Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Lao nouns are simple: they don't change for plural or gender, but you often need a classifier word.
- Nouns don't change form: 'dog' is 'ma' whether it's one or many.
- Use classifiers for counting: 'two dogs' becomes 'dog + two + classifier'.
- Adjectives follow the noun: 'big dog' is 'dog + big'.
Noun Phrase Structure
| Element | Lao | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Noun
|
ໝາ
|
Subject/Object
|
ໝາ
|
|
Adjective
|
ໃຫຍ່
|
Description
|
ໝາໃຫຍ່
|
|
Number
|
ສອງ
|
Quantity
|
ໝາໃຫຍ່ສອງ
|
|
Classifier
|
ໂຕ
|
Categorization
|
ໝາໃຫຍ່ສອງໂຕ
|
Common Classifiers
| Category | Classifier | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Animals
|
ໂຕ
|
ໝາ (dog)
|
|
People
|
ຄົນ
|
ໝູ່ (friend)
|
|
Books
|
ຫົວ
|
ປຶ້ມ (book)
|
|
Vehicles
|
ຄັນ
|
ລົດ (car)
|
|
Buildings
|
ຫຼັງ
|
ເຮືອນ (house)
|
Meanings
Lao nouns represent people, places, or things without grammatical gender or plural markers.
Basic Noun
Standard naming of objects or entities.
“ແມວ (cat)”
“ເຮືອນ (house)”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Noun + Adj + Num + Class
|
ໝາໃຫຍ່ສອງໂຕ
|
|
Negative
|
ບໍ່ + Noun
|
ບໍ່ແມ່ນໝາ
|
|
Question
|
Noun + Class + ບໍ່?
|
ໝາໂຕນີ້ແມ່ນບໍ່?
|
|
Plural
|
Noun + ຫຼາຍ + Class
|
ໝາຫຼາຍໂຕ
|
|
Demonstrative
|
Noun + Class + ນີ້/ນັ້ນ
|
ໝາໂຕນີ້
|
|
Possessive
|
Noun + ຂອງ + Pronoun
|
ໝາຂອງຂ້ອຍ
|
フォーマル度スペクトル
ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າມີໝາໜຶ່ງໂຕ. (Talking about pets.)
ຂ້ອຍມີໝາໜຶ່ງໂຕ. (Talking about pets.)
ມີໝາໂຕໜຶ່ງ. (Talking about pets.)
ມີໝາໂຕນຶ່ງ. (Talking about pets.)
Lao Noun Structure
Modifiers
- ໃຫຍ່ big
Quantifiers
- ສອງ two
Classifiers
- ໂຕ animal unit
レベル別の例文
ຂ້ອຍມີໝາ.
I have a dog.
ນີ້ແມ່ນແມວ.
This is a cat.
ຂ້ອຍມັກນ້ຳ.
I like water.
ເຮືອນໃຫຍ່.
The house is big.
ຂ້ອຍມີໝາສອງໂຕ.
I have two dogs.
ລາວມີປຶ້ມສາມຫົວ.
He has three books.
ໝາໂຕນັ້ນໃຫຍ່.
That dog is big.
ຂ້ອຍຊື້ເຂົ້າໜຶ່ງຈານ.
I bought one plate of rice.
ຄົນຜູ້ນັ້ນເປັນໝູ່ຂ້ອຍ.
That person is my friend.
ຂ້ອຍຕ້ອງການລົດຄັນໃໝ່.
I need a new car.
ປຶ້ມຫົວນີ້ໜ້າສົນໃຈ.
This book is interesting.
ເຮືອນຫຼັງນັ້ນງາມຫຼາຍ.
That house is very beautiful.
ນັກຮຽນທຸກຄົນຕ້ອງມາຮອດ.
Every student must arrive.
ຂ້ອຍໄດ້ຊື້ໂທລະສັບເຄື່ອງໃໝ່.
I bought a new phone.
ໝາໂຕທີ່ຂ້ອຍມັກແມ່ນໂຕສີຂາວ.
The dog I like is the white one.
ມີຄົນຫຼາຍຄົນຢູ່ໃນງານ.
There are many people at the event.
ຄວາມຮູ້ແມ່ນຊັບສົມບັດທີ່ມີຄ່າ.
Knowledge is a valuable asset.
ການເດີນທາງແມ່ນປະສົບການທີ່ດີ.
Traveling is a good experience.
ລາວໄດ້ຮັບຄວາມຊ່ວຍເຫຼືອຈາກຫຼາຍຝ່າຍ.
He received help from many sides.
ບັນຫາທີ່ເກີດຂຶ້ນແມ່ນຍ້ອນຄວາມເຂົ້າໃຈຜິດ.
The problem that occurred is due to a misunderstanding.
ວັດທະນະທຳລາວມີຮາກຖານມາແຕ່ດົນນານ.
Lao culture has deep historical roots.
ຈິດໃຈຂອງຄົນເຮົາແມ່ນສິ່ງທີ່ສັບສົນ.
The human mind is a complex thing.
ການປ່ຽນແປງຂອງສັງຄົມມີຜົນກະທົບຕໍ່ທຸກຄົນ.
Social change impacts everyone.
