This is the first and more important lesson:
Jullay!
Jullay (joo-LAY) is the “aloha” of Ladakh: hello, goodbye, thank you, nice weather we’re having, is that your yak?, etc. (OK, maybe not the last two…)
Ladakhi, also called Western Archaic Tibetan or Bhoti, is only spoken by 200,000 speakers in India & 12,000 speakers in Tibet. It is very similar to Tibetan and uses the same written script.
This is a brief lesson in some Ladakhi words and phrases that we have found helpful during our Ladakh tours. It is not necessary to speak Ladakh when you visit this high-altitude desert, but it sure it appreciated and elicits those beautiful Ladakhi smiles. We’ve spelled the English side out as phonetically as possible.
For those of you seeing a more grammatical approach, please check out this resource.
| English | Ladakhi |
|---|---|
| Hello | Jullay |
| Goodbye | Jullay |
| Thanks (informal) | Jullay |
| Very respectful hello (only to a monk) | Chatsel jullay |
| (formal) thank you | Toook jay shay |
| Add to end of sentence/response to show respect | (lay) |
| How are you? | Khamzang inalay? |
| I am well | Khamzang (lay) |
| Are you fine? | Neerang tik? |
| What is your name? | Neerang mingla chee in lay? |
| Where are you from? | Neerang ka nay in lay? |
| My name is ___________ | Gneeya mingla ____________ |
| Yes | Kasa (lay) |
| No | Mann (lay) |
| OK / Fine | Deegk (lay) |
| I understand | Gnya hago (lay) |
| I don't understand | Gnya hamago (lay) |
| May I take your photo? | Naksha gabna diga lay? |
| Where are you going? | Neerang karu skyoad-at lay? |
| I am going around | Ngya kora chet |
| I'm walking to _________ | Dool tay chen _________ |
| I'm going to Leh | Nga Leh a kora chet |
| How much is this? | Eebowa zrin sam in lay? |
| How do you call this in Ladakhi? | Ee chelok ming la chee inoklay? |
| Please say in English | Konyay chee mola rak lay |
| Practice | yang jang chess |
| What did he say? | Chee lo? |
| You are a good teacher | Gergan gela dook lay |
| He/she is a good teacher | kho ma gerrgan ghella doook |
| He/she is funny | Kho ma tarrshen duuk |
| Yesterday | Daang |
| Tomorrow | torray |
| I like Ladakhi food | Nga Ladakhi kardzi ma szimpo tsor ra rrak |
| I am full (or, I have eaten) | Dok so zeus |
| _______ tastes good | _________ ma szimpo |
| Boiled water | chu kol |
| Butter tea | cha kantay |
| Milk tea | cha ngarmo |
| water | chu |
| It's hot (about food/drink) | Santay |
| Leh water is not good | Leh chus szimpo mer rak |
| Cup | Koray |
| Almonds | bedam |
| Do you have __________? | ________ yo ta lay? |
| Yes (have) | yoat/yote |
| No (don't have) | met |
| I like Ladakhi people very much | Ladakhi meeyoon ma gyala tsor rarak |
| He/she is a good person | Kho ma ghella duuk |
| I'm happy | Skeepo rrak |
| This/that is my favorite | mangsten gyala tsor rarrak |
| I like __________ very much | ________ ma demo tsor rarak |
| I like the sound (sounds good) | Ma nyanpo tsor rra |
| Do you like? | Kerang see la tatpo yote |
| Please (insisting, though politely) | Joo joo |
| Please eat | Doan lay |
| Please drink | Toong lay |
| please sit | zyooks lay |
| Please go (ex: going through a doorway) | Schyoad lay |
| Be careful | Shangchoos |
| Slowly, slowly | Goolay, goolay |
| Very nice | Ma demo doogk lay |
| Nice smile | Godna demo dooglay |
| Weather is hot | Namla tonmo rrak |
| it is hot outside | tsapa rak lay |
| Weather is cold | Namla tangmo rrak |
| 1 | cheek |
| 2 | neece |
| 3 | soom |
| 4 | tzee |
| 5 | sheenga (or nga) |
| 6 | toook |
| 7 | dune |
| 8 | gyet |
| 9 | goo |
| 10 | choo |
| There are many people | Mee mong po |
| Children | Toogoo |
| Book | Choas |
| Dog | Kee |
| Cat | Beela |
| Eyes | meek |
| Nose | nakoong |
| See you in _____ (month) | Nga _____ (month, in English is fine) nang jallaen |
| I will see you next year | Nga nangmo loktay jallaen |
| Sleep well | Zhim cha nang go |
| Again & again I hope to see you | Yang yang ja lay mo lem |
| I Love You | Nga Rang Ngs Thada Rak |
| Charity | Jimba |
| Puja (prayer ceremony) | Tsok |
| Monks house/quarters | Tashok |
