Language/Sinhala/Vocabulary/Transportation-and-Directions

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Sinhala → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Transportation and Directions

In this lesson, we will explore the essential vocabulary and phrases related to transportation and directions in Sinhala. This topic is particularly important as it equips you with the necessary language skills to navigate through Sri Lanka's vibrant streets, whether you're hopping on a bus, taking a tuk-tuk, or asking a local for directions. Having a good grasp of this vocabulary will not only enhance your travel experience but also help you engage with the local culture in a more meaningful way.

To make it easy for you to follow along, we will structure the lesson in several sections:

• Understanding Key Vocabulary

• Useful Phrases for Asking and Giving Directions

• Common Modes of Transportation

• Practice Exercises

By the end of this lesson, you'll feel more confident when exploring the beautiful landscapes of Sri Lanka. Now, let's dive in!

Understanding Key Vocabulary

To start off, let’s learn some key words related to transportation and directions. Below, you will find a table with essential vocabulary that will help you navigate your way around.

Sinhala	Pronunciation	English
මාර්ගය	mārgaaya	road
පාර	pāra	street
උඩ	uḍa	up
පහළ	pahala	down
ඉදිරිය	idiriya	forward
ආපසු	āpasu	backward
දකුණ	dakuna	south
උතුර	uthura	north
මැද	mæda	middle
මම	mama	I
ඔබ	oba	you
කුමක්	kumak	what
කොතැනක්	kothænæk	where
කාලය	kālaya	time
රථය	rathaya	vehicle
බස් රථය	bas rathaya	bus
ටුක්-ටුක්	ṭuk-ṭuk	tuk-tuk
දුම්රිය	dumriya	train
ගමන	gamana	journey
ගමන්	gaman	travel
නවාතැන්	navāthæn	accommodation

Useful Phrases for Asking and Giving Directions

Next, let's look at some useful phrases. These phrases will come in handy when you need to ask for directions or give directions to someone else.

Sinhala	Pronunciation	English
මට උදව් කරන්න	maṭa udaw karanna	Please help me
කුමක් හොයා ගන්න ඕනෙද?	kumak hoyā ganna ōnedā?	What should I look for?
කොතැනක්ද?	kothænækda?	Where is it?
මාර්ගය කොහෙද?	mārgaaya koheda?	Where is the road?
එය කුමක්ද?	eya kumakda?	What is that?
ඔබට කුමක් දැනෙයිද?	obata kumak dæneida?	Do you know anything?
ඉදිරියට යන්න	idiriyaṭa yanna	Go straight
වමට යන්න	vamata yanna	Turn left
දකුණට යන්න	dakunaṭa yanna	Turn right
පහළට යන්න	pahalaṭa yanna	Go down
උඩට යන්න	uḍaṭa yanna	Go up
එය මගේ ගමනයි	eya mage gamanayi	That’s my journey
මට නවාතැන් අවශ්‍යයි	maṭa navāthæn avaśyai	I need accommodation
කාලය කීයක්ද?	kālaya kīyakda?	What time is it?
මට බස් රථය ඈදීද?	maṭa bas rathaya ængīda?	Is the bus here?
මට ටුක්-ටුක් එකක් ඕන	maṭa ṭuk-ṭuk ekak ōna	I want a tuk-tuk
මට දුම්රියක් ඕනයි	maṭa dumriyak ōnai	I need a train
ගමන කීයටද?	gamana kīyada?	How much is the fare?
මට රථය කුමක්ද?	maṭa rathaya kumakda?	What vehicle should I take?

Common Modes of Transportation

When in Sri Lanka, there are various modes of transportation to choose from. Familiarizing yourself with these terms will help you navigate effectively.

Sinhala	Pronunciation	English
බස් රථය	bas rathaya	bus
ටුක්-ටුක්	ṭuk-ṭuk	tuk-tuk
දුම්රිය	dumriya	train
බයිසිකලය	baisikalaya	bicycle
මෝටර් රථය	mōṭar rathaya	motorcycle
රථය	rathaya	vehicle
සෘජු වාහනය	sṛju vāhanaya	direct transport
පෞද්ගලික වාහනය	paudgalika vāhanaya	private vehicle
ජාතික බස්	jātika bas	national bus
ප්‍රදේශීය බස්	pradeshiya bas	local bus

Now that we have a solid foundation of vocabulary and phrases, let's put them into practice with some exercises.

Practice Exercises

Here are some exercises designed to help you apply what you've learned.

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences with the correct vocabulary word from the list provided.

1. මට _____________ (bus) එකක් ඕනයි.

2. _____________ (road) කොහෙද?

3. මට _____________ (tuk-tuk) යන්න ඕන.

