Age Markers
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
To state age in Lao, use the structure 'Subject + ອາຢຸ (ayu) + Number + ປີ (pi)'.
- Use 'ayu' before the number: 'ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ 20 ປີ' (I am 20 years old).
- The word 'pi' (year) acts as the classifier for age.
- For questions, add 'tao dai' (how much) at the end: 'ເຈົ້າ ອາຢຸ ເທົ່າໃດ?'
Meanings
The standard way to express age in Lao, utilizing the noun 'ayu' (age) and the classifier 'pi' (year).
Stating age
Expressing how many years old someone is.
“ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ 25 ປີ.”
“ແມ່ ອາຢຸ 50 ປີ.”
Age Expression Structure
| Subject | Age Marker | Number | Classifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| ຂ້ອຍ | ອາຢຸ | 20 | ປີ |
| ລາວ | ອາຢຸ | 10 | ປີ |
| ແມ່ | ອາຢຸ | 45 | ປີ |
| ເຈົ້າ | ອາຢຸ | ເທົ່າໃດ | ? |
| ພວກເຂົາ | ອາຢຸ | 30 | ປີ |
| ນ້ອງ | ອາຢຸ | 5 | ປີ |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Subj + ayu + num + pi | ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ 20 ປີ |
| Negative | Subj + bo + ayu + num + pi | ຂ້ອຍ ບໍ່ ອາຢຸ 20 ປີ |
| Question | Subj + ayu + tao dai | ເຈົ້າ ອາຢຸ ເທົ່າໃດ |
| Estimation | Subj + ayu + paman + num + pi | ລາວ ອາຢຸ ປະມານ 20 ປີ |
| Comparison | Subj + ayu + kwah + obj | ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ ຫຼາຍ ກວ່າ ລາວ |
Spectre de formalité
ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າ ອາຢຸ 20 ປີ. (Introduction)
ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ 20 ປີ. (Introduction)
ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ 20. (Introduction)
ຂ້ອຍ 20 ແລ້ວ. (Introduction)
Age Components
Core
- ອາຢຸ Age
- ປີ Year
Modifiers
- ປະມານ About
- ເທົ່າໃດ How much
Examples by Level
ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ 20 ປີ.
I am 20 years old.
ລາວ ອາຢຸ 10 ປີ.
He/She is 10 years old.
ເຈົ້າ ອາຢຸ ເທົ່າໃດ?
How old are you?
ແມ່ ອາຢຸ 45 ປີ.
Mom is 45 years old.
ນ້ອງສາວ ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ 12 ປີ.
My younger sister is 12 years old.
ພວກເຂົາ ອາຢຸ 30 ປີ.
They are 30 years old.
ພໍ່ ອາຢຸ 55 ປີ ບໍ?
Is Dad 55 years old?
ຂ້ອຍ ບໍ່ ອາຢຸ 20 ປີ.
I am not 20 years old.
ລາວ ອາຢຸ ປະມານ 30 ປີ.
He is about 30 years old.
ເຈົ້າ ອາຢຸ ເທົ່າໃດ ແລ້ວ?
How old are you now?
ອ້າຍ ຂອງ ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ 28 ປີ.
My older brother is 28 years old.
ເພື່ອນ ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ 22 ປີ.
My friend is 22 years old.
ທ່ານ ອາຢຸ ເທົ່າໃດ?
How old are you? (Formal)
ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ ຫຼາຍ ກວ່າ ລາວ.
I am older than him.
ລາວ ອາຢຸ ຍັງ ນ້ອຍ.
He is still young.
ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ ບໍ່ ຮອດ 30 ປີ.
I am not yet 30 years old.
ເຖິງວ່າ ລາວ ຈະ ອາຢຸ ຫຼາຍ, ແຕ່ ລາວ ຍັງ ແຂງແຮງ.
Even though he is old, he is still strong.
ການ ຖາມ ອາຢຸ ແມ່ນ ເລື່ອງ ປົກກະຕິ.
Asking age is a normal thing.
ລາວ ອາຢຸ ໄລ່ເລ່ຍ ກັບ ຂ້ອຍ.
He is about the same age as me.
ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ ໄດ້ 40 ປີ ແລ້ວ.
I have reached 40 years of age.
ໃນ ວັດທະນະທຳ ລາວ, ອາຢຸ ມີ ຄວາມ ສຳຄັນ ຫຼາຍ.
In Lao culture, age is very important.
ລາວ ອາຢຸ ຫຼາຍ ກວ່າ ຂ້ອຍ 2 ປີ.
He is 2 years older than me.
ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ ພໍດີ 30 ປີ.
I am exactly 30 years old.
ເຈົ້າ ອາຢຸ ຫຼາຍ ປານໃດ?
How old are you? (Poetic/Emphasis)
Easily Confused
Learners often forget to add 'pi' after the number.
Mixing up the order of the age marker and the classifier.
Using 'tao dai' (how much) vs 'paman' (about).
