Basic Nouns

1. වතුර

   vathura

   Water

   Usage

   The basic word for drinking water, understood in any eatery or shop

2. කෑම

   kǣma

   Food

   Usage

   The general word for food — a way into asking where you can eat

3. සල්ලි

   salli

   Money

   Usage

   The base word for anything about paying or changing currency

4. වැසිකිළිය

   vasikiliya

   Toilet

   Usage

   Essential when asking directions. The word alone usually does the job

5. ටිෂු

   tishu

   Tissue

   Usage

   Needed at toilets and street stalls that provide no paper

6. බෙහෙත්

   beheth

   Medicine

   Usage

   Use it at a pharmacy while miming your symptom

7. ගමන් මලු

   gaman malu

   Luggage

   Usage

   For checking, carrying or collecting bags — common at airports and hotels

8. යතුර

   yathura

   Key

   Usage

   For room keys and locker keys

9. ටිකට්

   tikat

   Ticket

   Usage

   Transport or entry tickets. Combine it with a number at the counter

10. පාස්පෝට්

    paaspot

    Passport

    Usage

    Requested at check-in and currency exchange, and the word you need if it goes missing

11. දුරකථනය

    durakathanaya

    Phone

    Usage

    Usually covers both the device and the act of calling

12. චාජරය

    chaajaraya

    Charger

    Usage

    For borrowing or buying one — often needed at a hotel front desk

13. දුම්රිය ස්ථානය

    dumriya sthaanaya

    Station

    Usage

    A landmark word when asking for directions

14. රෝහල

    rohala

    Hospital

    Usage

    For when you fall ill — works as a destination in a taxi

15. පොලීසිය

    poleesiya

    Police

    Usage

    For theft or accidents. Even the bare word conveys urgency

16. කඩේ

    kade

    Shop

    Usage

    The base word when asking where to buy something

17. කාමරය

    kaamaraya

    Room

    Usage

    For accommodation — checking vacancies or explaining a room number

18. පාර

    paara

    Road

    Usage

    For asking the way, ideally while pointing at a map

19. පවුල

    pavula

    Family

    Usage

    A guaranteed small-talk topic. Add a number and the conversation keeps going

20. නම

    nama

    Name

    Usage

    For confirming a booking or introducing yourself

21. ඔලුව

    oluva

    Head

    Usage

    For pointing at where it hurts; this is the spoken form, the written one being හිස (hisa)

22. ඇහැ

    æhæ

    Eye

    Usage

    Spoken form used when pointing at an eye problem; the written form is ඇස (æsa), plural ඇස්

23. දත

    datha

    Tooth

    Usage

    For reporting toothache; the plural is දත් (dath)

24. උගුර

    ugura

    Throat

    Usage

    For a sore throat; the outside of the neck is a different word, බෙල්ල (bella)

25. බඩ

    baḍa

    Stomach / belly

    Usage

    For stomach ache or diarrhoea — the body part travelers point at most

26. පිට

    piṭa

    Back (body)

    Usage

    For back pain. The same word also means "outside / other", so touch your own back while showing it

27. කොන්ද

    konda

    Lower back

    Usage

    For lower-back pain — the spine and waist area, a common complaint after a long bus ride

28. කකුල

    kakula

    Leg / foot

    Usage

    Sinhala කකුල covers both the leg and the foot, so point at the actual spot on your own body

29. අත

    atha

    Hand / arm

    Usage

    අත covers both hand and arm; everyday Sinhala has no separate word for the arm alone (the literary බාහුව is not used in speech), so point at the spot yourself

30. පපුව

    papuva

    Chest

    Usage

    The rib-cage area, for reporting chest pain or breathlessness; the breast is a separate word, so there is no sexual reading

31. හෝටලය

    hōṭalaya

    Hotel

    Usage

    In Sri Lanka හෝටලය usually means a small eatery. To be sure you mean lodging, add නවාතැන (navāthæna, accommodation) or the English "guest house"

32. ගුවන්තොටුපොළ

    guvanthoṭupoḷa

    Airport

    Usage

    Airport — show it as your destination when negotiating a taxi; the main one is Bandaranaike International near Colombo

33. බස් නැවතුම

    bas nævathuma

    Bus stop

    Usage

    Bus stop; Sri Lankan English calls it a "bus halt", which is what the signboard often says

34. තානාපති කාර්යාලය

    thānāpathi kāryālaya

    Embassy

    Usage

    Embassy — show it as a destination after a lost passport or an accident; the embassies are all in Colombo

35. ඒ.ටී.එම්.

    ē.ṭī.em.

    ATM

    Usage

    The Sinhala spelling of the English letters; the machines themselves are signposted "ATM"

36. මුදල් හුවමාරු කවුන්ටරය

    mudal huvamāru kavunṭaraya

    Money exchange counter

    Usage

    The exchange counter at airports, banks, and around Colombo; the signboard normally reads "MONEY EXCHANGE" in English

37. ලෝන්ඩරිය

    lōnḍariya

    Laundry shop

    Usage

    Self-service coin laundries barely exist in Sri Lanka; you hand washing to your guesthouse or to a laundry shop like this, priced by weight

38. ගිනි නිවන රථය

    gini nivana rathaya

    Fire engine

    Usage

    The vehicle you call for a fire; literally the fire-extinguishing vehicle. The fire service in Sri Lanka is 110

39. කොන්සල් කාර්යාලය

    konsal kāryālaya

    Consulate

    Usage

    Show it as a destination; the embassy is a different building, thānāpathi kāryālaya

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