B1 Time Expressions 1 min read سهل

Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Use particles like 'ກ່ອນ' (before), 'ແລ້ວ' (already), and 'ຫຼັງຈາກ' (after) to clearly sequence your actions in Lao.

  • Use 'ກ່ອນ' before the verb to indicate priority: 'ກ່ອນກິນເຂົ້າ' (before eating).
  • Place 'ແລ້ວ' after the verb to show completion: 'ກິນເຂົ້າແລ້ວ' (finished eating).
  • Use 'ຫຼັງຈາກ' at the start of a clause for sequence: 'ຫຼັງຈາກໄປຕະຫຼາດ' (after going to the market).
Time Marker + Action + (Optional Completion Particle)

Temporal Particle Placement

Function Particle Placement Example
Prior
ກ່ອນ
Before Verb
ກ່ອນກິນ
Completed
ແລ້ວ
After Verb
ກິນແລ້ວ
Subsequent
ຫຼັງຈາກ
Start of Clause
ຫຼັງຈາກກິນ
Not yet
ຍັງບໍ່
Before Verb
ຍັງບໍ່ກິນ
Already
ແລ້ວ
End of Clause
ກິນແລ້ວ
First
ກ່ອນ
End of Sentence
ກິນກ່ອນ

Meanings

Temporal sequencing in Lao relies on specific particles that anchor actions in time relative to one another.

1

Prior action

Indicates an action happens before another.

“ກ່ອນໄປໂຮງຮຽນ”

“ກ່ອນນອນ”

2

Completed action

Indicates an action is finished.

“ເຮັດວຽກແລ້ວ”

“ອ່ານປຶ້ມແລ້ວ”

3

Subsequent action

Indicates an action happens after another.

“ຫຼັງຈາກກິນເຂົ້າ”

“ຫຼັງຈາກຮຽນຈົບ”

Reference Table

Reference table for Temporal Sequencing
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
Verb + ແລ້ວ
ກິນແລ້ວ
Negative
ຍັງບໍ່ + Verb
ຍັງບໍ່ກິນ
Question
Verb + ແລ້ວ + ບໍ່
ກິນແລ້ວບໍ່?
Before
ກ່ອນ + Verb
ກ່ອນໄປ
After
ຫຼັງຈາກ + Verb
ຫຼັງຈາກໄປ
Sequence
Verb1 + ແລ້ວ + Verb2
ກິນແລ້ວໄປ
Future
ຈະ + Verb
ຈະໄປ
Past
Verb + ແລ້ວ
ໄປແລ້ວ

طيف الرسمية

رسمي
ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຮັບປະທານອາຫານແລ້ວ

ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຮັບປະທານອາຫານແລ້ວ (Dining)

محايد
ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າແລ້ວ

ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າແລ້ວ (Dining)

غير رسمي
ກິນແລ້ວ

ກິນແລ້ວ (Dining)

عامية
ກິນແລ້ວເດ

ກິນແລ້ວເດ (Dining)

Temporal Markers

Time

Past

  • ແລ້ວ already

Before

  • ກ່ອນ before

After

  • ຫຼັງຈາກ after

أمثلة حسب المستوى

1

ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າແລ້ວ

I have eaten.

2

ກ່ອນນອນ

Before sleeping.

3

ໄປແລ້ວ

Already went.

4

ກ່ອນໄປ

Before going.

1

ເຈົ້າກິນເຂົ້າແລ້ວບໍ່?

Have you eaten yet?

2

ຂ້ອຍເຮັດວຽກແລ້ວ

I have finished work.

3

ກ່ອນໄປໂຮງຮຽນ

Before going to school.

4

ຫຼັງຈາກກິນເຂົ້າ

After eating.

1

ຫຼັງຈາກຮຽນຈົບ ຂ້ອຍຈະໄປເຮັດວຽກ

After graduating, I will go to work.

2

ຂ້ອຍອ່ານປຶ້ມແລ້ວຈຶ່ງນອນ

I read the book, then slept.

3

ກ່ອນຈະອອກຈາກເຮືອນ ຕ້ອງກວດເບິ່ງກະແຈ

Before leaving the house, must check keys.

4

ລາວໄປຮອດແລ້ວ

He has already arrived.

1

ຫຼັງຈາກທີ່ໄດ້ຮັບຂໍ້ມູນແລ້ວ ເຮົາຈະຕັດສິນໃຈ

After receiving the information, we will decide.

2

ກ່ອນການເລີ່ມຕົ້ນໂຄງການ ຕ້ອງມີການວາງແຜນ

Before starting the project, there must be planning.

3

ຂ້ອຍເຮັດວຽກນີ້ແລ້ວສອງຊົ່ວໂມງ

I have been doing this work for two hours.

4

ເມື່ອເຮັດແລ້ວ ກະລຸນາສົ່ງໃຫ້ຂ້ອຍ

When finished, please send it to me.

1

ຫຼັງຈາກທີ່ໄດ້ຜ່ານຜ່າອຸປະສັກຕ່າງໆມາແລ້ວ ລາວຈຶ່ງປະສົບຜົນສຳເລັດ

After overcoming various obstacles, he succeeded.

2

ກ່ອນຈະກ່າວເຖິງບັນຫາ ຂໍໃຫ້ພິຈາລະນາເຫດຜົນກ່ອນ

Before mentioning the problem, please consider the reasons first.

3

ວຽກງານທັງໝົດໄດ້ສຳເລັດແລ້ວ

All work has been completed.

4

ກ່ອນໜ້ານີ້ ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ເຄີຍຮູ້ມາກ່ອນ

Before this, I had never known.

1

ຫຼັງຈາກທີ່ໄດ້ໄຕ່ຕອງຢ່າງຖີ່ຖ້ວນແລ້ວ ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຈຶ່ງຂໍສະເໜີ...

