A0 Expressions & Patterns 1 min read سهل

Farewells

وضع علامة كمكتسب
Practice it

Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Saying goodbye in Lao is simple: use 'Laa gon' for formal situations or 'Laa gon der' for a friendly touch.

  • Use 'Laa gon' (ລາາກ່ອນ) for a standard, formal farewell.
  • Add 'der' (ເດີ) to make your goodbye sound softer and more polite.
  • Use 'Phob kan mai' (ພົບກັນໃໝ່) when you want to say 'see you again'.
Laa gon (Goodbye) + der (Polite Particle) = Friendly Farewell

Meanings

These expressions are used to signal the end of a conversation or departure from a location.

1

Standard Farewell

The most common way to say goodbye.

“ລາາກ່ອນ”

“ລາາກ່ອນເດີ”

2

See you later

Expressing an intention to meet again.

“ພົບກັນໃໝ່”

“ແລ້ວພົບກັນ”

3

Casual/Slang

Used among close friends or younger people.

“ບ່າຍໆ”

“ໄປກ່ອນເດີ”

Farewell Construction

Base Phrase Particle Meaning Register
Laa gon - Goodbye Neutral
Laa gon der Goodbye (polite) Polite
Phob kan mai See you again Neutral
Kho tua laa gon I must leave Formal
Bye-bye - Bye Casual
Jerkun - See you Casual

Common Shortened Forms

Full Short
Laa gon der Laa gon

Reference Table

Reference table for Farewells
Form Structure Example
Standard Laa gon ລາາກ່ອນ
Polite Laa gon + der ລາາກ່ອນເດີ
Future Phob kan + mai ພົບກັນໃໝ່
Formal Kho tua + laa gon ຂໍຕົວລາາກ່ອນ
Casual Bye-bye ບ່າຍໆ
Casual Jerkun ເຈີກັນ

طيف الرسمية

رسمي
ຂໍຕົວລາາກ່ອນ

ຂໍຕົວລາາກ່ອນ (General)

محايد
ລາາກ່ອນ

ລາາກ່ອນ (General)

غير رسمي
ບ່າຍໆ

ບ່າຍໆ (General)

عامية
ໄປລະເດີ

ໄປລະເດີ (General)

Lao Farewell Map

Farewells

Formal

  • ຂໍຕົວລາາກ່ອນ I must leave

Neutral

  • ລາາກ່ອນ Goodbye

Casual

  • ບ່າຍໆ Bye-bye
Sign up free to read full explanation

Examples by Level

1

ລາາກ່ອນ

Goodbye

2

ລາາກ່ອນເດີ

Goodbye (polite)

3

ພົບກັນໃໝ່

See you again

4

ບ່າຍໆ

Bye-bye

1

ຂ້ອຍໄປກ່ອນເດີ

I'm going now (polite)

2

ແລ້ວພົບກັນໃໝ່

See you later

3

ເຈີກັນມື້ອື່ນ

See you tomorrow

4

ລາາກ່ອນ, ພົບກັນໃໝ່

Goodbye, see you again

1

ຂໍຕົວລາາກ່ອນເດີ

I must take my leave (polite)

2

ຫວັງວ່າຈະໄດ້ພົບກັນອີກ

Hope to see you again

3

ໄປກ່ອນເດີ, ໄວ້ເຈີກັນ

I'm off, see you later

4

ລາາກ່ອນ, ຂໍໃຫ້ໂຊກດີ

Goodbye, good luck

1

ຂໍອະນຸຍາດລາາກ່ອນ

May I take my leave

2

ເດີນທາງປອດໄພເດີ

Travel safely

3

ແລ້ວພົບກັນໃໝ່ໃນໂອກາດໜ້າ

See you next time

4

ຂອບໃຈຫຼາຍໆ, ລາາກ່ອນ

Thank you very much, goodbye

1

ຂໍຕົວລາາກ່ອນ, ຫວັງວ່າຈະໄດ້ຮ່ວມງານກັນອີກ

I must leave, hope to work together again

2

ລາາກ່ອນ, ຂໍໃຫ້ມີຄວາມສຸກ

Goodbye, have a happy time

3

ພົບກັນໃໝ່ໃນໄວໆນີ້

See you again soon

4

ຂໍໃຫ້ເດີນທາງໂດຍສະຫວັດດີພາບ

Have a safe journey

1

ຂໍອະນຸຍາດລາາກ່ອນ, ຂໍໃຫ້ທຸກທ່ານໂຊກດີ

I take my leave, wish you all good luck

2

ລາາກ່ອນ, ຫວັງວ່າຈະໄດ້ພົບກັນໃນໂອກາດອັນໃກ້ນີ້

Goodbye, hope to see you in the near future

3

ຂໍໃຫ້ການເດີນທາງຂອງທ່ານເຕັມໄປດ້ວຍຄວາມສຸກ

May your journey be full of happiness

4

ລາາກ່ອນ, ຂໍໃຫ້ທຸກຢ່າງເປັນໄປດ້ວຍດີ

Goodbye, may everything go well

Easily Confused

Farewells مقابل Laa gon vs Kho tua laa gon

Both mean goodbye, but one is formal.

Farewells مقابل Phob kan mai vs Jerkun

Both mean see you, but one is slang.

Farewells مقابل Der vs Nuer

Both are particles.

