Café & Drinks

1. සිලෝන් තේ එකක් ගන්නද?

   Si-lōn thē e-kak gan-na-da?

   Shall we have a cup of Ceylon tea?

   Usage

   Used to offer Sri Lanka's famous Ceylon tea

   Grammar Note

   "Gannada?" is the question form of "gannawa" (to take/get). Ceylon tea varies by region: Uva, Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula, etc.

2. තඹිලි ගෙනෙන්න

   Tham-bi-li ge-nen-na

   Please bring a king coconut (thambili)

   Usage

   Used to order thambili, the iconic orange king coconut unique to Sri Lanka

   Grammar Note

   Thambili is unique to Sri Lanka — the sweet orange king coconut rich in electrolytes. About 100 rupees each roadside. Green coconut is "pol".

3. කිරි තේ එකක් ගෙනෙන්න

   Ki-ri thē e-kak ge-nen-na

   Please bring a milk tea

   Usage

   Used to order sweet milk tea at a local Sri Lankan tea shop (called "hotel" in local parlance)

   Grammar Note

   Sri Lankan milk tea is strong and sweet. For black tea without milk: "kiri daanne nætiwā" (without adding milk).

4. නැවුම් පලතුරු යුෂ ගන්නද?

   Næ-wum pa-la-thu-ru yu-sha gan-na-da?

   Shall we get a fresh fruit juice?

   Usage

   Sri Lanka offers fresh tropical fruit juices. Mango, papaya, pineapple, and more

   Grammar Note

   "Gannada" is the question form for suggestions. Specify the fruit: "amba yusha" (mango juice), "papaya yusha", etc.

5. ආරක් බොන්නේ නැහැ

   Ā-rak bon-nē næ-hæ

   I don't drink arrack

   Usage

   Used to decline arrack, Sri Lanka's traditional distilled palm spirit

   Grammar Note

   "-nē næhæ" is the habitual negative form. Sri Lankan arrack is traditionally distilled from coconut toddy or other palm sap.

6. ශීතල වතුර ලිටරයක් ගෙනෙන්න

   Shī-tha-la wa-thu-ra li-ta-ra-yak ge-nen-na

   Please bring one litre of cold water

   Usage

   Staying hydrated is essential in tropical Sri Lanka. Used at restaurants or shops

   Grammar Note

   Travellers should buy bottled water. "Yak" suffix on "litaraya" is the indefinite marker. "Dekak" (two) follows the same pattern.

7. කෝපි ඇති තරම් තදද?

   Kō-pi æ-ti ta-ram ta-da-da?

   Is the coffee brewed strong enough?

   Usage

   Used to check if the local coffee is brewed to the right strength

   Grammar Note

   Sri Lanka grows coffee mainly in the central hill country (around Kandy). Local coffee is typically sweet with milk and sugar.

8. සීනි නොදාම ගෙනෙන්න

   Sī-ni no-dā-ma ge-nen-na

   Please bring it without sugar

   Usage

   Drinks in Sri Lanka are typically sweet. Used when requesting no sugar

   Grammar Note

   "No-" is a negative prefix. "Daama" is the gerundive of "daanawa" (to put/add). Same pattern: "kiri nodaama" (without milk).

9. ස්වාභාවික ඖෂධ පැළෑටි රස තියෙනවද?

   Swā-bhā-wi-ka au-sha-dha pæ-lǣ-ṭi ra-sa ti-ye-na-wa-da?

   Do you have any natural herbal flavours?

   Usage

   Sri Lanka offers drinks made with natural herbs like ginger, lemongrass, and pandan

   Grammar Note

   "Tiyenawada?" = "is there?" question form. ඖෂධ පැළෑටි = medicinal plants / herbs. "Herbal drink" in English is also widely understood in Sri Lanka.

10. නුවරඑළිය තේ සිල්ලරට ගත හැකිද?

    Nu-wa-ra-e-li-ya thē sil-la-ra-ta ga-tha hæ-ki-da?

    Can I buy Nuwara Eliya tea in a small quantity?

    Usage

    Used at tea estates or shops in Nuwara Eliya to buy small quantities of tea as souvenirs

    Grammar Note

    Nuwara Eliya at 1800m is Sri Lanka's "Little England". Its tea is famous for delicate, bright flavour and golden colour.

11. අයිස් නැතුව

    ais nætuva

    Without ice

    Usage

    Ask for a drink without ice; street-stall ice is sometimes made from tap water and is a common cause of stomach trouble

12. අයිස්

    ais

    Ice

    Usage

    The loanword for ice itself; combine it with a gesture for "with" or "without"

13. බෝතල් වතුර

    bōthal vathura

    Bottled water

    Usage

    For asking for sealed bottled water; tap water is not drunk in Sri Lanka

14. උණු වතුර

    uṇu vathura

    Hot water

    Usage

    For asking for hot water to drink or to take powdered medicine; the same wording works for hot water at a guesthouse

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