After reflecting thoroughly, I would like to propose...

2

ກ່ອນການປ່ຽນແປງໃດໆ ຕ້ອງມີການປຶກສາຫາລື

Before any changes, there must be consultation.

3

ເມື່ອເຫດການໄດ້ຜ່ານພົ້ນໄປແລ້ວ ທຸກຢ່າງກໍຈະດີຂຶ້ນ

Once the event has passed, everything will improve.

4

ກ່ອນອື່ນໝົດ ເຮົາຕ້ອງເຂົ້າໃຈເຖິງຮາກຖານ

First of all, we must understand the foundation.

سهل الخلط

Temporal Sequencing مقابل ຈະ vs ແລ້ວ

One is future, one is past.

أخطاء شائعة

ແລ້ວກິນ

ກິນແລ້ວ

Completion particle goes after the verb.

ກ່ອນກິນແລ້ວ

ກິນແລ້ວ

Don't mix markers unnecessarily.

ຫຼັງຈາກກິນແລ້ວ

ຫຼັງຈາກກິນ

Redundant particle usage.

ກ່ອນໜ້າກິນ

ກ່ອນກິນ

Unnatural phrasing.

أنماط الجُمل

___ + ກ່ອນ + ___

Real World Usage

Texting constant

ກິນແລ້ວບໍ່?

💡

Keep it simple

Don't over-stack particles.

Smart Tips

Use 'ແລ້ວ' to end each segment.

ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າ. ຂ້ອຍໄປວຽກ. ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າແລ້ວ, ຂ້ອຍໄປວຽກ.

النطق

laew (falling tone)

Tone

Ensure the tone of 'ແລ້ວ' (falling) is clear.

Question

ກິນແລ້ວບໍ່? ↑

Rising intonation for yes/no questions.

احفظها

وسيلة تذكّر

Think of 'ແລ້ວ' as 'Done' (at the end) and 'ກ່ອນ' as 'Go-on' (before you start).

ربط بصري

Imagine a train. The engine is the verb. 'ກ່ອນ' is the signal light before the station, 'ແລ້ວ' is the caboose (the end) of the train.

Rhyme

ກ່ອນຢູ່ໜ້າ, ແລ້ວຢູ່ຫຼັງ, ຟັງໃຫ້ດີ, ເວລາຈະປັງ!

Story

Somchai wants to eat. He says 'ກ່ອນກິນ' (before eating) he washes hands. He eats. Then he says 'ກິນແລ້ວ' (finished eating). Now he is ready for the day.

Word Web

ກ່ອນແລ້ວຫຼັງຈາກຈຶ່ງຍັງບໍ່

تحدٍّ

Write 3 sentences about your morning routine using 'ກ່ອນ' and 'ແລ້ວ'.

ملاحظات ثقافية

Asking 'ກິນເຂົ້າແລ້ວບໍ່?' is a standard way to show care, not just a question about food.

These particles evolved from ancient Tai verbs.

بدايات محادثة

ເຈົ້າເຮັດວຽກແລ້ວບໍ່?

مواضيع للكتابة اليومية

Describe your morning routine.

أخطاء شائعة

Incorrect

صحيح


Incorrect

صحيح


Incorrect

صحيح


Incorrect

صحيح

Test Yourself

Fill in the blank.

ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າ___

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ແລ້ວ
Completed action.
Choose the correct order. اختيار متعدد

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ກິນແລ້ວ
Completion particle is post-verbal.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

ແລ້ວກິນເຂົ້າ

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ກິນເຂົ້າແລ້ວ
Particle placement.
Order the words. Sentence Building

ກິນ / ແລ້ວ / ຂ້ອຍ

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ຂ້ອຍກິນແລ້ວ
SVO order.
Match the meaning. Match Pairs

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

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Before
Definition.
Fill in the blank.

___ໄປໂຮງຮຽນ

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ກ່ອນ
Prior action.
Choose the correct sequence. اختيار متعدد

I ate then left.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ກິນແລ້ວໄປ
Sequence.
Build a sentence. Sentence Building

ຫຼັງຈາກ / ໄປ / ຮຽນຈົບ

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ຫຼັງຈາກຮຽນຈົບໄປ
Sequence.

Score: /8

تمارين تطبيقية

8 exercises
Fill in the blank.

ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າ___

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ແລ້ວ
Completed action.
Choose the correct order. اختيار متعدد

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ກິນແລ້ວ
Completion particle is post-verbal.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

ແລ້ວກິນເຂົ້າ

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ກິນເຂົ້າແລ້ວ
Particle placement.
Order the words. Sentence Building

ກິນ / ແລ້ວ / ຂ້ອຍ

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ຂ້ອຍກິນແລ້ວ
SVO order.
Match the meaning. Match Pairs

ກ່ອນ = ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Before
Definition.
Fill in the blank.

___ໄປໂຮງຮຽນ

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ກ່ອນ
Prior action.
Choose the correct sequence. اختيار متعدد

I ate then left.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ກິນແລ້ວໄປ
Sequence.
Build a sentence. Sentence Building

ຫຼັງຈາກ / ໄປ / ຮຽນຈົບ

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ຫຼັງຈາກຮຽນຈົບໄປ
Sequence.

Score: /8

الأسئلة الشائعة (1)

No, 'ແລ້ວ' is for completed actions.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

In Other Languages

Spanish moderate

Ya + verb

Lao particle is post-verbal.

French low

Passé composé

Lao has no conjugation.

German low

Perfekt

Lao is isolating.

Japanese partial

Ta-form

Lao uses separate particles.

Arabic moderate

Qad + past

Lao is strictly post-verbal for completion.

Chinese high

Le

Lao markers are more flexible.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

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