Food Vocabulary
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Lao food vocabulary is simple: use 'kin' for eating and 'deum' for drinking, followed by the noun.
- Use 'kin' (ກິນ) for all solid food: 'kin khao' (eat rice).
- Use 'deum' (ດື່ມ) for liquids: 'deum nam' (drink water).
- Place the verb before the noun: 'kin' + 'noun'.
Basic Consumption Patterns
| Form | Subject | Verb | Object |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Khoy
|
kin
|
khao
|
|
Negative
|
Khoy
|
bor kin
|
khao
|
|
Question
|
Chao
|
kin
|
khao bor?
|
|
Affirmative
|
Lao
|
deum
|
nam
|
|
Negative
|
Lao
|
bor deum
|
nam
|
|
Question
|
Chao
|
deum
|
nam bor?
|
Meanings
This rule covers the essential vocabulary for food and drink items in Lao and the specific verbs used to consume them.
Solid Food Consumption
Using 'kin' for anything you chew.
“ຂ້ອຍກິນປາ (Khoy kin pa) - I eat fish.”
“ລາວກິນໄກ່ (Lao kin kai) - He eats chicken.”
Liquid Consumption
Using 'deum' for beverages.
“ຂ້ອຍດື່ມນ້ຳ (Khoy deum nam) - I drink water.”
“ລາວດື່ມກາເຟ (Lao deum kafe) - She drinks coffee.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
S + V + O
|
Khoy kin khao
|
|
Negative
|
S + bor + V + O
|
Khoy bor kin khao
|
|
Question
|
S + V + O + bor
|
Khoy kin khao bor?
|
|
Short Yes
|
แม่น (Maen)
|
Yes
|
|
Short No
|
ບໍ່ (Bor)
|
No
|
|
Polite
|
S + V + O + deu
|
Khoy kin khao deu
|
طيف الرسمية
ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າກຳລັງຮັບປະທານອາຫານ (Daily life)
ຂ້ອຍກຳລັງກິນເຂົ້າ (Daily life)
ກິນເຂົ້າຢູ່ (Daily life)
ແດກເຂົ້າຢູ່ (Daily life)
Lao Food Consumption Map
Solids
- khao rice
- pa fish
Liquids
- nam water
- kafe coffee
أمثلة حسب المستوى
ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າ
I eat rice.
ລາວດື່ມນ້ຳ
He drinks water.
ເຈົ້າກິນປາ
You eat fish.
ຂ້ອຍດື່ມກາເຟ
I drink coffee.
ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ກິນຊີ້ນ
I do not eat meat.
ເຈົ້າດື່ມນົມບໍ່?
Do you drink milk?
ລາວບໍ່ດື່ມເບຍ
He does not drink beer.
ເຈົ້າກິນໝາກໄມ້ບໍ່?
Do you eat fruit?
ມື້ນີ້ເຮົາກິນເຂົ້າຢູ່ໃສ?
Where are we eating rice today?
ຂ້ອຍມັກດື່ມຊາຮ້ອນໆ
I like drinking hot tea.
ລາວບໍ່ຄ່ອຍກິນເຜັດ
He doesn't really eat spicy food.
ເຈົ້າເຄີຍດື່ມເຫຼົ້າລາວບໍ່?
Have you ever drunk Lao whiskey?
ກິນເຂົ້າແລ້ວບໍ່?
Have you eaten yet?
ການດື່ມນ້ຳຫຼາຍໆດີຕໍ່ສຸຂະພາບ
Drinking lots of water is good for health.
ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ສາມາດກິນອາຫານທະເລໄດ້
I cannot eat seafood.
ລາວເຊີນພວກເຮົາໄປກິນເຂົ້າແລງ
He invited us to eat dinner.
ການຮັບປະທານອາຫານຮ່ວມກັນແມ່ນວັດທະນະທຳທີ່ສຳຄັນ
Eating together is an important culture.
ລາວມີນິໄສການດື່ມທີ່ບໍ່ດີ
He has bad drinking habits.
ເຮົາຄວນຫຼີກລ່ຽງການກິນອາຫານທີ່ບໍ່ສະອາດ
We should avoid eating unclean food.
ການດື່ມເຫຼົ້າໃນເວລາເຮັດວຽກແມ່ນບໍ່ເໝາະສົມ
Drinking alcohol during work hours is inappropriate.
ໃນສະໄໝກ່ອນ, ການກິນເຂົ້າແມ່ນການເຕົ້າໂຮມຄອບຄົວ
In the past, eating was a family gathering.
ລາວເປັນຄົນທີ່ພິຖີພິຖັນໃນການດື່ມກາເຟ
He is a person who is meticulous about coffee drinking.
ການກິນອາຫານພື້ນເມືອງສະທ້ອນເຖິງວິຖີຊີວິດ
Eating traditional food reflects the way of life.
ການດື່ມດ່ຳກັບບັນຍາກາດແມ່ນສິ່ງທີ່ຂ້ອຍມັກ
Savoring the atmosphere is what I like.
سهل الخلط
Learners use 'kin' for everything.
أخطاء شائعة
khao kin
kin khao
kin nam
deum nam
khoy kin khao?
khoy kin khao bor?
khoy bor kin
khoy bor kin khao
khoy kin-ed khao
khoy kin khao
khoy am kin khao
khoy kam-lang kin khao
kin khao ma
kin khao laew
kin khao formal
rap-pra-than khao
deum khao
kin khao
kin nam bor
deum nam bor
kin khao in royal context
sa-woey khao
deum khao in formal
rap-pra-than khao
kin khao in literary
rap-pra-than
أنماط الجُمل
Khoy ___ ___.
Real World Usage
Khoy kin pho.
Rice is Life
Smart Tips
Always use 'kin' for solids.
النطق
Kin
Mid tone, short vowel.
Deum
Low falling tone.
Question
kin khao bor? ↗
Rising intonation at the end.
احفظها
وسيلة تذكّر
Kin is for chewing, Deum is for sipping.
ربط بصري
Imagine a person chewing a big bowl of rice (Kin) and sipping from a tall glass of water (Deum).
Rhyme
Kin for the rice, Deum for the ice.
Story
Somchai is very hungry. He says 'Khoy kin khao' (I eat rice). Then he is thirsty. He says 'Khoy deum nam' (I drink water). He is happy.
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Go to a Lao restaurant menu online and list 5 items you would 'kin' and 3 you would 'deum'.
ملاحظات ثقافية
Asking 'Have you eaten?' is a sign of care, not just a question.
Tai-Kadai roots.
بدايات محادثة
ເຈົ້າກິນເຂົ້າແລ້ວບໍ່?
مواضيع للكتابة اليومية
أخطاء شائعة
Test Yourself
Khoy ___ nam.
Score: /1
تمارين تطبيقية
1 exercisesKhoy ___ nam.
Score: /1
الأسئلة الشائعة (1)
In very casual speech, yes, but 'deum' is better.
Scaffolded Practice
1
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
kin khao
Lao is slightly more conservative in formal registers.
chi fan
Chinese has more specific verbs for different types of eating.
gohan o taberu
Word order is reversed.
comer
Lao does not conjugate.
manger
Lao has no articles.
essen
Lao is an isolating language.
