Negative Imperatives
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
To tell someone not to do something in Lao, simply place the word 'ຢ່າ' (yaa) before the verb.
- Use 'ຢ່າ' (yaa) for standard negative commands: ຢ່າໄປ (Yaa pai) - Don't go.
- Use 'ຫ້າມ' (haam) for strict prohibitions or signs: ຫ້າມຈອດ (Haam jort) - No parking.
- Add 'ເດີ້' (der) at the end to soften the command: ຢ່າເວົ້າເດີ້ (Yaa vao der) - Please don't talk.
Meanings
The negative imperative is used to issue a command or request for someone to refrain from an action.
Direct Prohibition
A direct instruction to stop or avoid an action.
“ຢ່າແລ່ນ (Yaa laen) - Don't run.”
“ຢ່າຮ້ອງ (Yaa hong) - Don't shout.”
Negative Imperative Structure
| Type | Particle | Verb | Politeness | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Informal | ຢ່າ | ໄປ | - | ຢ່າໄປ |
| Polite | ຢ່າ | ໄປ | ເດີ້ | ຢ່າໄປເດີ້ |
| Formal | ຫ້າມ | ຈອດ | - | ຫ້າມຈອດ |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Negative | ຢ່າ + Verb | ຢ່າໄປ |
| Polite Negative | ຢ່າ + Verb + ເດີ້ | ຢ່າໄປເດີ້ |
| Formal Prohibition | ຫ້າມ + Verb | ຫ້າມຈອດ |
| Strong Warning | ຢ່າ + Verb + ເດັດຂາດ | ຢ່າໄປເດັດຂາດ |
Formalitätsspektrum
ຫ້າມໄປ (General prohibition)
ຢ່າໄປ (General prohibition)
ຢ່າໄປເດີ້ (General prohibition)
ຢ່າໄປຫວາ (General prohibition)
Negative Imperative Map
Informal
- ຢ່າໄປ Don't go
Polite
- ຢ່າໄປເດີ້ Please don't go
Formal
- ຫ້າມຈອດ No parking
Examples by Level
ຢ່າໄປ
Don't go.
ຢ່າກິນ
Don't eat.
ຢ່າເວົ້າ
Don't talk.
ຢ່າແລ່ນ
Don't run.
ຢ່າລືມເດີ້
Don't forget, please.
ຫ້າມຈອດລົດ
No parking.
ຢ່າເຮັດແບບນີ້
Don't do it like this.
ຢ່າຊ້າເດີ້
Don't be late, please.
ຢ່າກັງວົນຫຼາຍ
Don't worry too much.
ຫ້າມຖ່າຍຮູບ
No photography allowed.
ຢ່າໃຫ້ເຂົາຮູ້
Don't let him know.
ຢ່າເສຍເວລາ
Don't waste time.
ຢ່າຖືສາຄົນອື່ນ
Don't take it personally.
ຫ້າມນຳໃຊ້ໂທລະສັບ
Mobile phones prohibited.
ຢ່າປ່ອຍໃຫ້ໂອກາດຫຼຸດມື
Don't let the opportunity slip away.
ຢ່າຄິດຫຼາຍ
Don't overthink it.
ຢ່າດ່ວນຕັດສິນໃຈ
Don't rush to a decision.
ຫ້າມບຸກລຸກ
No trespassing.
ຢ່າໃຫ້ຄວາມຫວັງ
Don't give false hope.
ຢ່າປະໝາດ
Don't be careless.
ຢ່າໃຫ້ເຫດການນີ້ເກີດຂຶ້ນອີກ
Don't let this happen again.
ຫ້າມບໍ່ໃຫ້ມີການແຊກແຊງ
Interference is strictly prohibited.
ຢ່າຫຼົງເຊື່ອຄຳເວົ້າຫວານ
Don't be deceived by sweet words.
ຢ່າປ່ອຍໃຫ້ຄວາມຢ້ານກົວຊະນະ
Don't let fear win.
Easily Confused
Learners use ບໍ່ for commands.
Learners use ຢ່າ for public signs.
Forgetting to add it.
