Passive Nuances
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'thuk' (ຖືກ) before a verb to indicate that the subject is receiving an action, usually with a negative nuance.
- Use 'thuk' + verb to show the subject is affected by an action (e.g., 'thuk ti' - to be hit).
- Unlike English, 'thuk' is often used for unpleasant or unwanted experiences.
- The agent (doer) can be added after the verb using 'doi' or 'khong' (optional).
Meanings
The 'thuk' construction is the primary way to form the passive voice in Lao. It signifies that the subject is the recipient of an action, frequently implying an adverse or involuntary outcome.
Adverse Passive
Used when something bad happens to the subject.
“ລາວຖືກລົດຕຳ.”
“ຂ້ອຍຖືກລືມ.”
Neutral Passive
Used for general passive reporting without strong negative emotion.
“ເງິນຖືກໂອນແລ້ວ.”
“ປຶ້ມຖືກຂຽນໂດຍນັກຂຽນດັງ.”
Passive Voice Formation
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Subject + ຖືກ + Verb | ລາວຖືກຕີ (He was hit) |
| Negative | Subject + ບໍ່ + ຖືກ + Verb | ລາວບໍ່ຖືກຕີ (He was not hit) |
| Question | Subject + ຖືກ + Verb + ບໍ່? | ລາວຖືກຕີບໍ່? (Was he hit?) |
| Agentive | Subject + ຖືກ + Verb + ໂດຍ + Agent | ລາວຖືກຕີໂດຍໝູ່ (He was hit by a friend) |
| Future | Subject + ຈະ + ຖືກ + Verb | ລາວຈະຖືກຕີ (He will be hit) |
| Past/Completed | Subject + ຖືກ + Verb + ແລ້ວ | ລາວຖືກຕີແລ້ວ (He has been hit) |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | S + ຖືກ + V | ລາວຖືກຈັບ |
| Negative | S + ບໍ່ + ຖືກ + V | ລາວບໍ່ຖືກຈັບ |
| Question | S + ຖືກ + V + ບໍ່ | ລາວຖືກຈັບບໍ່ |
| Agent | S + ຖືກ + V + ໂດຍ + A | ລາວຖືກຈັບໂດຍຕຳຫຼວດ |
| Past | S + ຖືກ + V + ແລ້ວ | ລາວຖືກຈັບແລ້ວ |
| Future | S + ຈະ + ຖືກ + V | ລາວຈະຖືກຈັບ |
طیف رسمیت
ຜູ້ກ່ຽວຖືກຈັບກຸມ. (Police report)
ລາວຖືກຈັບ. (Police report)
ລາວຖືກຈັບແລ້ວ. (Police report)
ລາວຖືກລັອກ. (Police report)
The Thuk Concept Map
Negative
- ຖືກຕີ hit
- ຖືກລັກ stolen
Formal
- ຖືກອະນຸມັດ approved
- ຖືກແກ້ໄຂ amended
Examples by Level
ຂ້ອຍຖືກຕີ.
I was hit.
ລາວຖືກລືມ.
He was forgotten.
ປຶ້ມຖືກເອົາ.
The book was taken.
ຂ້ອຍຖືກດ່າ.
I was scolded.
ລົດຖືກລັກ.
The car was stolen.
ລາວຖືກໄລ່ອອກ.
He was fired.
ອາຫານຖືກກິນ.
The food was eaten.
ເຮືອນຖືກຂາຍ.
The house was sold.
ເງິນຖືກໂອນໂດຍທະນາຄານ.
The money was transferred by the bank.
ລາວຖືກຕຳຫຼວດຈັບ.
He was arrested by the police.
ແຜນການຖືກປ່ຽນແປງ.
The plan was changed.
ປ່ອງຢ້ຽມຖືກແຕກ.
The window was broken.
ໂຄງການນີ້ຖືກອະນຸມັດໂດຍຫົວໜ້າ.
This project was approved by the boss.
ກົດໝາຍຖືກແກ້ໄຂໃໝ່.
The law was amended.
ຂໍ້ມູນຖືກເກັບຮັກສາໄວ້.
The data was stored.
ລາວຖືກວິຈານຢ່າງໜັກ.
He was heavily criticized.
ບັນຫາທີ່ຖືກລະເລີຍມາດົນນານ.
The issue that has been ignored for a long time.
ຜົນງານຂອງລາວຖືກຍົກຍ້ອງ.
His work was praised.
ຄວາມລັບຖືກເປີດເຜີຍ.
The secret was revealed.
ສິດທິຖືກລະເມີດ.
Rights were violated.
ວັດທະນະທຳຖືກຫຼໍ່ຫຼອມໂດຍປະຫວັດສາດ.
Culture is molded by history.
ຄວາມຄິດເຫັນຖືກບິດເບືອນ.
Opinions were distorted.
ໂຄງສ້າງຖືກອອກແບບຢ່າງລະອຽດ.
The structure was meticulously designed.
ລາວຖືກຍົກຍ້ອງໃຫ້ເປັນຜູ້ນຳ.
He was elevated to be a leader.
Easily Confused
Both can mean 'to get', but 'thuk' is for negative/passive, 'dai' is for positive/active.
Learners use passive for everything.
Thuk also means 'cheap'.