4. ඉදිරියට _____________ (go) යන්න.

5. මට _____________ (train) එකක් ඕනයි.

Answers:

1. බස් රථය

2. මාර්ගය

3. ටුක්-ටුක්

4. යන්න

5. දුම්රිය

Exercise 2: Match the Phrases

Match the Sinhala phrases with their English translations.

1. කුමක් හොයා ගන්න ඕනෙද?

2. එය මගේ ගමනයි

3. මට උදව් කරන්න

4. කාලය කීයක්ද?

5. මට නවාතැන් අවශ්‍යයි

Answers:

1 - d

2 - b

3 - a

4 - e

5 - c

• a. Please help me

b. That’s my journey

c. I need accommodation

d. What should I look for?

e. What time is it?*

Exercise 3: Translate the Sentences

Translate the following sentences into Sinhala.

1. Where is the bus?

2. I want to go up.

3. How much is the fare?

4. Please help me find the road.

5. The train is here.

Answers:

1. බස් කොතැනක්ද?

2. මට උඩ යන්න ඕන.

3. ගමන කීයටද?

4. මම මාර්ගය හොයාගන්න උදව් කරන්න.

5. දුම්රිය මෙහි යයි.

Exercise 4: Create Your Own Dialogue

Create a short dialogue using at least five phrases from this lesson. You can role-play as a tourist asking a local for directions.

Example Dialogue:

Tourist: "කොතැනක්ද?"

Local: "මාර්ගය මෙතනින් ඉදිරියට යන්න."

Tourist: "මට බස් රථය ඈදීද?"

Local: "ඔව්, එය ඔබට දකුණට යන්න ඕන."

Tourist: "මට ටුක්-ටුක් එකක් ඕනයි."

Exercise 5: Direction Mapping

Draw a simple map of your local area and label the directions in Sinhala. Use key vocabulary words such as "up", "down", "left", and "right".

Answers: (Responses will vary.)

Exercise 6: Role-Play Scenario

In pairs, practice a role-play where one person is a tourist and the other is a local. Use the vocabulary and phrases learned to ask for directions and provide assistance.

Answers: (Responses will vary.)

Exercise 7: Vocabulary Quiz

List at least five modes of transportation in Sinhala and their English meanings.

Answers:

1. බස් රථය - bus

2. ටුක්-ටුක් - tuk-tuk

3. දුම්රිය - train

4. මෝටර් රථය - motorcycle

5. බයිසිකලය - bicycle

Exercise 8: Listening Exercise

Listen to a recording of someone asking for directions in Sinhala. Write down the phrases you recognize and translate them.

Answers: (Responses will vary.)

Exercise 9: Question and Answer

Ask a partner to quiz you on transportation vocabulary. For each question, provide the Sinhala word.

Answers: (Responses will vary.)

Exercise 10: Short Essay

Write a short essay (5-6 sentences) about your ideal travel day in Sri Lanka, using the vocabulary and phrases from this lesson.

Answers: (Responses will vary.)

By practicing these exercises, you will be well-equipped to handle transportation and directions in Sinhala, making your travels in Sri Lanka much more enjoyable. Don't forget to review the vocabulary and phrases regularly to reinforce your learning!

Table of Contents - Sinhala Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Unit 1: Introduction

• Greetings and Introductions
• Numbers and Counting

  ---

Unit 2: Basic Grammar

• Sinhala Alphabet
• Nouns and Pronouns
• Verbs and Tenses

  ---

Unit 3: Sinhala Culture

• Festivals and Celebrations
• Sinhala Cuisine

  ---

Unit 4: Daily Life

• Family and Relationships
• Transportation and Directions

  ---

Unit 5: Advanced Grammar

• Adjectives and Adverbs
• Conditional and Subjunctive
• Passive Voice

  ---

Unit 6: Sinhala Society

• Sinhala Folklore and Legends
• Traditional Arts and Crafts

  ---

Unit 7: Holidays and Travel

• Booking and Checking In
• Tourist Attractions and Activities

  ---

Unit 8: Conversational Sinhala

• Expressions and Idioms
• Sinhala Slang and Colloquialisms

  ---

Unit 9: Sinhala History

• Ancient Civilization of Sri Lanka
• European Colonization and Independence

  ---

Unit 10: Proficiency Test Preparation

• Listening and Reading Comprehension
• Speaking and Writing Production

Sources

• Lonely Planet Sinhala (Sri Lanka) Phrasebook & Dictionary 4 ...
• Read Free Lonely Planet Sinhala Sri Lanka Phrasebook Dictio

Other Lessons

• Verbs
• Clothes
• Numbers and Counting
• Days of the Week
• Weather
• Education
• Useful phrases
• Drinks
• Speaking and Writing Production

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