Adjectival Verbs
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
In Lao, adjectives function as verbs, meaning you don't need a 'to be' verb like 'is' or 'are'.
- Use the adjective directly after the noun: 'The house big' (ເຮືອນໃຫຍ່).
- Add 'bo' (ບໍ່) before the adjective for negation: 'The house not big' (ເຮືອນບໍ່ໃຫຍ່).
- Add 'bo' (ບໍ່) at the end for questions: 'House big no?' (ເຮືອນໃຫຍ່ບໍ່?).
Meanings
Lao adjectives are stative verbs that describe the state or quality of a noun without requiring a copula.
Direct Description
Describing a noun's quality.
“ນ້ຳເຢັນ (The water is cold)”
“ລາວສູງ (He is tall)”
Comparative
Comparing two things using 'kwaa' (ກວ່າ).
“ເຮືອນນີ້ໃຫຍ່ກວ່າ (This house is bigger)”
“ລາວເກັ່ງກວ່າ (He is smarter)”
Superlative
Expressing the most extreme quality using 'thii sut' (ທີ່ສຸດ).
“ງາມທີ່ສຸດ (Most beautiful)”
“ດີທີ່ສຸດ (Best)”
Adjectival Verb Patterns
| Form | Structure | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Noun + Adj | ນ້ຳເຢັນ | The water is cold |
| Negative | Noun + bo + Adj | ນ້ຳບໍ່ເຢັນ | The water is not cold |
| Question | Noun + Adj + bo | ນ້ຳເຢັນບໍ່ | Is the water cold? |
| Comparative | Noun + Adj + kwaa | ນ້ຳເຢັນກວ່າ | The water is colder |
| Superlative | Noun + Adj + thii sut | ນ້ຳເຢັນທີ່ສຸດ | The water is coldest |
| Intensifier | Noun + Adj + lai | ນ້ຳເຢັນຫຼາຍ | The water is very cold |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Noun + Adj | ລາວສູງ |
| Negative | Noun + bo + Adj | ລາວບໍ່ສູງ |
| Question | Noun + Adj + bo | ລາວສູງບໍ່ |
| Comparative | Noun + Adj + kwaa | ລາວສູງກວ່າ |
| Superlative | Noun + Adj + thii sut | ລາວສູງທີ່ສຸດ |
| Intensifier | Noun + Adj + lai | ລາວສູງຫຼາຍ |
Formalitätsspektrum
ອາຫານມີລົດຊາດແຊບ (Dining)
ອາຫານແຊບ (Dining)
ແຊບຫຼາຍ (Dining)
ແຊບນົວ (Dining)
Adjectival Verb Map
Quality
- ງາມ beautiful
- ດີ good
Size
- ໃຫຍ່ big
- ນ້ອຍ small
Examples by Level
ອາກາດດີ
The weather is good
ລາວງາມ
She is beautiful
ນ້ຳເຢັນ
The water is cold
ເຮືອນໃຫຍ່
The house is big
ອາກາດບໍ່ດີ
The weather is not good
ລາວງາມບໍ່?
Is she beautiful?
ນ້ຳບໍ່ເຢັນ
The water is not cold
ເຮືອນບໍ່ໃຫຍ່
The house is not big
ອາກາດດີຫຼາຍ
The weather is very good
ລາວງາມກວ່າໝູ່
She is the most beautiful
ນ້ຳເຢັນເກີນໄປ
The water is too cold
ເຮືອນນີ້ໃຫຍ່ກວ່າເຮືອນນັ້ນ
This house is bigger than that one
ອາກາດດີຂຶ້ນແລ້ວ
The weather has improved
ລາວງາມແບບທຳມະຊາດ
She is naturally beautiful
ນ້ຳເຢັນສົດຊື່ນ
The water is refreshingly cold
ເຮືອນໃຫຍ່ໂອ້ໂຖງ
The house is big and spacious
ອາກາດດີງາມຫຼາຍ
The weather is exceptionally good
ລາວງາມສະຫງ່າ
She is elegantly beautiful
ນ້ຳເຢັນສຽດກະດູກ
The water is bone-chillingly cold
ເຮືອນໃຫຍ່ໂຕມະໂຫຖານ
The house is massive and grand
ອາກາດດີດັ່ງໃຈປາດຖະໜາ
The weather is as good as one could wish
ລາວງາມດັ່ງນາງຟ້າ
She is as beautiful as an angel
ນ້ຳເຢັນຈົນໜາວສັ່ນ
The water is cold to the point of shivering
ເຮືອນໃຫຍ່ກວ້າງຂວາງສຸດສາຍຕາ
The house is vast and expansive as far as the eye can see
Easily Confused
Learners use 'maen' for adjectives because they think it means 'is'.
