translations, and the new orthography for this dialect.
If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.
Information about Kam | Phrases | Tower of Babel
Kam, Lao, Thai, Yongbei Zhuang
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