Erreurs courantes
ຂ້ອຍ 20 ປີ
ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ 20 ປີ
ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ ປີ 20
ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ 20 ປີ
ຂ້ອຍ ແມ່ນ 20 ປີ
ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ 20 ປີ
ເຈົ້າ ອາຢຸ ປີ ເທົ່າໃດ
ເຈົ້າ ອາຢຸ ເທົ່າໃດ
ລາວ ອາຢຸ ປະມານ ປີ 30
ລາວ ອາຢຸ ປະມານ 30 ປີ
ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ ຫຼາຍ 20 ປີ
ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ 20 ປີ
ເຈົ້າ ອາຢຸ ຫຼາຍ ປານໃດ
ເຈົ້າ ອາຢຸ ເທົ່າໃດ
ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ 30 ປີ ແລ້ວ ປີ
ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ 30 ປີ
ລາວ ອາຢຸ 30 ປີ ຫຼາຍ
ລາວ ອາຢຸ 30 ປີ
ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ 30
ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ 30 ປີ
ອາຍຸ ຂອງ ຂ້ອຍ ແມ່ນ 30 ປີ
ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ 30 ປີ
ລາວ ອາຢຸ 30 ປີ ພໍດີ
ລາວ ອາຢຸ ພໍດີ 30 ປີ
ເຈົ້າ ອາຢຸ ເທົ່າໃດ ປີ
ເຈົ້າ ອາຢຸ ເທົ່າໃດ
Sentence Patterns
ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ ___ ປີ.
ລາວ ອາຢຸ ປະມານ ___ ປີ.
ເຈົ້າ ອາຢຸ ___ ບໍ?
ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ ຫຼາຍ ກວ່າ ___ ປີ.
Real World Usage
ອາຢຸ 20 ປີ.
ເດັກນ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ 5 ປີ.
ອາຢຸ: 30 ປີ.
ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າ ອາຢຸ 25 ປີ.
ເຈົ້າ ອາຢຸ ເທົ່າໃດ?
ສຳລັບ ຜູ້ ອາຢຸ 18+.
Don't forget the classifier!
No 'to be' verb
Use 'paman' for estimates
Age matters
Smart Tips
Always visualize the 'pi' as a tag on the number.
Keep it simple with 'tao dai'.
Use 'paman' to sound more natural.
Use 'kwah' for comparisons.
Prononciation
Ayu
Pronounced ah-yoo, with a rising tone on the second syllable.
Pi
Short, crisp 'p' sound with a high tone.
Question
ເຈົ້າ ອາຢຸ ເທົ່າໃດ? ↗
Rising intonation at the end indicates a question.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
A-YU (A-You) are how many years old? A-YU is the key!
Visual Association
Imagine a birthday cake with a big sign that says 'AYU' and candles shaped like the number 'PI'.
Rhyme
To say your age, don't be shy, just say your number and add PI.
Story
I met a man named Ayu. I asked him, 'Ayu, how old are you?' He pointed to his cake with 20 candles and said, 'I am 20 PI!'
Word Web
Défi
Write down the ages of 3 family members in Lao script.
Notes culturelles
Asking age is common because it dictates the correct pronoun to use for the other person.
Derived from Pali/Sanskrit roots common in Southeast Asian languages.
Conversation Starters
ເຈົ້າ ອາຢຸ ເທົ່າໃດ?
ແມ່ ຂອງ ເຈົ້າ ອາຢຸ ເທົ່າໃດ?
ເຈົ້າ ອາຢຸ ຫຼາຍ ກວ່າ ຂ້ອຍ ບໍ່?
ການ ຖາມ ອາຢຸ ໃນ ລາວ ສຳຄັນ ບໍ່?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
ຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ 20 ___.
Which sentence is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ລາວ ແມ່ນ 20 ປີ.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
How old are you?
Answer starts with: ເຈົ...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Which word means 'about'?
ລາວ ອາຢຸ ___ 30 ປີ.
Score: /8
Exercices pratiques
8 exercisesຂ້ອຍ ອາຢຸ 20 ___.
Which sentence is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ລາວ ແມ່ນ 20 ປີ.
ປີ / 20 / ອາຢຸ / ຂ້ອຍ
How old are you?
Match: 30 years old
Which word means 'about'?
ລາວ ອາຢຸ ___ 30 ປີ.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
Yes, it is the classifier for years and is required for grammatical correctness.
In very casual speech, you might hear it, but it is better to use the full structure.
No, it is a noun meaning 'age'.
Use 'ເຈົ້າ ອາຢຸ ເທົ່າໃດ?'
Use 'ປະມານ' (about) before the number.
Yes, but 'pi' is the only one used for age.
It is a cultural norm to establish social hierarchy.
No, 'ayu' is specifically for living beings.
In Other Languages
Tener + [number] + años
Lao uses a noun, Spanish uses a verb.
Avoir + [number] + ans
Lao does not use a verb for age.
sein + [number] + Jahre alt
Lao lacks the verb 'to be'.
[number] + sai
Lao classifier is a standalone word.
Subject + [number] + sui
Lao requires 'ayu' before the number.
Umri + [number]
Lao is more flexible with pronouns.
