Classifier for People
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
In Lao, you must use the classifier 'khon' when counting people to make your sentences grammatically correct.
- Use 'khon' after the number: 'khon song khon' (two people).
- The structure is Noun + Number + Classifier: 'dek noi song khon' (two children).
- Always use 'khon' for humans, never for objects or animals.
Meanings
The classifier 'khon' is used to quantify human beings in Lao. It acts as a bridge between a number and a noun.
Counting people
Used to specify the quantity of humans.
“ນັກຮຽນຫ້າຄົນ (Five students)”
“ຄູສອງຄົນ (Two teachers)”
Human Classifier Formation
| Noun | Number | Classifier | Full Phrase |
|---|---|---|---|
| ໝູ່ | ສອງ | ຄົນ | ໝູ່ສອງຄົນ |
| ຄູ | ສາມ | ຄົນ | ຄູສາມຄົນ |
| ນັກຮຽນ | ຫ້າ | ຄົນ | ນັກຮຽນຫ້າຄົນ |
| ອ້າຍ | ໜຶ່ງ | ຄົນ | ອ້າຍໜຶ່ງຄົນ |
| ໝໍ | ສີ່ | ຄົນ | ໝໍສີ່ຄົນ |
| ແຂກ | ຫົກ | ຄົນ | ແຂກຫົກຄົນ |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Noun + Num + Khon | ໝູ່ສອງຄົນ |
| Negative | ບໍ່ມີ + Noun + ຈັກຄົນ | ບໍ່ມີໝູ່ຈັກຄົນ |
| Question | ມີ + Noun + ຈັກຄົນ? | ມີໝູ່ຈັກຄົນ? |
| Plural | Noun + ຫຼາຍ + ຄົນ | ໝູ່ຫຼາຍຄົນ |
| Specific | Noun + ນີ້ + Num + ຄົນ | ໝູ່ຄົນນີ້ສອງຄົນ |
طیف رسمیت
ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າມີໝູ່ສາມຄົນ (General)
ຂ້ອຍມີໝູ່ສາມຄົນ (General)
ມີໝູ່ສາມຄົນ (General)
ໝູ່ສາມຄົນ (General)
Classifier Logic
People
- ໝູ່ Friend
- ຄູ Teacher
Examples by Level
ຂ້ອຍມີໝູ່ສອງຄົນ
I have two friends.
ນັກຮຽນສາມຄົນ
Three students.
ຄູໜຶ່ງຄົນ
One teacher.
ມີຄົນຫ້າຄົນ
There are five people.
ເຈົ້າມີອ້າຍຈັກຄົນ?
How many older brothers do you have?
ຄອບຄົວຂ້ອຍມີສີ່ຄົນ
My family has four people.
ໝໍສອງຄົນກຳລັງເຮັດວຽກ
Two doctors are working.
ບໍ່ມີໃຜຈັກຄົນ
There is no one at all.
ພະນັກງານສິບຄົນໄດ້ຮັບລາງວັນ
Ten employees received an award.
ມີແຂກຫົກຄົນມາຢາມ
Six guests came to visit.
ເດັກນ້ອຍແປດຄົນກຳລັງຫຼິ້ນ
Eight children are playing.
ນັກທ່ອງທ່ຽວຫຼາຍຄົນມັກລາວ
Many tourists like Laos.
ຜູ້ໂດຍສານສອງຄົນລືມກະເປົາໄວ້
Two passengers left their bags behind.
ຜູ້ຊ່ຽວຊານສາມຄົນໄດ້ໃຫ້ຄຳແນະນຳ
Three experts gave advice.
ມີຜູ້ປະສົບໄພສອງຄົນ
There are two victims.
ຜູ້ສະໝັກຫ້າຄົນຜ່ານການສຳພາດ
Five candidates passed the interview.
ບັນດາຜູ້ແທນສິບຄົນໄດ້ລົງຄະແນນສຽງ
Ten delegates cast their votes.
ມີຜູ້ກໍ່ຕັ້ງສອງຄົນໃນບໍລິສັດນີ້
There are two founders in this company.
ຜູ້ອ່ານຫຼາຍຄົນສົນໃຈເລື່ອງນີ້
Many readers are interested in this story.
ຜູ້ເຂົ້າຮ່ວມສອງຄົນໄດ້ຖອນຕົວ
Two participants withdrew.
ມີຜູ້ມີສິດເລືອກຕັ້ງຫຼາຍພັນຄົນ
There are thousands of eligible voters.
ຜູ້ປະຕິບັດງານສີ່ຄົນໄດ້ຮັບການຝຶກອົບຮົມ
Four operators received training.
ຜູ້ຊົມສອງຄົນໄດ້ຕັ້ງຄຳຖາມ
Two audience members asked questions.
ຜູ້ບໍລິຫານສາມຄົນໄດ້ລາອອກ
Three executives resigned.
