Reported Questions
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Reported questions turn a direct question into a statement by using 'wa' (that) or 'tham wa' (asked that).
- Use 'tham wa' to introduce the question: 'Lao tham wa...' (He asked that...)
- Remove the question particle 'bo' from the original sentence.
- Keep the original tense and pronouns as they were in the direct speech.
Meanings
This grammar is used to report what someone else asked without using direct quotation marks.
Reporting Yes/No Questions
Reporting questions that originally had a 'yes/no' answer.
“ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າກິນເຂົ້າແລ້ວບໍ່”
“ເພິ່ນຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າຮັກລາວບໍ່”
Reported Question Structure
| Part | Lao Word | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | ລາວ (Lao) | The person asking |
| Verb | ຖາມ (tham) | The action of asking |
| Connector | ວ່າ (wa) | Links verb to content |
| Content | ເຈົ້າໄປໃສ (jao pai sai) | The original question |
| Particle | ບໍ່ (bo) | Only for Yes/No questions |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yes/No | Subj + tham wa + [Q] + bo | ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າໄປບໍ່ |
| Wh-Question | Subj + tham wa + [Q] | ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າໄປໃສ |
| Negative | Subj + tham wa + [Q] + bo | ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າບໍ່ໄປບໍ່ |
| Past | Subj + tham wa + [Q] | ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າໄດ້ໄປບໍ່ |
| Future | Subj + tham wa + [Q] | ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າຈະໄປບໍ່ |
طیف رسمیت
ເພິ່ນຖາມວ່າທ່ານຈະໄປໃສ (General conversation)
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າຈະໄປໃສ (General conversation)
ລາວຖາມວ່າໄປໃສ (General conversation)
ລາວຖາມວ່າໄປໃສນໍ (General conversation)
Reported Question Components
Before
- ລາວ He
After
- ເຈົ້າຊື່ຫຍັງ What is your name
Examples by Level
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າຊື່ຫຍັງ
He asked what your name is.
ແມ່ຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າກິນເຂົ້າບໍ່
Mom asked if you ate.
ເພິ່ນຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າໄປໃສ
He asked where you are going.
ລາວຖາມວ່າແມ່ນຫຍັງ
He asked what it is.
ໝູ່ຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າຈະມາບໍ່
The friend asked if you will come.
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າເຮັດວຽກຫຍັງ
He asked what work you do.
ຄູຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າເຂົ້າໃຈບໍ່
The teacher asked if you understand.
ລາວຖາມວ່າເປັນຫຍັງເຈົ້າບໍ່ມາ
He asked why you didn't come.
ລາວຖາມວ່າຂ້ອຍສາມາດຊ່ວຍລາວໄດ້ບໍ່
He asked if I could help him.
ເພິ່ນຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າໄດ້ໄປທ່ຽວຫຼວງພະບາງບໍ່
He asked if you have been to Luang Prabang.
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຮົາຄວນເຮັດແນວໃດ
He asked what we should do.
ນາຍຈ້າງຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າພ້ອມເລີ່ມວຽກມື້ອື່ນບໍ່
The boss asked if you are ready to start tomorrow.
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຫດຜົນທີ່ເຈົ້າລາອອກແມ່ນຫຍັງ
He asked what the reason for your resignation is.
ເພິ່ນຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າໄດ້ປຶກສາກັບຄອບຄົວແລ້ວຫຼືຍັງ
He asked if you have consulted with your family yet.
ລາວຖາມວ່າຖ້າຝົນຕົກ ເຮົາຈະເຮັດແນວໃດ
He asked what we would do if it rained.
ລາວຖາມວ່າໃຜເປັນຄົນບອກຂ່າວນີ້
He asked who was the person who told this news.
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າໄດ້ພິຈາລະນາຂໍ້ສະເໜີຂອງພວກເຮົາຢ່າງຖີ່ຖ້ວນແລ້ວບໍ່
He asked if you have considered our proposal thoroughly.
ເພິ່ນຖາມວ່າຄວາມເປັນໄປໄດ້ໃນການລົງທຶນນີ້ມີຫຼາຍປານໃດ
He asked how much potential this investment has.
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າຈະຈັດການກັບບັນຫານີ້ແນວໃດໃນໄລຍະຍາວ
He asked how you would handle this problem in the long term.
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າມີຄວາມເຫັນແນວໃດຕໍ່ກັບການປ່ຽນແປງນະໂຍບາຍນີ້
He asked what your opinion is on this policy change.
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າໄດ້ໄຕ່ຕອງເຖິງຜົນກະທົບທີ່ຈະຕາມມາຢ່າງລະອຽດແລ້ວຫຼືບໍ່
He asked if you have pondered the consequences that will follow in detail.
ເພິ່ນຖາມວ່າໃນທັດສະນະຂອງເຈົ້າ ປັດໄຈໃດສຳຄັນທີ່ສຸດ
He asked which factor is most important in your view.
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າຈະສາມາດປະສານງານກັບພາກສ່ວນກ່ຽວຂ້ອງໄດ້ຢ່າງມີປະສິດທິພາບພຽງໃດ
He asked how effectively you would be able to coordinate with the relevant parties.
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າໄດ້ກຽມແຜນສຳຮອງໄວ້ໃນກໍລະນີທີ່ເກີດເຫດສຸກເສີນບໍ່
He asked if you have prepared a contingency plan in case of an emergency.