اشتباهات رایج
ຂ້ອຍຖືກຂອງຂວັນ
ຂ້ອຍໄດ້ຮັບຂອງຂວັນ
ລາວຖືກໄປ
ລາວໄປ
ຖືກຂ້ອຍຕີ
ຂ້ອຍຕີລາວ
ລາວຖືກກິນເຂົ້າ
ລາວກິນເຂົ້າ
ປຶ້ມຖືກອ່ານໂດຍຂ້ອຍ
ຂ້ອຍອ່ານປຶ້ມ
ລາວຖືກຮັກ
ລາວເປັນທີ່ຮັກ
ຖືກເຫັນລາວ
ລາວຖືກເຫັນ
ຖືກເຮັດວຽກ
ຖືກໃຊ້ໃຫ້ເຮັດວຽກ
ລາວຖືກຊະນະ
ລາວແພ້
ຖືກບອກວ່າ
ມີຄົນບອກວ່າ
ຖືກຍອມຮັບໂດຍທຸກຄົນ
ທຸກຄົນຍອມຮັບ
ຖືກຮູ້ສຶກ
ຮູ້ສຶກ
ຖືກຄິດວ່າ
ຄົນຄິດວ່າ
Sentence Patterns
ຂ້ອຍຖືກ ___.
ລົດຖືກ ___.
ວຽກນີ້ຖືກ ___ ໂດຍຫົວໜ້າ.
ສິດທິຂອງລາວຖືກ ___.
Real World Usage
ຜູ້ຕ້ອງຫາຖືກຈັບ.
ຂ້ອຍຖືກລືມແລ້ວ.
ເອກະສານຖືກສົ່ງແລ້ວ.
ລາວຖືກບລັອກ.
ຖ້ຽວບິນຖືກເລື່ອນ.
ອາຫານຖືກຍົກເລີກ.
Check the emotion
Avoid positive passive
Use active voice
Don't over-complain
Smart Tips
Use 'thuk' to emphasize the victim.
Use 'thuk' to keep the focus on the victim.
Use 'thuk' to show your frustration.
Use 'thuk' for inanimate objects.
تلفظ
Thuk
The 'th' is an aspirated 't' sound, followed by a short 'u' and a 'k' stop.
Statement
ລາວຖືກຕີ. ↓
Falling intonation for facts.
Question
ລາວຖືກຕີບໍ່? ↑
Rising intonation for questions.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'Thuk' as 'Took' (as in 'it took a hit').
Visual Association
Imagine a person standing in the rain. They are 'thuk' (hit) by the raindrops. It's an involuntary, slightly annoying experience.
Rhyme
Thuk is the word, for the passive you heard.
Story
Somchai was walking. He was 'thuk' (hit) by a ball. Then he was 'thuk' (scolded) by his mom. Finally, he was 'thuk' (invited) to dinner (wait, that's positive, so he was happy!).
Word Web
چالش
Write 3 sentences today using 'thuk' to describe things that happened to you, like 'My coffee was spilled'.
نکات فرهنگی
Lao people prefer active voice. Using passive voice too much makes you sound like you are complaining or being overly formal.
Thai uses 'thuk' exactly the same way, as the languages are closely related.
The usage is identical to standard Lao.
Derived from the verb 'to strike' or 'to hit'.
Conversation Starters
ເຈົ້າເຄີຍຖືກລືມບໍ່?
ລົດຂອງເຈົ້າເຄີຍຖືກລັກບໍ່?
ເຈົ້າຄິດວ່າການຖືກວິຈານເປັນເລື່ອງດີບໍ່?
ໃນວຽກຂອງເຈົ້າ, ວຽກໃດມັກຖືກເລື່ອນ?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
ລາວ ___ ຕີ.
Which sentence is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ລາວຖືກໄປໂຮງຮຽນ.
ຕຳຫຼວດຈັບລາວ.
Thuk is used for positive events.
A: ລົດເຈົ້າເປັນຫຍັງ? B: ລົດ ___.
ຖືກ / ຕີ / ລາວ
Sort: ຖືກຕີ, ໄດ້ເງິນ, ຖືກລັກ, ໄດ້ລາງວັນ
Score: /8
تمرینهای عملی
8 exercisesລາວ ___ ຕີ.
Which sentence is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ລາວຖືກໄປໂຮງຮຽນ.
ຕຳຫຼວດຈັບລາວ.
Thuk is used for positive events.
A: ລົດເຈົ້າເປັນຫຍັງ? B: ລົດ ___.
ຖືກ / ຕີ / ລາວ
Sort: ຖືກຕີ, ໄດ້ເງິນ, ຖືກລັກ, ໄດ້ລາງວັນ
Score: /8
سوالات متداول (8)
No, only for passive, involuntary, or negative events.
Mostly, yes. It implies the subject is suffering or experiencing something unwanted.
Use 'khoy dai-hap khong-khwan' (I received a gift).
Yes, it is common in news to report crimes or accidents.
You can just say 'Subject + thuk + verb'.
No, 'thuk' is passive/negative, 'dai' is active/positive.
Yes, use 'cha' (will) before 'thuk'.
Because 'thuk' carries a negative nuance, using it too much makes you sound like you are complaining.
In Other Languages
ถูก (thuk)
None.
to be + past participle
Lao passive implies suffering.
~reru/~rareru
Japanese uses a suffix, Lao uses a particle.
被 (bèi)
Chinese 'bei' is more common in formal writing.
être + participe passé
French lacks the negative nuance.
ser + participio
Spanish lacks the negative nuance.
