Communicating in Bhutan is easy for English speakers, and making a small effort with the local language is always warmly received.
Languages spoken
The national language is Dzongkha, written in a script derived from Tibetan. Because English has been the medium of instruction in schools since the 1960s, it is very widely spoken — your guide will be fluent, and you will have no trouble in hotels, shops and towns. Bhutan is also remarkably multilingual for its size: Sharchop is common in the east, Nepali (Lhotshamkha) in the south, and there are many regional dialects, some spoken in a single valley alone.
A few useful phrases
- Kuzuzangpo la — hello (respectful)
- Kadrinche la — thank you
- Log jay gay — goodbye
- La — a polite particle added to the end of a sentence to show respect
Even a single word of Dzongkha usually earns a delighted smile.