Wishes and Desires
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'yak' for casual desires and 'tong-kan' for formal needs or requirements.
- Use 'yak' + verb for personal wishes: 'yak kin' (want to eat).
- Use 'tong-kan' for formal requirements or needs: 'tong-kan khwam-chuay-lua' (need help).
- Use 'bo-yak' to negate desires: 'bo-yak pai' (don't want to go).
Volitional Verb Formation
| Type | Affirmative | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Casual
|
Subject + yak + Verb
|
Subject + bo yak + Verb
|
Subject + yak + Verb + bo?
|
|
Formal
|
Subject + tong-kan + Noun
|
Subject + bo tong-kan + Noun
|
Subject + tong-kan + Noun + bo?
|
Meanings
These verbs express the speaker's internal desire, intent, or requirement regarding an action or object.
Casual Desire
Expressing a personal wish or preference.
“ຂ້ອຍຢາກໄປທ່ຽວ”
“ເຈົ້າຢາກໄດ້ຫຍັງ?”
Formal Requirement
Expressing a need or a formal request.
“ບໍລິສັດຕ້ອງການພະນັກງານ”
“ຂ້ອຍຕ້ອງການຄວາມຊ່ວຍເຫຼືອ”
Negative Desire
Expressing lack of interest or refusal.
“ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ຢາກໄປ”
“ລາວບໍ່ຕ້ອງການເງິນ”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
S + yak + V
|
Khoi yak kin
|
|
Negative
|
S + bo + yak + V
|
Khoi bo yak kin
|
|
Question
|
S + yak + V + bo
|
Jao yak kin bo?
|
|
Formal
|
S + tong-kan + N
|
Khoi tong-kan nam
|
|
Formal Neg
|
S + bo + tong-kan + N
|
Khoi bo tong-kan nam
|
|
Formal Q
|
S + tong-kan + N + bo
|
Jao tong-kan nam bo?
|
Spectre de formalité
ຂ້ອຍຕ້ອງການກັບບ້ານ (Leaving a place)
ຂ້ອຍຢາກກັບບ້ານ (Leaving a place)
ຢາກກັບບ້ານເດ (Leaving a place)
ກັບບ້ານລະເດ (Leaving a place)
Desire vs Need
Desire
- ຢາກ want
Need
- ຕ້ອງການ need
Exemples par niveau
ຂ້ອຍຢາກກິນເຂົ້າ
I want to eat rice
ເຈົ້າຢາກໄປບໍ່?
Do you want to go?
ລາວຢາກໄດ້ນ້ຳ
He wants water
ຂ້ອຍຢາກນອນ
I want to sleep
ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ຢາກໄປ
I don't want to go
ເຈົ້າຕ້ອງການຫຍັງ?
What do you need?
ລາວບໍ່ຕ້ອງການເງິນ
He doesn't need money
ພວກຂ້ອຍຢາກຮຽນ
We want to study
ຂ້ອຍຕ້ອງການຄວາມຊ່ວຍເຫຼືອ
I need help
ທ່ານຕ້ອງການຈອງໂຕະບໍ່?
Do you need to book a table?
ຂ້ອຍຢາກຈະໄປທ່ຽວຫຼວງພະບາງ
I would like to visit Luang Prabang
ລາວບໍ່ຕ້ອງການໃຫ້ໃຜຮູ້
He doesn't want anyone to know
ບໍລິສັດຕ້ອງການພະນັກງານທີ່ມີປະສົບການ
The company requires experienced staff
ຂ້ອຍຢາກໃຫ້ເຈົ້າເຂົ້າໃຈ
I want you to understand
ບໍ່ມີໃຜຕ້ອງການສິ່ງນີ້
No one needs this
ເຈົ້າຢາກໃຫ້ຂ້ອຍເຮັດແນວໃດ?
What do you want me to do?
ຄວາມຕ້ອງການຂອງລູກຄ້າແມ່ນສິ່ງສຳຄັນ
Customer needs are important
ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ຢາກຈະເຊື່ອເລີຍ
I don't want to believe it
ລາວຕ້ອງການຄວາມເປັນສ່ວນຕົວ
He requires privacy
ຢາກໄດ້ຫຍັງກໍບອກ
If you want anything, just tell me
ການຕອບສະໜອງຕໍ່ຄວາມຕ້ອງການຂອງສັງຄົມ
Responding to societal needs
ບໍ່ຢາກຈະຄິດເລີຍວ່າຈະເກີດຫຍັງຂຶ້ນ
I don't even want to think about what will happen
ລາວຕ້ອງການໃຫ້ທຸກຢ່າງເປັນໄປຕາມແຜນ
He requires everything to go according to plan
ຢາກໄດ້ແບບໃດກໍເລືອກເອົາ
Choose whichever you want
Facile à confondre
Learners often use them interchangeably.
Erreurs courantes
Khoi tong-kan kin
Khoi yak kin
Jao yak pai
Jao yak pai bo?
Khoi yak tong-kan
Khoi tong-kan
Khoi yak khwam-tong-kan
Khoi tong-kan
Structures de phrases
ຂ້ອຍຢາກ ___
Real World Usage
Khoi yak kin khao pad.
Khoi tong-kan wia.
Keep it simple
Smart Tips
Use tong-kan.
Prononciation
Yak
Short 'a' sound, glottal stop at end.
Tong-kan
Two distinct syllables, clear 'o' sound.
Question
Jao yak pai bo? ↑
Rising intonation at the end for questions.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Yak is for a snack (casual), Tong-kan is for a plan (formal).
Association visuelle
Imagine a person holding a casual ice cream cone saying 'Yak', and a person in a suit holding a clipboard saying 'Tong-kan'.
Rhyme
For a friend, use 'yak' to start, for a boss, use 'tong-kan' with heart.
Story
Som wants a coffee. He tells his friend 'Khoi yak ka-fe'. Then he goes to the bank and tells the clerk 'Khoi tong-kan thon-ngern'.
Word Web
Défi
Write 5 sentences about things you want today using 'yak'.
Notes culturelles
Lao culture values indirectness. Using 'yak' is softer than 'tong-kan'.
Derived from Tai-Kadai roots for desire and requirement.
Amorces de conversation
ເຈົ້າຢາກກິນຫຍັງ?
ເຈົ້າຕ້ອງການຄວາມຊ່ວຍເຫຼືອບໍ່?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
ຂ້ອຍ ___ ກິນເຂົ້າ.
Score: /1
Exercices pratiques
1 exercisesຂ້ອຍ ___ ກິນເຂົ້າ.
Score: /1
FAQ (1)
Yes, in casual speech.
Scaffolded Practice
1
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
อยาก / ต้องการ
None.
Querer / Necesitar
Lao verbs don't conjugate.
Vouloir / Avoir besoin de
Lao is simpler.
Wollen / Brauchen
Lao lacks person conjugation.
～たい / 必要がある
Lao uses a separate verb.
想 / 需要
Lao is more formal with tong-kan.
