B2 · Intermédiaire supérieur Chapitre 46

Nominalization

4 Règles totales
1 min
Règles dans ce chapitre Pratique rapide

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Unlock the power of Lao nouns by effortlessly transforming verbs into descriptive concepts.

  • Master the 'kan' prefix for active verbs.
  • Apply the 'khwam' prefix for abstract states.
  • Construct complex vocabulary from simple roots.
Turn actions into ideas with precision.

Ce que tu vas apprendre

Turning verbs into nouns. Covers the use of 'kan' and 'khwam' prefixes.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Use 'kan' to turn verbs into active nouns in daily conversation.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to: Distinguish between 'kan' and 'khwam' to define abstract concepts.

Conseils et astuces (4)

🎯

The 'Body' Test

If you can do the action with your body or mind (run, think, speak), use 'Kan'. If it's just a feeling (happy, sad), use 'Khwam'.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalization 'Kan'
💡

Check the type

Is it an action? Use Kan. Is it a state? Use Khwam.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalization 'Khwam'
🎯

The 'Feeling' Test

If you can say 'I feel...' before the word in English, use 'Khuam' in Lao.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Abstract Nouns
🎯

The 'Mental State' Rule

If a verb happens inside the head (think, know, understand), use ຄວາມ-. If it happens with the body (run, eat, write), use ການ-.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Derived Nouns

Vocabulaire clé (5)

ການຮຽນ learning/studying ຄວາມສຸກ happiness ການເຮັດວຽກ working ຄວາມຄິດ thought/idea ຄວາມຮັກ love

Real-World Preview

briefcase

Discussing Work-Life Balance

Review Summary

  • ການ + Verb
  • ຄວາມ + Verb/Adj

Erreurs courantes

You cannot use 'khwam' with physical verbs. Since 'going' is an action, it must be 'kan'.

Wrong: ຄວາມໄປ (Khwam pai)
Correct: ການໄປ (Kan pai)

Love is an abstract state, not a physical action, so it requires 'khwam'.

Wrong: ການຮັກ (Kan hak)
Correct: ຄວາມຮັກ (Khwam hak)

Adjectives like 'good' (dee) need 'khwam' to become abstract nouns.

Wrong: ການດີ (Kan dee)
Correct: ຄວາມດີ (Khwam dee)

Next Steps

You have mastered the building blocks of abstract thought in Lao. Keep practicing!

Write a diary entry using 5 nominalized words.

Continue to: Discourse Markers

Pratique rapide (10)

Choose the correct word.

Khwam-___ (truth)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ching
Ching means true.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalization 'Khwam'

Correct the mistake in this sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

ຂ້ອຍມັກການດີຂອງເຈົ້າ.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
'Good' (ດີ) is an adjective, so it must use 'ຄວາມ'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalization 'Kan'

Fill in the correct nominalizer (ການ or ຄວາມ).

___ ຮຽນພາສາລາວແມ່ນມ່ວນຫຼາຍ.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Learning is an action, so we use 'ການ'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalization 'Kan'

Correct the sentence: 'ຂ້ອຍມີການຮັກເຈົ້າ.'

Find and fix the mistake:

ຂ້ອຍມີການຮັກເຈົ້າ.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ຂ້ອຍຮັກເຈົ້າ.
You don't need a noun prefix when using a verb directly with a subject.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Abstract Nouns

Choose the correct prefix for 'ຮັກ' (love) as a noun.

___ ຮັກແມ່ນສິ່ງທີ່ສວຍງາມ.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ຄວາມ
Love is an abstract emotion/state, so it uses 'Khuam'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Derived Nouns

Fix the error.

Find and fix the mistake:

Khwam-pai

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kan-pai
Going is an action.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalization 'Khwam'

Which one means 'Politics'?

Choose the correct formal term.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
'Politics' is a formal noun derived from 'city affairs' using 'ການ'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalization 'Kan'

Fill in the blank.

Khwam-___ (happiness)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: suk
Suk is the adjective for happy.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalization 'Khwam'

Fill in the blank to mean 'The act of studying'.

___ຮຽນແມ່ນສິ່ງທີ່ດີ.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ການ
Studying is an action, so it uses 'ການ'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Abstract Nouns

Fill in the blank with the correct nominalizer.

___ ຮຽນພາສາລາວບໍ່ຍາກປານໃດ.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ການ
Studying is an action, so 'Kan' is required.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Derived Nouns

Score: /10

Questions fréquentes (6)

Use ການ (Kan) for actions (doing) and ຄວາມ (Khwam) for feelings or states (being). For example, ການຮັກ is the act of loving, while ຄວາມຮັກ is the feeling of love.
Almost any action verb can take ການ. However, it sounds unnatural with some very basic verbs in casual speech.
A nominalizer for abstract nouns.
Prefix it to adjectives.
No, they are mutually exclusive prefixes for a single root. You choose one based on whether you mean a state or an action.
Mostly, but it also covers any abstract quality like ຄວາມໄວ (speed) or ຄວາມຮ້ອນ (heat).
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