Learners use 'pen' for adjectives as in Thai.
Learners put adjectives before nouns.
Häufige Fehler
ແມວ ແມ່ນ ນ້ອຍ
ແມວນ້ອຍ
ນ້ອຍ ແມວ
ແມວນ້ອຍ
ແມວ ເປັນ ນ້ອຍ
ແມວນ້ອຍ
ແມວ ໃຫຍ່ ບໍ່ ແມວ
ແມວໃຫຍ່ບໍ່
ບໍ່ ແມວ ນ້ອຍ
ແມວບໍ່ນ້ອຍ
ແມວ ບໍ່ ໃຫຍ່ ບໍ່
ແມວບໍ່ໃຫຍ່ບໍ່
ແມວ ໃຫຍ່ ບໍ່ ແມ່ນ
ແມວໃຫຍ່ບໍ່
ແມວ ໃຫຍ່ ກວ່າ ແມວ ນ້ອຍ
ແມວໃຫຍ່ກວ່າ
ແມວ ໃຫຍ່ ທີ່ສຸດ ຫຼາຍ
ແມວໃຫຍ່ທີ່ສຸດ
ແມວ ໃຫຍ່ ຫຼາຍ ກວ່າ
ແມວໃຫຍ່ກວ່າ
ແມວ ໃຫຍ່ ທີ່ສຸດ ຂອງ ໂລກ
ແມວໃຫຍ່ທີ່ສຸດໃນໂລກ
ແມວ ໃຫຍ່ ຫຼາຍ ໆ
ແມວໃຫຍ່ຫຼາຍ
ແມວ ໃຫຍ່ ດັ່ງ ໃຫຍ່
ແມວໃຫຍ່ດັ່ງຊ້າງ
Sentence Patterns
___ ___
___ ບໍ່ ___
___ ___ ບໍ່
___ ___ ກວ່າ
Real World Usage
ເຜັດບໍ່?
ງາມຫຼາຍ
ໄກບໍ່?
ດີຫຼາຍ
ມ່ວນ
ແຊບ
Think of adjectives as verbs
Avoid 'maen'
Use 'lai' for emphasis
Be direct
Smart Tips
Think 'Noun-First'.
Add 'bo' at the end.
Put 'bo' before the adjective.
Add 'kwaa'.
Aussprache
Tones
Lao is a tonal language. Adjectives change meaning with tone.
Question
Noun + Adj + bo↑
Rising intonation at the end indicates a question.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of the adjective as a 'sticky note' that you just slap onto the noun.
Visual Association
Imagine a giant label maker printing the word 'BIG' and sticking it directly onto a house.
Rhyme
Noun comes first, adjective next, no 'is' needed, that's the text.
Story
You walk into a house. You see a cat. You say 'Cat small'. You see a dog. You say 'Dog big'. You see a bowl of soup. You say 'Soup hot'.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Describe 5 things in your room using the [Noun] + [Adjective] pattern in 5 minutes.
Kulturelle Hinweise
Directness is valued in descriptions, but using 'lai' (very) is common for politeness.
Adjectives are often used with specific particles for emphasis.
Adjectives are frequently paired with verbs of state.
Lao adjectival verbs are a common feature of Tai-Kadai languages, where descriptive words function as predicates.
Conversation Starters
ອາຫານນີ້ແຊບບໍ່?
ອາກາດມື້ນີ້ຮ້ອນບໍ່?
ເຮືອນເຈົ້າໃຫຍ່ບໍ່?
ລາວສູງກວ່າເຈົ້າບໍ່?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
ນ້ຳ ___ (cold)
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ແມວ ແມ່ນ ນ້ອຍ
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
The house is big.
Answer starts with: ເຮື...
Use 'ງາມ' (beautiful) for 'ລາວ' (she).
Which is an adjective?
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
Ubungsaufgaben
8 exercisesນ້ຳ ___ (cold)
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ແມວ ແມ່ນ ນ້ອຍ
ບໍ່ / ໃຫຍ່ / ເຮືອນ
The house is big.
Use 'ງາມ' (beautiful) for 'ລາວ' (she).
Which is an adjective?
Match 'big' with Lao.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
No, adjectives are verbs.
Use 'bo' before the adjective.
Add 'bo' at the end.
Only for identity, not quality.
After the noun.
No, it's an intensifier.
No, Lao adjectives are gender-neutral.
Use 'kwaa'.
In Other Languages
Ser/Estar + Adjective
Lao lacks a copula for adjectives.
Être + Adjective
Lao lacks a copula for adjectives.
Sein + Adjective
Lao lacks a copula for adjectives.
Adjective + Desu
Lao doesn't need a polite copula.
Nominal sentence
Lao is always copula-less.
Noun + Hen + Adjective
Lao doesn't need a filler word.
