Ask to repeat
❃ Ask to repeat
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කරුණාකරලා ඒක ආයෙත් කියන්නද?
[ karuṇākaralā ēka āyet kiyannada? ] -
Could you repeat that please?
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මට ඔයා කියපු දේ ඇහුණේ නෑ
[ maṭa oyā kiyapu dē æhuṇē nǣ ] -
I didn't hear what you said
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පොඩ්ඩක් ඉන්න, මට හිතන්න දෙන්න
[ poḍḍak inna, maṭa hitanna denna ] -
Wait a bit, let me think
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මට පරිවර්තක ඇප් එක පාවිච්චි කරන්න දෙන්න
[ maṭa parivartaka æp eka pāvicci karanna denna ] -
Let me use the translator app
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මට පරිවර්තකයෙක් ඕනේ
[ maṭa parivartakayek ōnē ] -
I need a translator
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කරුණාකරලා සිතියමේ පෙන්නන්න
[ karuṇākaralā sitiyamē pennanna ] -
Please show me on the map
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මේකට ඉංග්රීසි වචනය මොකක්ද?
[ mēkaṭa in̆grīsi vacanaya mokakda? ] -
What is the English word for this?
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අපිට ඉංග්රීසියෙන් කතා කරන්න පුළුවන්ද?
[ apiṭa in̆grīsiyen katā karanna puḷuvanda? ] -
Can we speak in English?
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ගොඩක් වේගයෙන් කතා කරන්න එපා
[ goḍak vēgayen katā karanna epā ] -
Don't speak too fast
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මම වචන කීපයක් විතරයි දන්නේ
[ mama vacana kīpayak vitarayi dannē ] -
I only know a few words
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ඉන්න, මම මගේ පොතේ බලන්නම්
[ inna, mama magē potē balannam ] -
Wait, I will look in my book
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මගේ ශබ්ද කිරීම නරකයි
[ magē śabda kirīma narakayi ] -
My pronunciation is bad
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ඒක ඔව් ද නැත්නම් නෑ ද?
[ ēka ov da nætnam nǣ da? ] -
Is it yes or no?
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ඇඟිල්ලෙන් පෙන්නන්න
[ æn̆gillen pennanna ] -
Point to it with your finger
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ඔයාගේ ඉවසීමට ස්තූතියි
[ oyāgē ivasīmaṭa stūtiyi ] -
Thank you for your patience
Even though English is widely spoken across Sri Lanka—especially in tourist hubs, hotels, and cities—local accents, regional idioms (affectionately known as "Singlish"), and fast-paced speech can sometimes leave you feeling completely lost in translation. When the language barrier suddenly feels a bit too high, the best approach is calm persistence and politeness. If a local is speaking too quickly for you to follow, gently ask them to slow down by saying "Karunakarala himin katha karanna" (කරුණාකරලා හිමින් කතා කරන්න - karuɳaːkaralaː himin kaθaː karanna), which elegantly means "Please speak slowly." If you completely missed what was said or need clarification, you can politely request a repetition with "Eka ayeth kiyanna" (ඒක ආයෙත් කියන්න - eːka aːjeθ kijanna), meaning "Please say that again." Sri Lankans are highly expressive and highly resourceful communicators. If words fail, do not hesitate to use pointing, hand gestures, or translation apps on your smartphone. However, remember that technology should complement, not replace, human interaction. Showing that you are making an effort to learn even a handful of words in Sinhala changes the interpersonal dynamic entirely. If you are visibly struggling, another local might step in to translate for you, as communal helpfulness is a core cultural trait. Above all, remember that making mistakes is part of the joy of travel. Mispronouncing a Sinhala word will usually result in joyful, encouraging laughter rather than any offense. Approach these moments as opportunities for authentic human connection.
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