How to learn a few local words

Well, it is not necessary for one to be very fluent and have the perfect pronunciation of local words, although it will be very useful to learn a few key phrases in the local language. This will leave a good impression on locals and your travels will be a lot easier and smoother. There are a few universal phrases that can come to your rescue and this guide will highlight some of it for your vacation in Ella, Sri Lanka.

Why learn?

As mentioned above, it will make your time in your travel destination a lot smoother. For instance, when visiting local restaurants and shops, it will be ideal for you to know a few key phrases. If not, you will be pointing at things and hoping that they understood it which is a risky affair and even rather pointless at times. Another place you are bound to come across a few issues will be the local transportation system. Some of the people working here do not completely understand English and that will be a problem. With a few key phrases in the local tongue, you can easily reach from point A to point B in no time. Generally, knowing phrases can help you avoid miscommunication whenever you encounter a local who does not speak any English. Remember, the locals will love to hear you speak the local language and it will instantly ignite a sense of appreciation and also fascination.

Ella, the languages used

You might not find yourself in grave trouble when in Ella as a lot of the residents do speak English. And you can get around Ella without hardly having spoken any phrases or words in the local language. However, it the few phrases you learn will come in handy plenty of time. For instance, you can learn the terms for hello, goodbye and thank you in the local tongue which will be perceived as very endearing to the local communities. This will also help build a rapport when meeting interesting people on one's journey in Ella.

Traditional greetings

'Gihin Ennan' is the phrase that is used in place of bye in English. Yes is 'Ow' in Sinhalese and No is 'na'. You can use 'hari' for okay and 'sthoothi' for 'thank you!'. With these few key phrases, you are going to impress the locals in no time. They will appreciate the time you have taken to learn their way of life too. If you would like to visit places of cultural and religious importance, you can check out an Ella travel guide on websites the likes of Ella Sri Lanka.

Sinhalese language

This is not a difficult language to master in terms of learning the key phrases. You don't need to undertake difficult Sinhala lessons for you to have conversations with the locals in this area. As mentioned above, the locals here do speak basic English to a degree. On top of that, the Sri Lankans are well known in South East Asia to be the friendliest, therefore, they are easily approachable and very helpful. You can reach out to them to seek any help or directions when travelling around. And it'll be much appreciated and fascinating for them if you add a few of these phrases! You can learn any number of phrases by purchasing a Sinhala to English dictionary from the numerous bookshops in the capital city, Colombo. You can also download apps online that directly translate English phrases to local languages. You can practice them with the hotel staff and people you will come across in Sri Lanka. This will be quite a cultural trip that you are bound to remember.