Language/Sinhala/Vocabulary/Transportation-and-Directions

Sinhala Vocabulary → Unit 4: Daily Life → Transportation and Directions

Welcome to Unit 4 of the Complete 0 to A1 Sinhala course! In this lesson, we will learn about transportation and directions in Sri Lanka. Whether you're a tourist or a resident, being able to navigate your way around the country is essential. So, let's get started!

Asking for Directions

Asking for directions in Sinhala is quite simple. Here are some useful phrases:

• මේ පොලිස්සාවක් හෝදටම යන්නේ කොහොමද? (meh polissawak hodaatama yanney kohomada?) - How do I get to this place?
• එයාලේ අවස්ථාවක් දෙන්නේ කොහොමද? (eyala avasthaawak denna kohomada?) - What's the address of this place?
• මිට්ටේ ඇඳුම්කරුවන්ට මේ පොලිස්සාවට කලලා කියලාද? (mittey andumkaruwanth meh polissawata kalala kiylada?) - Can you tell me how to get to this place?

Once you've asked for directions, you may hear the following responses:

• හරිහැටියක් පිටවෙන්නේ මේ පොලිස්සාවේ (harahetiyaak pitawennaa meh polissawave) - You need to go straight ahead to get to this place.
• මේ පොලිස්සාවට ගියාමට ඔබට වරදක්ද? (meh polissawat giyaamata obata waradakda?) - Do you know how to get to this place?
• ඒ සම්බන්දව සෙල්ලම් සැන්දෑව පැමිණිය යුතුයි (e sam bandandeva sellam sendaawa peminiyi yuthui) - You need to take a left turn at that junction.

Giving Directions

If someone asks you for directions, here are some phrases that can be helpful:

• මේක්මිට්ටෙම් තියෙන්නේ කොහොමද? (mekmittem temple nisa kohomada?) - What's the way to this temple?
• එයාලේ පහසුකම හෝදන්නේ කොහොමද? (eyala pahassukama hodaannaa kohomada?) - How do I get to this bus stop?
• හරියට යන්නේ කොහොමද? (harit yanney kohomada?) - Which way should I go?

In order to give proper directions, use the following phrases:

• සියලුම තියෙන ස්ථානයකට ගමන්න (siyalluma theen senthaanayakata gamananna) - Go straight ahead.
• ඒ පසු පමණක් ස්ථානයේ එන්න (e pasu pamanak senthaanaye enna) - Turn right there.
• ඒ පෙළ යම් ස්ථානයකට ගමන්න (e peliyam senthaanayakata gamanna) - Turn left at the junction.

Public Transportation

Sri Lanka has an extensive public transportation system that includes buses and trains. The Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) operates a fleet of buses that covers most of the country. Here are some useful words and phrases to help you use public transportation:

• බස් කාර් (bas kaar) - Bus
• තොට (thot) - Train
• ටාක්සි (taxi) - Taxi
• පිටියේ මුල්ම දුර්ගන්දෙන් බාරයෙන් (pitie mulma duragan dena baryaen) - From the main road
• දුර්ගන්දෙන් (duragan dena) - Roadside

Here's an example of how to ask for directions to a bus stop:

මගේ ටාක්සියට ගමන්න බස් කාර් සදහා වයඹ ආරම්භයක් අවශ්‍යයි. (mage taxisata gamanna bas kaar sadahka wayamba arambak avashyayi) - I need directions to a bus stop to catch a bus to Wayamba from my taxi.

And here's an example of how to give directions:

බස් කාර් දෙකක් සම්පූර්ණ වෙන්නේ ඒ සම්බන්දවිතයි. ඒ පහසුකම් කරන්න (bas kaar dekak sampurnawennaa e-sambandavithayi. E-pahassukama karannna) - The bus stop is right there on the junction. Turn to that side.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You've learned how to ask for and give directions, and how to use public transportation in Sri Lanka. These skills will serve you well whether you're a tourist or a local. Practice using these phrases in real-life situations to improve your Sinhala language skills.

Table of Contents - Sinhala Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Unit 1: Introduction

• Greetings and Introductions
• Numbers and Counting

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Unit 2: Basic Grammar

• Sinhala Alphabet
• Nouns and Pronouns
• Verbs and Tenses

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Unit 3: Sinhala Culture

• Festivals and Celebrations
• Sinhala Cuisine

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Unit 4: Daily Life

• Family and Relationships
• Transportation and Directions

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Unit 5: Advanced Grammar

• Adjectives and Adverbs
• Conditional and Subjunctive
• Passive Voice

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Unit 6: Sinhala Society

• Sinhala Folklore and Legends
• Traditional Arts and Crafts

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Unit 7: Holidays and Travel

• Booking and Checking In
• Tourist Attractions and Activities

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Unit 8: Conversational Sinhala

• Expressions and Idioms
• Sinhala Slang and Colloquialisms

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Unit 9: Sinhala History

• Ancient Civilization of Sri Lanka
• European Colonization and Independence

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Unit 10: Proficiency Test Preparation

• Listening and Reading Comprehension
• Speaking and Writing Production

Related Lessons

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