Tibetan has its own script that it shares with Ladakhi and Dzongkha, which is derived from the ancient Indian Brahmi script. The alphabet is an abugida of Indic origin used to write the Tibetan words. The language is generally clarified as a Tibet-Burman language of the Sino-Tibetan language family, although the boundaries between ‘Tibetan’ and other Himalayan languages are often unclear.
The language is spoken in regional dialects, which although they’re mutually legible, generally cannot be understood by speakers of different oral forms of Tibetan.
It is employed throughout the Tibetan plateau and Bhutan and is also spoken in parts of Nepal and northern India, including the Sikkim.
In general, the dialects of central Tibet (including Lhasa), Kham, Amdo and some smaller nearby areas are considered Tibetan dialects. Other forms, particularly Dzongkha, Sikkimese, Sherpa, and Ladakhi, are considered by their speakers, largely for political reasons, to be separate languages.
Although spoken Tibetan varies according to Tibet region, the written language, based on Classical Tibetan, is consistent throughout. This is probably due to the long-standing influence of the Tibetan empire, whose rule embraced (and extended at times far beyond) the present Tibetan linguistic area, which runs from northern Pakistan in the west to Yunnan and Sichuan in the east.It also goes from the northern part of Kokonor lake (Qinghai) south to as far as Bhutan.
Frequently used English and Tibetan Language
| English | Tibetan | English | Tibetan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thank you | thuk jay chey | Milk | om ma | |
| Good Bye(said when leaving) | ghaley shu | Milk tea | cha ngamo | |
| Goodbye(Said to the person who is leaving) | ghaley phey | Tibetan tea | pur cha | |
| See you | ja yong | Meat | sha | |
| That’s it | rey | Yak meat | yak sha | |
| No, it’s not | ma rey | Vegetables | tsel | |
| Need | gin | Fish | nya | |
| Don’t need | magoo | Fruit | shingto | |
| Please(drink or eat it) | nen ro nang | Yoghurt | sho | |
| Did you understand | ha kho song ai? | Sugar | chey ma ka ra | |
| Understood | ha kho song | Salt | tsa | |
| Did not understand | ha kho ma song | Chili | seben | |
| How much? | Gormo khatseur rey? | It’s delicious | shimbo du | |
| It’s expensive | khong chenbo du | It’s hot (spicy) | kha tsa po du | |
| Give me a discount | khong doktsam jakthang | It’s hot (in temprature) | tsapo du | |
| What is this? | di kha rey rey? | It’s cold | trang mo du | |
| Is it there? Do you have? | duk gey? | Highland barley alcohol | chang | |
| Yes, it’s there/we have | du | Road | lamka | |
| No, it’s not there/we don’t have | min du | Mountain | ri | |
| My name is… | ngye ming la….yin | Mountain pass | la | |
| What’s your name? | Kheyrang khi ming la kha rey rey? | River | chu / tsangpo | |
| Where are you from? | Phayul kha nai yin? | Lake | tso | |
| I’m from… | …nai yin | Valley | lung shong | |
| Sorry | gon da | Nomad | drogpa | |
| that’s good | yapo du | Right | yey | |
| that’s isn’t good | yapo mindu | Left | yin | |
| i like it | la gapo du | Tent | gur | |
| i don’t like it | la gapo mindu | Village | trong sep | |
| i feel happy / i’m glad | kyipu du | Snow | khang | |
| I | nga | Rain | char wa | |
| You | khey rang | Hot spring | chu tsan | |
| He/she | khong | Tractor | tho la | |
| Mother | ama la | Yak | yak | |
| Father | pa la | Horse | ta | |
| Uncle | a kha | What’s the time? | Chu tso kha tsoe rey? | |
| Sister | a cha la | Today | te ring | |
| Teacher | gen la | Yesterday | kay san | |
| Elder brother | jhola | This year | thalo | |
| Mr/Ms | kusho la | Next year | thu sang | |
| When | kadu | Tomorrow | san yi | |
| Where | kaba | The day after tomorrow | nan nyin | |
| Who | su | Morning | shokhai | |
| What | kha ray | Afternoon | nyin gung | |
| Which one? | kha gi | Night (evening) | gong mo | |
| How | khan dres | Monastery | gom pa | |
| Hotel | drong khang | Chapel / Temple | lha khang | |
| Room | khang pa | Lama / Monk | lama / trawa | |
| Toilet | seng chue | Reincarnation / Incarnation | trul ku | |
| Shower | chu khang | Rinpoche | rin po che | |
| Bed | nyitri | May i take a photo | par gyab dig gi ray peh? | |
| Key | dey mi | Statue of Buddha | kun drag | |
| Lost the key | day mi la song | Scripture | pay cha | |
| Electricity | lo | hospital (clinic) | men khang | |
| Candle | yang la | medicine | men | |
| Belongings | ja la | doctor | a m chi | |
| Food | khala | oxygen | yang long | |
| Drink | tung yag | i have a headache | go nagi du | |
| stomach ache | tro kho na gi du |
