Cricket and leisure
❃ Cricket and leisure
-
ඔයා ක්රිකට් වලට කැමතිද?
[ oyā krikaṭ valaṭa kæmatida? ] -
Do you like cricket?
-
මම ක්රිකට් වලට ගොඩක් කැමතියි
[ mama krikaṭ valaṭa goḍak kæmatiyi ] -
I love cricket!
-
අද සෙල්ලම් කරන්නේ කවුද?
[ ada sellam karannē kavuda? ] -
Who is playing today?
-
ලංකාව හොඳට සෙල්ලම් කරනවා
[ lan̆kāva hon̆daṭa sellam karanavā ] -
Sri Lanka is playing well
-
ඔයාගේ ප්රියතම ක්රීඩකයා කවුද?
[ oyāgē priyatama krīḍakayā kavuda? ] -
Who is your favorite player?
-
ලංකාව මැච් එක දින්නද?
[ lan̆kāva mæc eka dinnada? ] -
Did Sri Lanka win the match?
-
මැච් එක ටීවී එකේ යනවා
[ mæc eka ṭīvī ekē yanavā ] -
The match is on TV
-
ලකුණු තත්ත්වය කොහොමද?
[ lakuṇu tattvaya kohomada? ] -
What is the score?
-
ඒක හයේ පහරක්!
[ ēka hayē paharak! ] -
That's a six! (Cricket term)
-
ඔයාගේ විනෝදාංශ මොනවාද?
[ oyāgē vinōdānśa monavāda? ] -
What are your hobbies?
-
මම පීනන්න කැමතියි
[ mama pīnanna kæmatiyi ] -
I like to swim
-
මම විවේක වෙලාවට පොත් කියවනවා
[ mama vivēka velāvaṭa pot kiyanavā ] -
I read books in my free time
-
ඔයා සංගීතය වාදනය කරනවද?
[ oyā san̆gītaya vādanaya karanavada? ] -
Do you play music (an instrument)?
-
මම ෆිල්ම් බලන්න කැමතියි
[ mama film balanna kæmatiyi ] -
I like watching movies
-
අපි සෙල්ලමක් කරමු!
[ api sellamak karamu! ] -
Let's play a game!
If you want to instantly break the ice with any Sri Lankan, regardless of their age, profession, or background, there is only one magic word you need to know: Cricket. In Sri Lanka, cricket is not just a sport; it is an absolute religion that unites the entire island. The nation’s stunning victory in the 1996 Cricket World Cup remains a defining moment of immense national pride. You will see children playing impromptu matches with a makeshift bat and a tennis ball in narrow alleyways, on beaches, and in dusty fields. To start a cheerful conversation with a tuk-tuk driver or a shopkeeper, simply ask, "Oya cricket walata kamathida?" (ඔයා ක්රිකට් වලට කැමතිද? - ojaː krikaṭ walaʈa kæmaθida?), meaning "Do you like cricket?". Their eyes will immediately light up. If a match is happening during your trip, you will notice people glued to television screens in local 'Kades' or listening intently to crackling radios. You can join the excitement by asking "Cricket match eka keeyatada?" (ක්රිකට් මැච් එක කීයටද? - krikaṭ mætʃ eka kiːjaʈada?), which means "What time is the cricket match?". To truly win their hearts, confidently declare "Sri Lankawa dinanawa!" (ශ්රී ලංකාව දිනනවා! - ʃriː laŋkaːwa dinanawaː), meaning "Sri Lanka will win!". Even if you come from a country where cricket is completely unknown, showing a slight interest in their national passion transforms you from a standard tourist into a beloved friend. Locals will enthusiastically explain the rules to you, passionately debate the merits of legendary players like Sanath Jayasuriya or Kumar Sangakkara, and maybe even invite you to bowl a few balls on the beach at sunset!
Other sections
Keep your progress
Enjoying the phrasebook?
Create a free account to save favorites, track your study, and continue where you stopped.