Product Description

Stepping out onto the Barkhor circuit, you’re swept along by a sea of chanting pilgrims. You go with the flow as the intriguing procession winds its way clockwise. You peer beyond the whirl of spinning prayer wheels and swirling prayer flags – is that the Jamkhang you can see? Turning to your neighbour on the circuit, you say…

This pocket companion is full of phrases to help you out in any situation — not just discovering Buddhist temples. You'll be talking your way around Tibet in no time.

• master menu vocab and script
• read up on festival rites and rituals — from incense-burning to cham dances
• get a handle on Tibetan grammar and pronunciation
• find your way around — by pedicab, taxi or bus
• take your understanding of Tibetan body language to higher plains

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #874490 in Books
• Published on: 2002-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Review
"...Lonely Planet phrase books have long taken a hip, streetwise approach." -- Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 27, 2004

"Lonely Planet Phrasebooks. Portable, pocket-size, cheap, and available for almost any country you might want to visit..." -- National Geographic Traveler, September 2006

Language Notes
Text: English, Tibetan

From the Publisher
Who We Are
At Lonely Planet, we see our job as inspiring and enabling travelers to connect with the world for their own benefit and for the benefit of the world at large.

What We Do
* We offer travelers the world's richest travel advice, informed by the collective wisdom of over 350 Lonely Planet authors living in 37 countries and fluent in 70 languages.
* We are relentless in finding the special, the unique and the different for travellers wherever they are.
*We update our guidebooks by visiting thousands of places in person to get the details right and tell it as it is.
* We always offer the trusted filter for those who are curious, open minded and independent.
* We challenge our growing community of travelers; leading debate and discussion about travel and the world.
* We tell it like it is without fear or favor in service of the travelers; not clouded by any other motive.

What We Believe
We believe that travel leads to a deeper cultural understanding and compassion and therefore a better world.

Customer Reviews

Excellent
My main objective was learning to speak some Tibetan on a conversational level, and not just a traveler's level. The book teaches the writitng system and enough grammar to be able to correctly speak Tibetan as we speak everyday English. Nothing too deep and technical, but nothing too brief. The small book is absolutely jam-packed with words and phrases. It suits the need of both the traveler and one who wants a basic conversational ability in Tibetan. It's value exceeds the price greatly!

Tibetan Phrasebook
Like most of the books in this series, Lonely Planet attempts to offer the best of all worlds and does a fairly consistent job of it. This phrasebook provides some basic background information on the language and its grammar but I have never found their transliteration schemes to be very accurate for the average American English speaker.

Within its covers, you will find just about every essential phrase the average traveler could ever hope for. Its compact size and price make it the cheapest foray available into the Tibetan language. The Tibetan script is included throughout for those who are interested in seeing the written word or just want to point out phrases instead of attempting to pronounce them correctly.

At less than $6 USD on average, every Tibetan language enthusiast should have a copy of this phrasebook.

Invaluable When Traveling Individually in Tibet
I've been to Tibet five times now, and each time I have carried my now well worn copy of this phrasebook with me. Without it, I'd be at a real loss. It is has proven wonderful for communicating with locals - not only in Lhasa, but also in far more remote parts of the country. It is safe to say that using this phrasebook has enhanced my experiences in Tibet many times over.

If I did have one criticism of it, it would be that while it does have a brief English to Tibetan Dictionary in back, it would greatly benefit from a Tibetan to English Dictionary as well. So many times Tibetans have picked up the phrasebook from me and searched in vain for a word that they are trying to find.

But that criticism is minor. If you're traveling in Tibet on your own, this phrasebooks is a must. Depending on how long you're going to be in the country, you may want to consider the LP Mandarin Phrasebook as well.....