Right about now, most of you are vacationing somewhere for the summer, right?
(PS. Thanks to everyone who took the time off their holidays to say hi and share their holiday photos with me. Have fun!).
So if you find yourself lying on some beach or on the grass in a park and you look up at the sky, I want you to now be able to name what you see in Sinhala.
So let’s begin this “deceptively” light blog post… >>>
“Sky”
sky | a∙ha∙sȧ | |
in the sky | a∙ha∙sé | |
from the sky | a∙ha∙sin |
Sample Phrases:
- The sky is blue = a∙ha∙sȧ nil paa∙tayi
- There’s a cloud in the sky = a∙ha∙sé va∙laa∙ku∙lak thi∙yé∙nȧ∙va
- This fell from the sky = mḗ∙kȧ a∙ha∙sin væ∙tu∙na
“Sun” & “Moon”
sun | i∙rȧ | |
moon | haňdhȧ |
Sample Phrases:
- I can’t look at the sun = ma∙tȧ i∙rȧ dhi∙haa ba∙lan∙nȧ bǣ
- I can look at the moon, though = hæ∙bæyi, ma∙tȧ haňdhȧ dhi∙haa ba∙lan∙nȧ pu∙lu∙wan
“Clouds”
cloud | va∙laa∙ku∙lȧ | |
a cloud | va∙laa∙ku∙lak | |
clouds | va∙laa∙ku∙lu |
Sample Phrases:
- The sun is covered by the cloud = i∙rȧ va∙laa∙ku∙lȧ∙tȧ væ∙hi∙la
- There’s a cloud in the sky = a∙ha∙sé va∙laa∙ku∙lak thi∙yé∙nȧ∙va
- There are many clouds in the sky = a∙ha∙sé va∙laa∙ku∙lu go∙dak thi∙yé∙nȧ∙va
“Rainbow”
rainbow | dhḗ∙dhun∙nȧ | |
a rainbow | dhḗ∙dhun∙nak |
Sample Phrases:
- I’m looking at the beautiful rainbow = ma∙mȧ las∙sȧ∙nȧ dhḗ∙dhun∙nȧ dhi∙haa ba∙lȧ∙nȧ∙va
- I’m looking at a beautiful rainbow = ma∙mȧ las∙sȧ∙nȧ dhḗ∙dhun∙nak dhi∙haa ba∙lȧ∙nȧ∙va
“Stars”
star | tha∙ru∙wȧ | |
a star | tha∙ru∙wak | |
stars | tha∙ru |
Sample Phrases:
- The star is shining = tha∙ru∙wȧ bæ∙bȧ∙lé∙nȧ∙va
- It’s shining like a star = ḗ∙kȧ tha∙ru∙wak va∙gḗ bæ∙bȧ∙lé∙nȧ∙va
- There are many stars in the sky = a∙ha∙sé tha∙ru go∙dak thi∙yé∙nȧ∙va
Things That Fly
kite | sa∙run∙gȧ∙lȧ∙yȧ | |
a kite | sa∙run∙gȧ∙lȧ∙yak | |
kites | sa∙run∙gal | |
bird | ku∙rul∙la | |
a bird | ku∙rul∙lék | |
birds | ku∙rul∙lo | |
plane | “plane” é∙kȧ | |
a plane | “plane” é∙kak | |
planes | “plane” | |
Superman | “Superman” | |
An ostrich on a drone | “drone” é∙kak u∙dȧ in∙nȧ os∙trich ké∙nék |
Sample Phrases:
- I’m flying my kite = ma∙mȧ ma∙gé sa∙run∙gȧ∙lȧ∙yȧ a∙ri∙nȧ∙va
- I’m flying a kite = ma∙mȧ sa∙run∙gȧ∙lȧ∙yak a∙ri∙nȧ∙va
- The children are flying kites = la∙mayi sa∙run∙gal a∙ri∙nȧ∙va
- The bird is flying to the nest = ku∙rul∙la koo∙du∙wȧ∙tȧ pi∙yaam∙bȧ∙nȧ∙va
- She is flying like a bird = é∙yaa ku∙rul∙lék va∙gé pi∙yaam∙bȧ∙nȧ∙va
- The birds are flying to the nest = ku∙rul∙lo koo∙du∙wȧ∙tȧ pi∙yaam∙bȧ∙nȧ∙va
- The plane traveled very low = “plane” é∙kȧ go∙dak pa∙ha∙lin gi∙ya
- A plane traveled very low = “plane” é∙kak go∙dak pa∙ha∙lin gi∙ya
- The two planes traveled very low = “plane” dhé∙kȧ go∙dak pa∙ha∙lin gi∙ya
- It’s a bird! it’s a plane! It’s Superman! = ḗ ku∙rul∙lék! ḗ “plane” é∙kak! ḗ “Superman”!
