Sri Lanka Sinhala Lonely Planet phrasebook

Sinhala is one of the two official languages of Sri Lanka, and it is the first language of more than 75% of the population. According to Sinhalese tradition, this language was introduced to Sri Lanka by a banished prince in the 6th century who conquered the local 'demons'. It has a relatively flexible grammar, so it won't take you long to conquer that language barrier.

• 1470-word dictionary
• Guide to pronunciation and grammar
• Fail-safe small talk
• Practicalities - how to catch a train or ask for antibiotics