---
name: locale-lo-la
description: Use when working with the Lao (Laos) locale (`lo-LA`) — its endonym ລາວ (ລາວ), Lao script, left-to-right (LTR) direction, or spoken-population data. Reference data and translation guidance (register, grammar, idiom, typography) for this specific locale; see [[locale]] for general i18n/l10n concepts (BCP 47, plural rules, RTL) that apply across all locales.
---

# Locale: Lao (Laos) (lo-LA)

Reference data for the **Lao (Laos)** locale — endonym **ລາວ (ລາວ)**, written in the Lao script, left-to-right (LTR).

## Identifiers

- **BCP 47 tag:** `lo-LA`
- **ISO 639-1:** `lo`
- **ISO 639-3:** `lao`
- **Script:** Laoo (Lao)
- **Region:** LA (Laos)
- **Text direction:** ltr — left-to-right (LTR)

## Speakers (approximate)

- **L1 (native):** 3,400,000
- **L2 (additional):** 800,000
- **L1+L2 (total):** 4,200,000

## Base locale

This is a regional variant of [[locale-lo-001]] (Lao), the base/macro locale for this language.

## Pluralization

CLDR plural categories for this locale: **other** (1 form).

- **other** — everything else (e.g. 0~15, 100, 1000, 10000, …)

See [[unicode-messageformat]] for writing plural messages using these categories.

## Translating into this locale

Apply [[locale-lo-001]] with the conventions of Laos.

- **Context:** Lao is the official language, and the government publishes in Lao; minority languages are used locally.
- **Formats:** kip (₭) after the amount; day/month/year; Buddhist Era is used alongside the Gregorian year in some documents.
- **Tone:** polite and respectful; titles and kinship terms matter.

## Common pitfalls

- Using Thai-language conventions or script forms.
- Using Western date formats in official forms.
- The general pitfalls in [[locale-lo-001]] also apply.

## Learn more

- [[locale]] for BCP 47 identifiers, locale-sensitive formatting, pluralization, and text-direction concepts that apply across all locales.
- [[unicode-messageformat]] for writing plural/selection messages correctly for this locale's grammar.
- Unicode CLDR locale data for lo-LA (https://cldr.unicode.org)