Classifier for Objects
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
In Lao, you cannot just say 'three cats'; you must use a classifier: 'cat three [animal-classifier]'.
- Structure: Noun + Number + Classifier (e.g., 'ma 2 to' - dog 2 [animal-classifier]).
- General objects often use 'an' as a default classifier.
- People use 'khon' as the classifier regardless of the noun.
Meanings
Lao uses specific words called classifiers (laksana-nam) to categorize nouns when they are counted or quantified.
General Objects
Used for inanimate objects that don't have a specific category.
“ໂຕະສອງອັນ (two tables)”
“ຕັ່ງສາມອັນ (three chairs)”
People
Used for all human beings.
“ນັກຮຽນຫ້າຄົນ (five students)”
“ໝູ່ສອງຄົນ (two friends)”
Animals
Used for all living creatures.
“ແມວສາມໂຕ (three cats)”
“ໝາສີ່ໂຕ (four dogs)”
Basic Classifier Structure
| Noun | Number | Classifier | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ໝາ | 2 | ໂຕ | Two dogs |
| ຄົນ | 3 | ຄົນ | Three people |
| ໂຕະ | 1 | ອັນ | One table |
| ລົດ | 2 | ຄັນ | Two cars |
| ປຶ້ມ | 5 | ຫົວ | Five books |
| ເຮືອນ | 1 | ຫຼັງ | One house |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Noun + Num + Class | ໝາ 2 ໂຕ |
| Negative | Noun + bo + mi + Num + Class | ບໍ່ມີໝາ 2 ໂຕ |
| Question | Noun + Num + Class + bo | ມີໝາ 2 ໂຕບໍ່? |
| Quantity | Noun + lai + Class | ໝາຫຼາຍໂຕ |
| Specific | Noun + ni + Num + Class | ໝາໂຕນີ້ 2 ໂຕ |
| None | Noun + bo + mi + Class | ບໍ່ມີໝາຈັກໂຕ |
Spectre de formalité
ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າມີໝູ່ສອງຄົນ. (Talking about friends.)
ຂ້ອຍມີໝູ່ສອງຄົນ. (Talking about friends.)
ມີໝູ່ສອງຄົນ. (Talking about friends.)
ໝູ່ສອງຄົນ. (Talking about friends.)
Classifier Categories
People
- ຄົນ khon
Animals
- ໂຕ to
Objects
- ອັນ an
Examples by Level
ແມວໜຶ່ງໂຕ
one cat
ຄົນສອງຄົນ
two people
ໂຕະສາມອັນ
three tables
ໝາສີ່ໂຕ
four dogs
ເຈົ້າມີປຶ້ມຈັກຫົວ?
How many books do you have?
ຂ້ອຍມີລົດໜຶ່ງຄັນ
I have one car
ລາວຊື້ເສື້ອສອງຕົວ
He bought two shirts
ເຮົາມີໝູ່ສາມຄົນ
We have three friends
ຂ້ອຍຕ້ອງການນ້ຳສອງຂວດ
I need two bottles of water
ລາວມີເຮືອນສາມຫຼັງ
He has three houses
ມີນົກຫ້າໂຕຢູ່ເທິງຕົ້ນໄມ້
There are five birds on the tree
ຂ້ອຍຊື້ປາກກາສີ່ດວງ
I bought four pens
ພະນັກງານສິບຄົນກຳລັງເຮັດວຽກ
Ten employees are working
ເຮົາຕ້ອງໃຊ້ຄອມພິວເຕີສອງເຄື່ອງ
We need to use two computers
ລາວຂຽນຈົດໝາຍສາມສະບັບ
She wrote three letters
ມີດອກໄມ້ຫົກດອກໃນແຈກັນ
There are six flowers in the vase
ການປະຊຸມມີຜູ້ເຂົ້າຮ່ວມສິບສອງຄົນ
The meeting has twelve participants
ລາວໄດ້ຮັບລາງວັນສອງໃບ
He received two certificates
ມີເຮືອສາມລຳຢູ່ແຄມຝັ່ງ
There are three boats on the shore
ຂ້ອຍມີແຜນການສອງຢ່າງ
I have two plans
ພະສົງສາມອົງກຳລັງສັນເພນ
Three monks are having lunch
ມີພູເຂົາສອງໜ່ວຍທີ່ສູງທີ່ສຸດ
There are two mountains that are the highest
ລາວມີຄວາມຄິດສອງປະການ
He has two ideas
ມີດາວສອງດວງທີ່ເດັ່ນຊັດ
There are two stars that are clearly visible
Easily Confused
Learners mix up the general object classifier and the animal classifier.
