The purpose of this list is to give a rough idea of the Hmong language. The words listed below are not the most common words, but a broad sampling of words. See the Word Lists page for more details.
| English | Hmong (Hmoob Dawb) |
| I | kuv |
| you (singular) | koj |
| he | nws |
| we | peb, wb (dual) |
| you (plural) | nej, neb (dual) |
| they | lawv, nkawd (dual) |
| this | no, nov |
| that | ntawd |
| here | qhov no |
| there | ntawd |
| who | leej twg |
| what | dabtsi |
| where | qhov twg |
| when | thaum twg |
| how | ua li cas |
| not | tsis |
| all | huv si, tib si |
| many | ntau, coob |
| some | qee |
| few | mentsis, tsawg |
| other | lwm |
| one | ib |
| two | ob |
| three | peb |
| four | plaub |
| five | tsib |
| big | loj |
| long | ntev |
| wide | dav |
| thick | tuab |
| heavy | hnyav |
| small | me |
| short | luv |
| narrow | nqaim |
| thin | nyias |
| woman | pojniam |
| man (male) | txiv neej |
| man (human) | neeg |
| child | menyuam |
| wife | pojniam |
| husband | txiv |
| mother | niam |
| father | txiv |
| animal | tsiaj |
| fish | ntses |
| bird | noog |
| dog | dev |
| louse | tuv |
| snake | nab |
| worm | cua nab |
| tree | ntoo |
| forest | zoov |
| stick | ceg |
| fruit | txiv |
| seed | noob |
| leaf | nplooj |
| root | cag |
| bark (of a tree) | tawv |
| flower | paj |
| grass | nyom |
| rope | hlua |
| skin | tawv |
| meat | nqaij |
| blood | ntshav |
| bone | pob-txha |
| fat (noun) | roj |
| egg | qe |
| horn | kub |
| tail | tw |
| feather | plaub |
| hair | plaub-hau |
| head | taub-hau |
| ear | pob-ntseg |
| eye | qhov-muag |
| nose | qhov-ntswg |
| mouth | qhov-ncauj |
| tooth | hniav |
| tongue | nplaig |
| fingernail | rau tes |
| foot | ko-taw |
| leg | ceg |
| knee | hauv caug, caug |
| hand | tes |
| wing | tis |
| belly | plab |
| guts | hnyuv |
| neck | caj-dab |
| back | nrob qaum |
| breast | mis |
| heart | plawv |
| liver | siab |
| to drink | haus |
| to eat | noj |
| to bite | tom |
| to suck | ntxais |
| to spit | nti, nto |
| to vomit | ntuav |
| to blow | tshuab |
| to breathe | ua pa |
| to laugh | luag |
| to see | pom |
| to hear | hnov |
| to know | paub |
| to think | xav |
| to smell | tsw |
| to fear | ntshai |
| to sleep | tsaug zog |
| to live | nyob |
| to die | tuag |
| to kill | tua |
| to fight | sib-ntaus |
| to hunt | plob hav zoov |
| to hit | ntaus |
| to cut | txiav |
| to split | phua |
| to stab | nkaug, nplhos |
| to scratch | khawb |
| to dig | khawb |
| to swim | ua luam dej |
| to fly | ya |
| to walk | taug kev |
| to come | tuaj |
| to lie (as in a bed) | pw |
| to sit | zaum |
| to stand | sawv ntsug |
| to turn (intransitive) | tig |
| to fall | poob |
| to give | muab rau |
| to hold | tuav, puag |
| to squeeze | nyem |
| to rub | mos |
| to wash | ntxuav |
| to wipe | so |
| to pull | rub |
| to push | thawb |
| to throw | pov |
| to tie | khi |
| to sew | xaws |
| to count | suav |
| to say | hais |
| to sing | hu/hais nkauj |
| to play | ua si |
| to float | ntab |
| to flow | ntws |
| to freeze | khov |
| to swell | o |
| sun | hnub |
| moon | hli |
| star | hnub qub |
| water | dej |
| rain | nag |
| river | dej |
| lake | pas dej |
| sea | hiav-txwv |
| salt | ntsev |
| stone | pob-zeb |
| sand | hmoov zeb |
| dust | hmoov av |
| earth | av |
| cloud | huab |
| fog | pos huab |
| sky | ntuj |
| wind | cua |
| snow | npu |
| ice | dej khov, nab kuab |
| smoke | ncho pa |
| fire | taws |
| ash | tshauv |
| to burn | hlawv |
| road | kev |
| mountain | roob, toj |
| red | liab |
| green | ntsuab |
| yellow | daj |
| white | dawb |
| black | dub |
| night | tsaus ntuj |
| day | hnub |
| year | xyoo |
| warm | kub, sov |
| cold | no, txias |
| full | puv |
| new | tshiab |
| old | laus, qub |
| good | zoo |
| bad | phem |
| rotten | lwj |
| dirty | txab, ceb |
| straight | ncaj |
| round | kheej-kheej |
| sharp (as a knife) | ntse |
| dull (as a knife) | npub |
| smooth | du |
| wet | ntub |
| dry | qhuav |
| correct | tseeb |
| near | ze |
| far | deb |
| right | sab xis |