Photography

1. ඡායාරූපයක් ගන්නද?

   Chā-yā-rū-pa-yak gan-na-da?

   May I take a photo?

   Usage

   Used to ask permission before taking a photograph

   Grammar Note

   "Chāyārūpaya" is Sanskrit-derived meaning "shadow image/portrait". "Gannawa" (to take) is used for taking photos.

2. ඔබේ ඡායාරූපය ගන්නද?

   O-bē chā-yā-rū-pa-ya gan-na-da?

   May I take your photo?

   Usage

   Used to politely ask to photograph a person

   Grammar Note

   "Oba" is the polite pronoun for "you". In Sri Lanka, asking permission before photographing people is especially important at religious sites and in rural areas.

3. එකට ඡායාරූපයක් ගමු

   E-ka-ta chā-yā-rū-pa-yak ga-mu

   Let's take a photo together

   Usage

   Used to suggest taking a photo together

   Grammar Note

   "Gamu" is the first person plural volitional of "to take". "Ekaṭa" means "together". Sinhala volitionals end in "-mu" for suggestions.

4. ඡායාරූප ගන්න ඉඩ නෑ

   Chā-yā-rū-pa gan-na i-ḍa nǣ

   Photography is not allowed

   Usage

   Used to indicate that photography is prohibited in a location

   Grammar Note

   "Iḍa næ" literally means "there is no room/permission". This phrase is commonly seen at temples and museums in Sri Lanka.

5. ඡායාරූප ලස්සනට ආව

   Chā-yā-rū-pa las-sa-na-ta ā-va

   The photo came out beautifully

   Usage

   Used to compliment how a photo turned out

   Grammar Note

   "Lassanaṭa āva" means "came out beautifully". "Āva" is the past of "to come" used to express results ("turned out as").

6. තව ටිකක් එතන ඉන්නකෝ

   Ta-wa ti-kak e-ta-na in-na-kō

   Please stay there for a moment

   Usage

   Used to ask a subject to hold their position while taking a photo

   Grammar Note

   "Innakō" is a softened imperative of "to be/stay" (inawā). The suffix "-kō" softens commands into polite requests.

7. කැමරා බෑගය ගන්නද?

   Kæ-ma-rā bǣ-ga-ya gan-na-da?

   Can you hold my camera bag?

   Usage

   Used to ask someone to hold your camera bag

   Grammar Note

   Both "kæmrā" and "bǣgaya" are English loanwords. "Gannawa" means "to take/hold" and adapts to context.

8. ඉර එහෙට ඉන්නකෝ

   I-ra e-he-ta in-na-kō

   Please stand facing the sun

   Usage

   Used to direct a subject's position relative to the sun when shooting outdoors

   Grammar Note

   "Ira" is the colloquial word for "sun"; formal: "sūrya". "Eheṭa" is a directional meaning "toward that side".

9. ඡායාරූප ෆෝනෙ තියෙනවා

   Chā-yā-rū-pa fō-ne ti-ye-na-wā

   The photos are on my phone

   Usage

   Used to say that photos are saved on a smartphone

   Grammar Note

   "Fōne" is the Sinhala adaptation of "phone". Final vowels often change in colloquial Sinhala pronunciation.

10. ඡායාරූපය ලස්සනයි!

    Chā-yā-rū-pa-ya las-sa-na-yi!

    What a beautiful photo!

    Usage

    Used to compliment a beautiful photo

    Grammar Note

    "Lassanayi" = adjective "lassana" (beautiful) + copula suffix "yi". Adding "yi" to adjectives creates predicate forms in Sinhala.

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