Easily Confused
Learners mix up 'tham wa' (asked) and 'bok wa' (said).
Learners keep quotation marks in reported speech.
Learners use 'tha' (if) for reported questions.
اشتباهات رایج
ລາວຖາມຖ້າວ່າເຈົ້າໄປໃສ
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າໄປໃສ
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າຊື່ຫຍັງ?
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າຊື່ຫຍັງ
ລາວຖາມເຈົ້າຊື່ຫຍັງ
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າຊື່ຫຍັງ
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າໄປໃສບໍ່
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າໄປໃສ
ລາວຖາມວ່າຂ້ອຍໄປໃສ
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າໄປໃສ
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າໄດ້ໄປບໍ່
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າໄດ້ໄປບໍ່
ລາວຖາມວ່າແມ່ນຫຍັງ
ລາວຖາມວ່າແມ່ນຫຍັງ
ລາວຖາມວ່າຖ້າເຈົ້າໄປ
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າຈະໄປ
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າໄປໃສແລ້ວ
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າໄປໃສ
ລາວຖາມວ່າໃຜໄປ
ລາວຖາມວ່າໃຜໄປ
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າໄດ້ພິຈາລະນາແລ້ວບໍ່
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າໄດ້ພິຈາລະນາແລ້ວບໍ່
ລາວຖາມວ່າເປັນຫຍັງເຈົ້າຈຶ່ງໄປ
ລາວຖາມວ່າເປັນຫຍັງເຈົ້າຈຶ່ງໄປ
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າຈະເຮັດແນວໃດ
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າຈະເຮັດແນວໃດ
Sentence Patterns
ລາວຖາມວ່າ ___ ບໍ່
ລາວຖາມວ່າ ___ ໃສ
ເພິ່ນຖາມວ່າ ___ ຫຍັງ
ລາວຖາມວ່າ ___ ເປັນຫຍັງ
Real World Usage
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າຢູ່ໃສ
ນາຍຈ້າງຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າພ້ອມບໍ່
ໝູ່ຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າໄປໃສ
ຄົນສົ່ງອາຫານຖາມວ່າເຮືອນຢູ່ໃສ
ຄົນຂັບລົດຖາມວ່າຈະໄປໃສ
ຫົວໜ້າຖາມວ່າວຽກແລ້ວບໍ່
Pronoun Check
No 'If'
Keep it simple
Be polite
Smart Tips
Always remove the question mark.
Keep the 'bo'.
Use 'pheun' instead of 'lao'.
Do not add 'bo'.
تلفظ
tham wa
Pronounce 'tham' with a low tone and 'wa' with a rising tone.
Statement intonation
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າໄປໃສ ↓
Reported questions end with a falling tone, not rising.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'tham wa' as a 'Question Hook' that pulls the question into your sentence.
Visual Association
Imagine a fisherman (the speaker) using a hook ('tham wa') to pull a fish (the question) out of the water and into his bucket (your sentence).
Rhyme
Tham wa, tham wa, bring the question near, so the meaning is always clear.
Story
Yesterday, my friend asked me: 'Where is the key?' Today, I tell my brother: 'My friend asked where the key is.' I use 'tham wa' to connect the two parts.
Word Web
چالش
Ask a friend three questions today, then report them to someone else using 'tham wa'.
نکات فرهنگی
In Lao culture, indirectness is often preferred to avoid confrontation. Reported questions are a polite way to ask for information.
The structure comes from the verb 'tham' (to ask) and the particle 'wa' (that).
Conversation Starters
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າຊື່ຫຍັງ
ເພິ່ນຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າຈະໄປໃສ
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າກິນເຂົ້າແລ້ວບໍ່
ລາວຖາມວ່າເຈົ້າຄິດແນວໃດ
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
ລາວຖາມ ___ ເຈົ້າໄປໃສ
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ລາວຖາມຖ້າວ່າເຈົ້າໄປບໍ່
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
He asked what you want.
Answer starts with: ລາວ...
Report: 'Are you coming?'
What comes after 'tham'?
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
تمرینهای عملی
8 exercisesລາວຖາມ ___ ເຈົ້າໄປໃສ
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ລາວຖາມຖ້າວ່າເຈົ້າໄປບໍ່
ວ່າ / ລາວ / ໃສ / ຖາມ / ເຈົ້າ / ໄປ
He asked what you want.
Report: 'Are you coming?'
What comes after 'tham'?
Direct: 'ເຈົ້າຊື່ຫຍັງ?'
Score: /8
سوالات متداول (8)
No, Lao verbs do not change for tense.
No, 'tha' means 'if' and is not used in reported questions.
Keep the 'bo' at the end of the reported clause.
Yes, it acts as the bridge between the verb and the content.
Yes, use 'pheun' instead of 'lao'.
Just keep the question word in the reported sentence.
Yes, it is common in reports and stories.
It's a category of indirect speech.
In Other Languages
Preguntó si...
Lao does not use an 'if' equivalent.
Il a demandé si...
Lao uses 'bo' at the end.
Er fragte, ob...
Lao structure is more linear.
Kare wa ... ka to kiita.
Japanese particles are post-positional.
Sa'ala 'idha...
Arabic verb conjugation is complex.
Ta wen wo...
Lao is more flexible with word order.
