Laundry
❃ Laundry
-
ඔයාලා ළඟ ලොන්ඩ්රි සර්විස් එකක් තියෙනවද?
[ oyālā ḷan̆ga lonḍri sarvis ekak tiyenavada? ] -
Do you have a laundry service?
-
ළඟම තියෙන ලොන්ඩ්රි එක කොහේද?
[ ḷan̆gama tiyena lonḍri eka kohēda? ] -
Where is the nearest laundry?
-
මට මගේ ඇඳුම් හෝදගන්න ඕනේ
[ maṭa magē æn̆dum hōdaganna ōnē ] -
I want to wash my clothes
-
කිලෝ එකක් කීයද?
[ kilō ekak kīyada? ] -
How much per kilo?
-
ඇඳුමකට කීයද?
[ æn̆dumakaṭa kīyada? ] -
How much for one piece?
-
මේක කවදාටද හම්බවෙන්නේ?
[ mēka kavadāṭada hambavennē? ] -
When will it be ready?
-
මට මේක හෙට ගන්න පුළුවන්ද?
[ maṭa mēka heṭa ganna puḷuvanda? ] -
Can I get it tomorrow?
-
මට මේක හදිසියෙන් ඕනේ
[ maṭa mēka hadisiyen ōnē ] -
I need it urgently
-
මේ ෂර්ට් ටික අයන් කරලා දෙන්න පුළුවන්ද?
[ mē ṣarṭ ṭika ayan karalā denna puḷuvanda? ] -
Can you iron these shirts?
-
මේ ඇඳුම ගැන පරිස්සම් වෙන්න
[ mē æn̆duma gæna parissam venna ] -
Be careful with this dress
-
මේක සීතල වතුරෙන් හෝදන්න
[ mēka sītala vaturen hōdanna ] -
Wash this in cold water
-
මේ ෂර්ට් එක සවුත්තු වෙලා
[ mē ṣarṭ eka savuttu velā ] -
This shirt is ruined
-
මේස් එකක් නැතිවෙලා
[ mēs ekak nætivelā ] -
One sock is missing
-
මගේ ඇඳුම් ටික ලෑස්තිද?
[ magē æn̆dum ṭika lǣstida? ] -
Are my clothes ready?
-
මේවා ගොඩක් සුවඳයි, ස්තූතියි
[ mēvā goḍak suvan̆dayi, stūtiyi ] -
They smell very good, thank you
Handling laundry in Sri Lanka offers a glimpse into the everyday domestic culture of the island. If you are used to dropping your clothes into self-service coin laundromats, you will find a very different system here. Coin laundries are virtually nonexistent. Instead, washing clothes—"Redi hodanna" (රෙදි හෝදන්න - redi hoːdanna)—is typically handled as a personal service by your guesthouse or a small, family-run laundry shop. You can ask your host, "Mata mage andum hodaganna one" (මට මගේ ඇඳුම් හෝදගන්න ඕනේ - maʈa mageː ænⁿdum hoːdaganna oːneː), which means "I want to wash my clothes." The pricing is usually calculated either per item or per kilogram. A vital detail to remember in a tropical climate is the drying process. Tumble dryers are rare because the brilliant Sri Lankan sun provides a natural, highly efficient alternative. Clothes are hung on lines, resulting in a wonderful, sun-baked crispness. However, this means that laundry is entirely dependent on the weather! During the monsoon season, it is crucial to ask, "Kiyatada hambawenne?" (කීයටද හම්බවෙන්නේ? - kiːjaʈada hambawenne?), meaning "When will it be ready?". If it rains heavily, your clothes might take two days to dry. To prevent misunderstandings, count your items before handing them over and specify if anything needs delicate care. Sri Lankan laundry services take great pride in their work; your garments will often be returned to you perfectly folded and meticulously ironed, sometimes smelling of a subtle, floral detergent. Using a few Sinhala phrases to coordinate this practical chore ensures that you stay fresh and clean while beautifully adapting to the local rhythm.
Other sections
Keep your progress
Enjoying the phrasebook?
Create a free account to save favorites, track your study, and continue where you stopped.