Learners use 'an' for people.
Learners put the number before the noun.
Erreurs courantes
2 ໝາ
ໝາ 2 ໂຕ
ໝາ 2
ໝາ 2 ໂຕ
ຄົນ 2 ອັນ
ຄົນ 2 ຄົນ
ໝາ 2 ຄົນ
ໝາ 2 ໂຕ
ລົດ 2 ໂຕ
ລົດ 2 ຄັນ
ປຶ້ມ 2 ໂຕ
ປຶ້ມ 2 ຫົວ
ນ້ຳ 2 ອັນ
ນ້ຳ 2 ຂວດ
ເຮືອນ 2 ຫົວ
ເຮືອນ 2 ຫຼັງ
ປາກກາ 2 ຫົວ
ປາກກາ 2 ດວງ
ຈົດໝາຍ 2 ຫົວ
ຈົດໝາຍ 2 ສະບັບ
ພະສົງ 2 ຄົນ
ພະສົງ 2 ອົງ
ພູເຂົາ 2 ຫຼັງ
ພູເຂົາ 2 ໜ່ວຍ
ຄວາມຄິດ 2 ຢ່າງ
ຄວາມຄິດ 2 ປະການ
Sentence Patterns
ຂ້ອຍມີ ___ ___ ___.
ເຈົ້າມີ ___ ___ ___ ບໍ່?
ຂ້ອຍຊື້ ___ ___ ___ ມາ.
ມີ ___ ___ ___ ຢູ່ທີ່ນີ້.
Real World Usage
ຂ້ອຍຊື້ໝາກມ່ວງສາມໜ່ວຍ
ຂໍເບຍໜຶ່ງຂວດ
ມີນັກຮຽນສິບຄົນ
ມີໝາ 2 ໂຕ
ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າມີປະສົບການສອງປີ
ມີໂຮງແຮມສອງຫຼັງ
When in doubt, use 'an'
Don't skip classifiers
Learn by category
Respectful classifiers
Smart Tips
Always remember the Noun-Number-Classifier order.
Use 'khon' for everyone.
Use 'khuat' for bottles.
Use 'ong' for monks.
Prononciation
Tone
Ensure the tone of the classifier is correct, as it affects meaning.
Question
Noun + Num + Class + bo↗
Rising intonation at the end for questions.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of the classifier as a 'tag' you attach to the noun to identify its shape or type.
Visual Association
Imagine a cat with a 'to' tag on its collar, a person with a 'khon' badge, and a box with an 'an' sticker.
Rhyme
For people use khon, for animals use to, for things use an, it's easy to do!
Story
I went to the market. I bought one cat (ma nueng to), two apples (mak-appo song an), and met three friends (mu sam khon). I used the right tags for everything!
Word Web
Défi
Look around your room and count 5 items using the correct classifiers.
Notes culturelles
Using the correct classifier shows respect and education.
Thai and Lao share many classifiers, but some differ.
Dialectal variations exist but the core system is identical.
Lao classifiers evolved from ancient Tai languages to categorize nouns based on shape, function, and animacy.
Conversation Starters
ເຈົ້າມີໝູ່ຈັກຄົນ?
ເຈົ້າມີລົດຈັກຄັນ?
ເຈົ້າຊື້ປຶ້ມຈັກຫົວມື້ນີ້?
ມີນັກຮຽນຈັກຄົນໃນຫ້ອງ?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
ໝາ 2 ___
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ຄົນ 2 ອັນ
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Three books
Answer starts with: ປຶ້...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
ລົດ 2 ___
ພະສົງ 3 ___
Score: /8
Exercices pratiques
8 exercisesໝາ 2 ___
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ຄົນ 2 ອັນ
2 / ໂຕ / ໝາ
Three books
Match: 1. ໝາ, 2. ຄົນ, 3. ໂຕະ
ລົດ 2 ___
ພະສົງ 3 ___
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
They are a fundamental part of Lao grammar to categorize nouns.
No, it makes your speech sound broken.
Use 'an' as a default for objects.
Mostly yes, but some vary.
Yes, always use 'khon'.
Yes, 'yang' or 'pra-kan'.
Putting the number before the noun.
Yes, they are mandatory in all registers.
In Other Languages
None
Spanish has no classifier system.
None
French lacks classifier particles.
None
German uses grammatical gender instead of classifiers.
Counters
Japanese counters are prefixes/suffixes to numbers, not nouns.
None
Arabic does not use classifiers.
Measure words
Chinese places the classifier between the number and the noun.
