Signification
Having one's hair trimmed.
Contexte culturel
The head is the most sacred part of the body. Never touch a barber's head or anyone else's head without a specific reason, as it is considered highly disrespectful. Many Lao people believe cutting hair on Wednesday brings bad luck. This is why some shops are quieter or closed on this day. When men enter the monkhood (Ordination), they must undergo a ritual 'tat phom' where their head and eyebrows are completely shaved. Barbershops in Laos often serve as social hubs where men gather to discuss news, sports, and local gossip.
The Wednesday Rule
If you see a barbershop closed on Wednesday, don't be surprised. It's an old tradition still respected by many.
Causative Logic
Don't try to translate 'I had my hair cut.' Just say 'I cut hair' (Khoy tat phom). The context does the work for you.
Signification
Having one's hair trimmed.
The Wednesday Rule
If you see a barbershop closed on Wednesday, don't be surprised. It's an old tradition still respected by many.
Causative Logic
Don't try to translate 'I had my hair cut.' Just say 'I cut hair' (Khoy tat phom). The context does the work for you.
Head Sanctity
Always wait for the barber to initiate contact or give a slight nod of permission before they touch your head.
Vocabulary Distinction
Use 'Phom' for head hair and 'Khon' for everything else. Mixing them up is a classic beginner mistake.
Teste-toi
Fill in the missing word for 'hair'.
ຂ້ອຍຈະໄປຕັດ...
'Phom' is the specific word for hair on the head.
Which day is traditionally considered unlucky for a haircut in Laos?
ມື້ໃດທີ່ບໍ່ຄວນຕັດຜົມ?
Wednesday is traditionally avoided due to ancient royal taboos.
Complete the barber's response.
Customer: ຂ້ອຍຢາກຕັດຜົມ. Barber: ...
'By, sern nang' means 'Yes, please have a seat,' which is the standard response.
Match the Lao phrase to its English meaning.
1. ຕັດຜົມສັ້ນ, 2. ຊ່າງຕັດຜົມ, 3. ຮ້ານຕັດຜົມ
These are the most common collocations using 'tat phom'.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Hair Vocabulary
Head
- • ຜົມ (Phom)
Body
- • ຂົນ (Khon)
Face
- • ໜວດ (Nuat)
- • ເຄົາ (Khrao)
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesຂ້ອຍຈະໄປຕັດ...
'Phom' is the specific word for hair on the head.
ມື້ໃດທີ່ບໍ່ຄວນຕັດຜົມ?
Wednesday is traditionally avoided due to ancient royal taboos.
Customer: ຂ້ອຍຢາກຕັດຜົມ. Barber: ...
'By, sern nang' means 'Yes, please have a seat,' which is the standard response.
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
These are the most common collocations using 'tat phom'.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
14 questionsYes, but usually you would add 'eng' (myself): 'Khoy tat phom eng'.
Absolutely. It is a gender-neutral term for any haircut.
You can say 'tat ok nit diao' (cut out just a little bit).
Tipping is not mandatory but appreciated in high-end salons. In local shops, it's not expected.
It is 'Ran tat phom'. 'Ran' means shop.
The 'ma' at the end indicates you just came from doing it. It's like saying 'I've been to get a haircut.'
Yes, 'tat' is the general verb for cutting with scissors or a blade.
In royal language (Rachasap), hair is 'Phra Gesa', but you will never use this at a normal barbershop.
'Tat' is to cut with scissors; 'Gon' is to shave with a razor.
Some believe it's good luck to start your new year with a fresh look, as long as it's not a Wednesday!
Say 'Ya tat san lai' (Don't cut short too much).
Yes, in Thai 'Phom' is a formal 'I' for men. In Lao, 'Phom' only means hair (the word for 'I' is 'Khoy').
Lao usually uses the verb phrase, but you can say 'Karn tat phom' to make it a noun.
Yes, many open around 8:00 AM to catch people before work.
Expressions liées
ຮ້ານຕັດຜົມ
specialized formBarbershop
ຊ່າງຕັດຜົມ
specialized formBarber
ຊອຍຜົມ
similarTo thin or layer hair
ສະຜົມ
builds onTo wash hair
ໂກນຫນວດ
similarTo shave a mustache
ແຕ່ງຜົມ
similarTo style hair