Easily Confused
Learners mix up human and animal classifiers.
An is for general objects.
Putting number before noun.
اشتباهات رایج
ໝູ່ສາມ
ໝູ່ສາມຄົນ
ສາມຄົນໝູ່
ໝູ່ສາມຄົນ
ໝູ່ສາມໂຕ
ໝູ່ສາມຄົນ
ໝູ່ຄົນສາມ
ໝູ່ສາມຄົນ
ມີໝູ່ຈັກ?
ມີໝູ່ຈັກຄົນ?
ບໍ່ມີໝູ່ຄົນ
ບໍ່ມີໝູ່ຈັກຄົນ
ໝູ່ສອງຄົນນີ້
ໝູ່ສອງຄົນ
ນັກຮຽນຫຼາຍ
ນັກຮຽນຫຼາຍຄົນ
ໝູ່ສອງຄົນນັ້ນ
ໝູ່ສອງຄົນນັ້ນ
ຄົນສອງໝູ່
ໝູ່ສອງຄົນ
ຜູ້ແທນສິບ
ຜູ້ແທນສິບຄົນ
ຜູ້ບໍລິຫານສາມ
ຜູ້ບໍລິຫານສາມຄົນ
ຜູ້ຊົມຫຼາຍ
ຜູ້ຊົມຫຼາຍຄົນ
ຜູ້ປະຕິບັດງານສີ່
ຜູ້ປະຕິບັດງານສີ່ຄົນ
Sentence Patterns
ຂ້ອຍມີ ___ ຄົນ
ມີ ___ ຄົນໃນຄອບຄົວຂ້ອຍ
ນັກຮຽນ ___ ຄົນກຳລັງຮຽນ
ຜູ້ຊ່ຽວຊານ ___ ຄົນໄດ້ໃຫ້ຄຳເຫັນ
Real World Usage
ມີໝູ່ສາມຄົນມາຢາມ
ໄປຈັກຄົນ?
ມີຜູ້ສະໝັກສາມຄົນ
ຈອງຫ້ອງສອງຄົນ
ສັ່ງອາຫານສາມຄົນ
ນັກຮຽນສິບຄົນ
Always use it
Don't use for objects
Listen for it
Be polite
Smart Tips
Always add 'khon' after the number.
Use 'jak khon'.
Add 'khon' after 'many'.
Use 'khon' for each group.
تلفظ
Khon
Pronounced like 'cone' but with a shorter 'o' sound.
Question
ມີຈັກຄົນ? ↗
Rising intonation at the end.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'Khon' as 'Count-on' people. You always 'Count-on' the 'Khon' for humans.
Visual Association
Imagine a group of people wearing shirts with the word 'Khon' printed on them. Every time you count them, you point at the 'Khon' label.
Rhyme
When counting people, don't be slow, add 'khon' to make it flow.
Story
I went to a party. I saw one friend (mu nueng khon). Then I saw two teachers (khu song khon). Finally, I saw three students (nak hian sam khon).
Word Web
چالش
Count the people in your room right now using 'Noun + Number + Khon'.
نکات فرهنگی
Using classifiers shows respect for the language structure.
The word 'khon' comes from the Proto-Tai word for person.
Conversation Starters
ເຈົ້າມີອ້າຍເອື້ອຍຈັກຄົນ?
ໃນຫ້ອງຮຽນມີນັກຮຽນຈັກຄົນ?
ເຈົ້າຄິດວ່າຄົນຈັກຄົນທີ່ຄວນໄປນຳກັນ?
ຖ້າເຈົ້າສາມາດເຊີນຄົນສາມຄົນມາຮ່ວມງານ, ເຈົ້າຈະເຊີນໃຜ?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
ໝູ່ສອງ___
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ໝູ່ສາມ
ຄົນ, ສອງ, ໝູ່
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
ມີໝູ່ຈັກ___?
Khon is for animals.
Four teachers
Score: /8
تمرینهای عملی
8 exercisesໝູ່ສອງ___
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ໝູ່ສາມ
ຄົນ, ສອງ, ໝູ່
Match: ໝູ່ສາມຄົນ
ມີໝູ່ຈັກ___?
Khon is for animals.
Four teachers
Score: /8
سوالات متداول (8)
No, use 'to' for animals.
Yes, it is essential for correct grammar.
After the number.
Use 'jak khon' for 'how many'.
No, 'khon' is gender-neutral.
You don't usually count yourself with 'khon'.
Yes, it is used in all registers.
To be understood by native speakers.
In Other Languages
Tres personas
Spanish lacks classifiers.
Trois personnes
French lacks classifiers.
Drei Personen
German lacks classifiers.
San-nin
Japanese counters are often suffixes.
San ge ren
Lao is more specific with 'khon'.
Thalathat ash-khas
Arabic lacks classifiers.
