The Karen language has a variety of influences. It uses the Burmese alphabet, but it is read completely differently from Burmese. It is historically close to Burmese and Tibeto-Burman languages such as Lahu, Akha and Lisu. However, it also reveals centuries of contact with Mon-Khmer languages in its use of grammar. 

The Karen people are composed of five separate groups, each of which speaks a different dialect that is not always intelligible to the other groups.  In Burma, the largest subgroup, the Kayah, speak a central Kayah dialect. The main dialects spoken in Thailand are Sgaw and Pho, which are very different from one other.  In Thailand, speech patterns also vary by location; in Chiang Rai people tend to speak much more quickly than those in Chiang Mai.

The following phrases are all examples of Sgaw Karen:

Karen people greet each other by shaking hands and saying: “Oh-muu, oh-bur!” Then asking, “Oh-chuu-ah?” (with friends) or “Nah-moh-oh-chuu-ah?” (more polite).

This is a question similar to “How are you,” which can be answered “Oh-chuu,” meaning “fine.”

Karen people also use the following greetings at different times of day:

Good morning:  “Go-law agwe” (‘agwe’ here and below is pronounced with a glottal sound)
Good afternoon:  “Ni-lah agwe”
Good evening:  “Hah-lah agwe”

As in Thai, a common greeting is “Have you eaten yet?”  In Karen, it is:  “Aw mee riah”

“Aw-tee” is ‘drink;’ “Aw-mee” is ‘eat.’

“Dabluu” is ‘thank you.’