ຄວາມສາມັກຄີແມ່ນປັດໄຈຫຼັກຂອງຄວາມສຳເລັດ.
Unity is the key factor for success.
間違えやすい
Learners mix up 'ໂຕ' (classifier) with 'ໂຕ' (pronoun for 'you' in animal context).
Adjectives follow nouns, but some verbs look like adjectives.
Putting the classifier before the number.
よくある間違い
ໝາສອງ
ໝາສອງໂຕ
ໝາສ
ໝາ
ໃຫຍ່ໝາ
ໝາໃຫຍ່
ກິນນ້ຳໜຶ່ງ
ກິນນ້ຳໜຶ່ງຈອກ
ຄົນສອງໂຕ
ຄົນສອງຄົນ
ປຶ້ມສອງຄົນ
ປຶ້ມສອງຫົວ
ເຮືອນສອງໂຕ
ເຮືອນສອງຫຼັງ
ໝາໂຕນີ້ແມ່ນຂອງຂ້ອຍ
ໝາໂຕນີ້ແມ່ນຂອງຂ້ອຍ
ຂ້ອຍມີໝາຫຼາຍ
ຂ້ອຍມີໝາຫຼາຍໂຕ
ລົດຄັນນັ້ນແມ່ນຂອງໃຜ
ລົດຄັນນັ້ນແມ່ນຂອງໃຜ
ຄວາມຮູ້ຫຼາຍ
ຄວາມຮູ້ຫຼາຍຢ່າງ
ການເຮັດວຽກຫຼາຍ
ການເຮັດວຽກຫຼາຍຢ່າງ
ບັນຫາຫຼາຍ
ບັນຫາຫຼາຍຢ່າງ
文型パターン
ຂ້ອຍມີ ___ ___ ___.
___ ໂຕນີ້ແມ່ນຂອງຂ້ອຍ.
ຂ້ອຍຊື້ ___ ___ ___.
___ ໂຕນັ້ນ ___ ຫຼາຍ.
Real World Usage
ເອົາເຂົ້າໜຶ່ງຈານ.
ຊື້ປຶ້ມສອງຫົວ.
ໝາຂ້ອຍງາມຫຼາຍ.
ຈອງຫ້ອງໜຶ່ງຫ້ອງ.
ຂ້ອຍມີປະສົບການຫຼາຍຢ່າງ.
ມີໝາໂຕນຶ່ງ.
Classifier Cheat Sheet
Don't Pluralize
Context is King
Respectful Classifiers
Smart Tips
Always place the number before the classifier.
Place the adjective immediately after the noun.
Add 'ບໍ່' at the end.
Place 'ນີ້' or 'ນັ້ນ' after the classifier.
発音
Tone marks
Lao is a tonal language; noun meaning can change with tone.
Question
Sentence + ບໍ່ ↑
Rising intonation for yes/no questions.
暗記しよう
記憶術
Think of the classifier as a 'tag' that tells you what kind of thing you are holding.
視覚的連想
Imagine a dog wearing a tag that says 'TO' (ໂຕ).
Rhyme
For things you count, use a tag, don't let the classifier lag.
Story
I went to the market. I saw a dog (ໝາ). I counted it (ໂຕ). It was big (ໃຫຍ່). I bought it (ໝາໃຫຍ່ໜຶ່ງໂຕ).
Word Web
チャレンジ
Look around your room and name 5 items using the Noun + Classifier pattern.
文化メモ
Classifiers are essential for politeness. Using the wrong one can sound uneducated.
Very similar to Lao; classifiers are used identically.
Younger generations may drop classifiers, but elders maintain them.
Lao classifiers evolved from ancient Tai languages to categorize objects by physical properties.
会話のきっかけ
ເຈົ້າມີໝາບໍ່?
ເຈົ້າມີປຶ້ມຈັກຫົວ?
ເຮືອນຂອງເຈົ້າຢູ່ໃສ?
ເຈົ້າມັກລົດຄັນໃດ?
日記のテーマ
よくある間違い
Test Yourself
ໝາສອງ___
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ຂ້ອຍມີປຶ້ມສອງໂຕ.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Three houses.
Answer starts with: ເຮື...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
I have one car.
Which is a classifier?
Score: /8
練習問題
8 exercisesໝາສອງ___
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ຂ້ອຍມີປຶ້ມສອງໂຕ.
ສອງ / ໝາ / ໂຕ / ໃຫຍ່
Three houses.
Match: ໝາ, ປຶ້ມ, ເຮືອນ
I have one car.
Which is a classifier?
Score: /8
よくある質問 (8)
No, Lao nouns are invariant.
A word used to count nouns based on their shape.
Only in very informal speech.
Lao doesn't have articles.
After the noun.
People will understand, but it sounds unnatural.
No, Lao has no grammatical gender.
Use 'ຈັກ' + classifier.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Measure words (量词)
Chinese has a specific 'ge' classifier that is used very broadly.
Counter words (助数詞)
Japanese counters often attach directly to the number.
Articles/Gender
Spanish nouns change form; Lao nouns do not.
Articles/Gender
French is highly inflected; Lao is isolating.
Cases/Gender
German grammar is complex; Lao is straightforward.
Gender/Dual/Plural
Arabic has dual forms; Lao does not.