- There’s no such thing as an ostrich on a drone = “drone” é∙kak u∙dȧ in∙nȧ os∙trich ké∙nék ki∙yȧ∙la dhé∙yak nǣ

But you’re mistaken my friend. There is such a thing…
Bonus Section
New Words That You “Accidentally” Learned Today
a∙ri∙nȧ∙va | sending (but in this case means “flying” for a kite) |
bæ∙bȧ∙lé∙nȧ∙va | is shining |
dhé∙kȧ | two |
dhé∙yak | a thing |
ḗ | that |
gi∙ya | went / traveled |
go∙dak | a lot / many |
hæ∙bæyi | though / but |
haňdhȧ dhi∙haa | at the moon |
i∙rȧ dhi∙haa | at the sun |
koo∙du∙wȧ∙tȧ | to the nest |
la∙mayi | children |
ma∙tȧ ba∙lan∙nȧ pu∙lu∙wan | I can look |
ma∙tȧ ba∙lan∙nȧ bǣ | I can’t look |
mḗ∙kȧ | This (object) |
nil paa∙tayi | is blue color |
pa∙ha∙lin | low |
pi∙yaam∙bȧ∙nȧ∙va | is/are flying |
u∙dȧ | on |
va∙gḗ | like |
væ∙hi∙la | closed / covered / blocked |
væ∙tu∙na | fell |
Well that’s it folks…
Write your questions and comments below, especially if you’re having any trouble with the “accidental” vocabulary I sneakily threw in. See, I told you it was “deceptively” light.
Thank you Dilshan,
Lots of useful words to help me explain things to my kids.
Have a great summer. Will take mine in October with a trip to England.
Great Patty, happy to know that the kids will get something out of this. Also, have a fantastic time in England.
In the sentence ‘the sky is blue’ ‘ahsa nil paatayi’ I’m trying to break it down into sov
Is ahsa the subject and the object?
Let me give some clues:
ahasa = sky
nil = blue
nil paata = blue color
nil paatayi = is blue color
Now, give it another try: What’s the SOV breakup in this?
I’m going to guess here because even in English I’m terrible at this kind of thing.
Subject: ahasa (sky)
Object: paata/paatayi (colour/coloured)
Verb: Nil (blue)
dear dilshan, in the bonus section. you translated ‘lamayi’ as ‘that’. i thought … the translation of the word is ‘children’ ????
You’re absolutely right Sabine, sorry about that. I had accidentally copied and pasted an earlier row. I’ve corrected it now. Thanks again.
Great lesson!
I believe that in the “Sample Phrases” in the “Things That Fly” section, it should read like this:
The plane traveled very low = “plane” é∙kȧ go∙dak pa∙ha∙lin gi∙ya
–> A <– plane traveled very low = “plane” é∙kak go∙dak pa∙ha∙lin gi∙ya
Is that correct?
Thank you Anna! You’re right. I didn’t see that. I’ve corrected it now. Thanks for pointing it out.
Thanks, Dilshan. Keep up the great work!