Language and Communication in Sri Lanka

Are you thinking about traveling to Sri Lanka? First of all, let us congratulate you on your decision of visiting the wonder of Asia, Sri Lanka. Since the country is reopening after the pandemic, we thought it would be beneficial for first-time travellers in particular if we explain the language and the communication in Sri Lanka. In order to keep everything simple, we have shaped the article as a Q&A session.

Frequently asked questions about language and communication in Sri Lanka

What are the main languages in Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka is a country with mixed ethnicities; Sinhala and Tamil are the main languages used in the country. That said, English also is a “generally understandable” language for the most. You can get most of your works done without much of a problem if you know English. English is very common when it comes to the tourism side of things, and literally, all the hotel staff, shops, and restaurants around the country are well-equipped to serve their visitors in English.

Road signs and other must-know details are explained in Sinhala and English in most areas of the country except for some places in North and eastern provinces where Tamil is more prominent. However, tourist guide services in Sri Lanka generally consists of Spanish, Italian, Japanese, and French speakers, and if you are not from those countries, a tiny bit of English will do the work for you.

• Can I talk any language freely in Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka is a super-friendly country for visitors, and talking the language you know won’t put you in trouble. However, using a language other than Sinhala, Tamil or English would not help you in most cases to accomplish the task you want because of the lack of understanding capabilities.

• What is the Sinhala speaking percentage in Sri Lanka?

More than 74% of citizens speak Sinhala in Sri Lanka. However, when you go to the northern, eastern and central sides of the country and around Nuwara-Eliya, Hatton, Adams Peak, and Badulla, you can see more Tamil speakers. The fascinating fact is most Sinhalese do speak and understand Tamil and vice versa.

The 30-year civil war definitely had limited Sinhala population in north and east provinces. But, the conclusion of the war in 2009 has bridged the country again, and now there is a good mix of Tamils ad Sinhalese in most of the parts.

• How can I call someone in Sri Lanka?

94 is Sri Lanka’s country code, and the two-letter code is LK. If you are dialing a person who is in Colombo, you have to use +94 11…. followed by the rest of the digits. The mobile telephone numbers of the country start from 07 and similar to the previous example you have to use +94 to make a mobile telephone call to Sri Lanka.

You don’t have to use +94 to call while you are in the country; having said that, you must use the area code of the city when calling to a fixed line. You can extract the local area codes of Sri Lanka on Google without much of a fuss.

• How about Sri Lanka’s telecommunication?

Telephone facility is never a hassle, and almost all the individuals of the country have a mobile phone. However, you can hardly find telephone booths across the rural areas of Sri Lanka as the rising mobile technology has gradually taken that aspect out of context. The overall clarity of the phone calls is good. The cost also substantially low compared to the last three to four years.

Generally speaking, you can make a mobile phone call less than 2LKR/minute. Also there are five main service providers available as of now; Dialog, Mobitel, Hutch, Airtel and Etisalat. Further, you shouldn’t be facing any coverage issues while traveling across the country as well.

• Is the internet available in Sri Lanka?

Yes, of course. Unlike most other Asian countries, there are no heavy restrictions on the users. All the popular social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn are available for both tourists and the general public. Internet was somewhat foreign, particularly for the older generation of the country a few years back, but things have drastically changed thanks to new government rules; now they are more than capable of handling the internet to find solutions for their day to day problems.

Further, most of the popular hotels, restaurants and public places have free Wi-Fi facilities. If you don’t have any device to log into the internet, you can visit an internet café to get services which will cost you about USD 0.50/hour.

• Can I buy local connections in Sri Lanka?

Yes, you can purchase a SIM card from a local service provider and use it while you are in Sri Lanka. As said, the mobile rates are quite low, and there are various methods available for you to top up your account. The price of SIM cards usually changes from one retailer to another; and it would be ideal if you buy one at the airport on your arrival.

Talking about the mobile recharge options, you can buy scratch cards from retailers around the country. The new technology has absorbed enough into the Sri Lankan soil to top up the accounts via credit and debit cards.

Conclusion on language and communication in Sri Lanka

To summarize the article, we would say tourists typically find it easy to mingle with Sri Lankan people. Because they have a relatively high understanding capacity of the English language; also, they are reputed as a highly hospitable nation. Concerning the telecommunication and internet, tourists can enjoy those services without any barriers at an affordable price range.

OK, guys, that’s it for today’s article. Please comment below if you have any issues; we are more than happy to help you with anything regarding this amazing country. Cheers! View more articles related to sri lanka