أخطاء شائعة

✗

Laa

✓

Laa gon

Laa alone is incomplete.
✗

Laa gon (no particle)

✓

Laa gon der

Missing the polite particle.
✗

Bye

✓

Bye-bye

Lao speakers prefer the reduplicated form.
✗

Phob kan

✓

Phob kan mai

Missing 'mai' (again).
✗

Kho tua

✓

Kho tua laa gon

Incomplete formal phrase.
✗

Laa gon (formal)

✓

Kho tua laa gon

Too casual for a meeting.
✗

Jerkun (formal)

✓

Phob kan mai

Jerkun is too casual.
✗

Laa gon (to boss)

✓

Kho tua laa gon

Needs more deference.
✗

Laa gon der (to elder)

✓

Laa gon (with nop)

Particles are not enough for elders.
✗

Phob kan mai (to stranger)

✓

Laa gon

Too familiar.

Sentence Patterns

___ ___ der.

___ ___ ___ mai.

Kho tua ___ ___.

___ ___ ___ ___.

Real World Usage

Social Media constant

Bye-bye!

Texting constant

Jerkun!

Job Interview occasional

Kho tua laa gon.

Travel common

Deun tang pod pai der.

Food Delivery common

Laa gon der.

Meeting Friends very common

Phob kan mai.

Sign up free to see all examples
💡

Use 'der'

Always add 'der' to sound polite.
⚠️

Tone matters

Lao is tonal. Practice 'Laa'.
🎯

Body language

Use the 'nop' with elders.
💬

Context

Match register to the person.

Smart Tips

Always add 'der' to the shopkeeper.

Laa gon → Laa gon der

Use 'Jerkun' instead of 'Laa gon'.

Laa gon → Jerkun

Use 'Kho tua laa gon'.

Laa gon → Kho tua laa gon

Use the 'nop'.

Laa gon → Laa gon (with nop)

النطق

Laa (falling)

Tones

Lao is tonal. 'Laa' has a falling tone.

Polite

Laa gon der ↑

Rising intonation at the end adds warmth.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Laa gon is like 'Leave gone'. You leave and you are gone.

Visual Association

Imagine waving goodbye to a friend at a train station in Vientiane with a warm smile.

Rhyme

Laa gon der, see you later.

Story

You are at a cafe. You finish your coffee. You stand up, smile at the waiter, and say 'Laa gon der'. The waiter smiles back.

Word Web

Laa gonderPhob kanmaiJerkunKho tua

تحدٍّ

Say 'Laa gon der' to your pet or a plant when you leave the room today.

ملاحظات ثقافية

The 'nop' (palms together) is often used with farewells to elders.

Derived from traditional Lao social etiquette.

Conversation Starters

“

Are you leaving now?

“

When will we meet again?

“

Must you go?

“

It was nice meeting you.

Journal Prompts

Write about your last goodbye.
Describe a formal departure.
Compare farewells in your culture and Lao.
Write a dialogue between a boss and employee.
Sign up free to see all tips

Test Yourself

Fill in the blank.

Laa gon ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: der
Der is the polite particle.
Which is formal? اختيار متعدد

Which is formal?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kho tua laa gon
Kho tua is formal.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Laa gon (to boss)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kho tua laa gon
Boss needs formal.
Build the sentence. Sentence Building

Phob / kan / mai

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Phob kan mai
Correct order.
Match the meaning. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: All correct
All match.
Which is casual? اختيار متعدد

Which is casual?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Bye-bye
Bye-bye is casual.
Fill in the blank.

Phob kan ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: mai
Phob kan mai means see you again.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Bye-bye (to elder)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Laa gon (with nop)
Elders need respect.

Score: /8

تمارين تطبيقية

8 exercises
Fill in the blank.

Laa gon ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: der
Der is the polite particle.
Which is formal? اختيار متعدد

Which is formal?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kho tua laa gon
Kho tua is formal.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Laa gon (to boss)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kho tua laa gon
Boss needs formal.
Build the sentence. Sentence Building

Phob / kan / mai

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Phob kan mai
Correct order.
Match the meaning. Match Pairs

Laa gon - Bye

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: All correct
All match.
Which is casual? اختيار متعدد

Which is casual?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Bye-bye
Bye-bye is casual.
Fill in the blank.

Phob kan ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: mai
Phob kan mai means see you again.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Bye-bye (to elder)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Laa gon (with nop)
Elders need respect.

Score: /8

الأسئلة الشائعة (8)

Use `Laa gon der`.

It is neutral. Add `der` for politeness.

Yes, it is very common in casual settings.

It softens the tone and shows respect.

Use `Kho tua laa gon`.

Yes, practice the falling tone on `Laa`.

Palms together, used for respect.

Lao uses more particles.

Sign up free to practice

In Other Languages

Spanish moderate

Adiós

Lao uses particles.

French moderate

Au revoir

Lao is more context-dependent.

German moderate

Auf Wiedersehen

German is more rigid.

Japanese partial

Sayonara

Japanese is more complex.

Arabic high

Ma'a salama

Arabic is religious.

Chinese high

Zai jian

Chinese lacks polite particles.

Previous
Greetings (Sabaidee)
Next
Addressing Others

Related Grammar Rules

A0

Basic Survival Phrases
A2

Health Advice
A1

Describing Relationships
A0

Greetings (Sabaidee)
A1

Ordering at a Restaurant
Was this helpful?

التعليقات (0)

تسجيل الدخول للتعليق
لا توجد تعليقات بعد. كن أول من يشارك أفكاره!