Tibet & Himalayas [Home]

Tibet (TAR)
China
India
Nepal
Bhutan

Books & Travel Guides

Currency Converter

Embassies & Consulates
China
India
Nepal
Bhutan

Tibetan Cultural Region Directory

Books

Art Gallery

Asian People's Directory

Kotan Publishing

Home

Language in Tibet

English is spoken at foreigner's hotels in the cities, restaurants popular with tourists, the Foreign Affairs Section of PSB, travel agencies, etc. Many signs, buses, ticket offices, menus, etc., show only Chinese characters.

Ordinarily, the Tibetans speak Tibetan and the Chinese, Chinese. The Tibetans can also speak Chinese pretty well, as they must learn it at school. Still many Tibetan people who did not study Chinese at school, such as monks, understand only their own language. On the other hand, very few Chinese people understand Tibetan. Basically, most Tibetans don't like hearing Chinese and some of them will ignore you or get angry with you if you speak to them in Chinese.

For travelers who have come from China, Chinese that you've learnt is easier and can help you get most things done, however you should bear it in mind the Tibetan's complicated feelings.

With the exiled Tibetan government in India, you sometimes meet Tibetans in remote areas that speak English having learned it in India.

The study aids, books, CD Roms and software programs promoted on this page are distributed by Snow Lion Publications. Established over 20 years ago, Snow Lion Publications is now internationally the leading publisher and distributor of English language, Tibet-related books, videos and music.

Learning Tibetan
A BASIC GRAMMAR OF MODERN SPOKEN TIBETAN: A Practical Handbook Regular price $ 65.00 On Sale! $ 52.00   Optional: 90 min cassette tape to accompany the book $ 10.00		FLUENT TIBETAN CD-ROM: A Proficiency-Oriented Learning System Novice and Intermediate Levels. A multimedia supplement with additional dialogues Regular price $ 45 On Sale! $ 36.00
FLUENT TIBETAN: A Proficiency-Oriented Learning System. Novice and Intermediate Level Regular price $ 250 On Sale! $ 200.00		LEARN TIBETAN: Essential Words and Phrases for Absolute Beginners CD-Rom $ 50.00
LEARNING PRACTICAL TIBETAN Regular price $ 16.95 On Sale! $ 13.56   Optional: two 90 min. cassette tapes to accompany the book $ 14.95		NEW PLAN TIBETAN GRAMMAR AND TRANSLATION $ 12.00
THE CLASSICAL TIBETAN LANGUAGE $ 24.50		TIBETAN QUADRISYLLABICS, PHRASES & IDIOMS $ 18.00
TRANSLATING BUDDHISM FROM TIBETAN: An Introduction to the Tibetan Literary Language and the Translation of Buddhist Texts from Tibetan Regular price $ 65 On Sale! $ 52.00 Optional: 90 min cassette tape to accompany the book $ 10.00
Tibetan Dictionaries
A Large TIBETAN-ENGLISH DICTIONARY $ 45.00		A SANSKRIT-ENGLISH DICTIONARY $ 40.00
A TIBETAN-ENGLISH DICTIONARY (compact edition) $ 25.00		ENGLISH-TIBETAN DICTIONARY OF MODERN TIBETAN $ 40.00
Gansu TIBETAN-ENGLISH DICTIONARY $ 40.00		TIBETAN-CHINESE DICTIONARY $ 120.00
TIBETAN-ENGLISH DICTIONARY OF BUDDHIST CULTURE CD-Rom, version 2.0 $ 50.00		TIBETAN-ENGLISH DICTIONARY OF BUDDHIST TERMINOLOGY $ 40.00
THE ILLUMINATOR TIBETAN-ENGLISH ELECTRONIC DICTIONARY CD-Rom $ 150.00		THE SARAT CHANDRA DAS TIBETAN ENGLISH DICTIONARY CD-Rom $ 175.00
Language of Buddhism
TRANSLATING BUDDHISM FROM TIBETAN: An Introduction to the Tibetan Literary Language and the Translation of Buddhist Texts from Tibetan Regular price $ 65 On Sale! $ 52.00 Optional: 90 min cassette tape to accompany the book $ 10.00		TIBETAN-ENGLISH DICTIONARY OF BUDDHIST CULTURE CD-Rom, version 2.0 $ 50.00
TIBETAN-ENGLISH DICTIONARY OF BUDDHIST TERMINOLOGY $ 40.00		THE TREASURY WHICH IS AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF KNOWLEDGE CD-Rom $ 125.00
TIBETAN-ENGLISH DICTIONARY OF BUDDHIST CULTURE CD-Rom, version 2.0 $ 50.00
Software & CD-ROMs
TIBET DOC WORD-PROCESSOR CD-Rom $ 150.00		TIBETAN! 5 FOR WORD CD-Rom $ 150.00
THE ILLUMINATOR TIBETAN-ENGLISH ELECTRONIC DICTIONARY CD-Rom $ 150.00		THE SARAT CHANDRA DAS TIBETAN ENGLISH DICTIONARY CD-Rom $ 175.00
THE TREASURY WHICH IS AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF KNOWLEDGE CD-Rom $ 125.00		LEARN TIBETAN: Essential Words and Phrases for Absolute Beginners CD-Rom $ 50.00
FLUENT TIBETAN CD-ROM: A Proficiency-Oriented Learning System Novice and Intermediate Levels. A multimedia supplement with additional dialogues Regular price $ 45 On Sale! $ 36.00		TIBETAN-ENGLISH DICTIONARY OF BUDDHIST CULTURE CD-Rom, version 2.0 $ 50.00

Tibet & Himalayas [Home]