Häufige Fehler
ບໍ່ໄປ
ຢ່າໄປ
ຢ່າບໍ່ໄປ
ຢ່າໄປ
ໄປຢ່າ
ຢ່າໄປ
ຫ້າມໄປເດີ້
ຫ້າມໄປ
ບໍ່ຫ້າມ
ຫ້າມ
ຢ່າເຮັດເດີ້
ຢ່າເຮັດເດີ້
ຢ່າກິນບໍ່
ຢ່າກິນ
ຢ່າໄດ້ໄປ
ຢ່າໄປ
ຫ້າມບໍ່ໃຫ້ຈອດ
ຫ້າມຈອດ
ຢ່າໄປຫ້າມ
ຢ່າໄປ
ຢ່າບໍ່ໃຫ້ເຮັດ
ຢ່າເຮັດ
ຫ້າມບໍ່ໃຫ້ເຮັດ
ຫ້າມເຮັດ
ຢ່າໄປຫ້າມລາວ
ຢ່າຫ້າມລາວ
Sentence Patterns
ຢ່າ ___ ເດີ້
ຫ້າມ ___
ຢ່າ ___ ຫຼາຍ
ຢ່າ ___ ຖ້າເຈົ້າບໍ່ພ້ອມ
Real World Usage
ຢ່າລືມເດີ້
ຫ້າມຈອດ
ຢ່າໃສ່ເຜັດ
ຢ່າກັງວົນ
ຫ້າມຖ່າຍຮູບ
ຢ່າພາດ
Politeness
Don't use ບໍ່
Formal signs
Hierarchy
Smart Tips
Always add 'ເດີ້' at the end.
Look for 'ຫ້າມ' to understand the rule.
Use 'ຢ່າ' very carefully.
Use 'ຢ່າ' to show concern.
Aussprache
ຢ່າ
The 'ຢ' is a glide, '່າ' is a low tone.
Command
ຢ່າໄປ ↓
Firm and direct.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Yaa (ຢ່າ) sounds like 'Ya' in 'Ya gotta stop!'.
Visual Association
Imagine a giant red 'Stop' sign with the word 'ຢ່າ' written in the middle.
Rhyme
For a command that you want to bar, just put in front the word 'ຢ່າ'.
Story
A boy named Noi was running. His mom shouted 'ຢ່າແລ່ນ!' (Don't run!). Noi stopped immediately. He then asked 'Can I walk?' and she said 'Yes, but don't run!'
Word Web
Herausforderung
Write 5 things you shouldn't do today using 'ຢ່າ'.
Kulturelle Hinweise
Politeness is key. Always use 'ເດີ້' to avoid sounding aggressive.
Similar to Thai 'อย่า', but Lao uses 'ເດີ້' more frequently.
Very similar to Lao, often interchangeable.
Derived from Proto-Tai roots for prohibition.
Conversation Starters
ຢ່າເຮັດຫຍັງ?
ຢ່າໄປໃສເດີ້?
ຫ້າມເຮັດຫຍັງຢູ່ບ່ອນນີ້?
ເຈົ້າຢ່າເຮັດຫຍັງຖ້າເຈົ້າເມື່ອຍ?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
___ ໄປ (Don't go)
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ບໍ່ກິນເດີ້
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
No parking.
Answer starts with: ຫ້າ...
A: I'm leaving. B: ___!
Don't eat too much.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
Ubungsaufgaben
8 exercises___ ໄປ (Don't go)
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ບໍ່ກິນເດີ້
ເດີ້ / ຢ່າ / ໄປ
No parking.
A: I'm leaving. B: ___!
Don't eat too much.
Match: 1. ຢ່າໄປ 2. ຫ້າມຈອດ
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
No, ບໍ່ is for statements of fact. Use ຢ່າ for commands.
It softens the command and makes it polite.
Usually for rules, not personal requests.
ຢ່າເຮັດ.
Not if you add ເດີ້.
Yes, it works with almost all action verbs.
It is the standard for public prohibitions.
You might sound blunt or rude.
In Other Languages
No + Imperative
Spanish conjugates the verb; Lao does not.
Ne + Verb + pas
Lao is much simpler.
Nicht + Verb
Lao is a particle prefix.
Verb + nai de
Word order is reversed.
La + Jussive
Arabic has complex verb conjugation.
不要 (bu yao)
Lao is monosyllabic.
