Cost and Value
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'thao-dai' to ask for price and 'pen-nyang' or 'mi-kha' to discuss value.
- Ask price: [Item] + thao-dai? (How much is the item?)
- State price: [Item] + pen + [Amount] + kip.
- Discuss value: [Item] + mi-kha + [Adjective] (The item has [high/low] value).
Meanings
These expressions are used to inquire about the cost of goods and describe the perceived value or worth of an object or service.
Inquiry of Price
Asking for the monetary cost of an item.
“ປຶ້ມຫົວນີ້ລາຄາເທົ່າໃດ?”
“ອາຫານຈານນີ້ເທົ່າໃດ?”
Stating Value
Describing the worth or importance of something.
“ສິ່ງນີ້ມີຄ່າຫຼາຍ.”
“ມັນບໍ່ມີຄ່າຫຍັງເລີຍ.”
Price and Value Patterns
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Inquiry | Item + thao-dai? | ປຶ້ມເທົ່າໃດ? |
| Statement | Item + la-kha + [Number] | ປຶ້ມລາຄາຫ້າພັນ |
| Value | Item + mi-kha + [Adj] | ປຶ້ມມີຄ່າຫຼາຍ |
| Negative | Item + bo-mi-kha | ປຶ້ມບໍ່ມີຄ່າ |
| Comparison | Item A + mi-kha-kwa + Item B | ປຶ້ມມີຄ່າກວ່າເງິນ |
| Formal | Item + mi-khun-kha | ປຶ້ມມີຄຸນຄ່າ |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Question | Subject + thao-dai? | ອັນນີ້ເທົ່າໃດ? |
| Answer | Subject + la-kha + [Amount] | ອັນນີ້ລາຄາສິບພັນ |
| Value | Subject + mi-kha | ອັນນີ້ມີຄ່າ |
| Negative | Subject + bo-mi-kha | ອັນນີ້ບໍ່ມີຄ່າ |
| Comparative | Subject + mi-kha-kwa | ອັນນີ້ມີຄ່າກວ່າ |
| Superlative | Subject + mi-kha-thi-sut | ອັນນີ້ມີຄ່າທີ່ສຸດ |
フォーマル度スペクトル
ສິນຄ້ານີ້ລາຄາເທົ່າໃດ? (Shopping)
ອັນນີ້ລາຄາເທົ່າໃດ? (Shopping)
ອັນນີ້ເທົ່າໃດ? (Shopping)
ອັນນີ້ຈັກກີບ? (Shopping)
Price vs Value
Price
- ລາຄາ Price
Value
- ມີຄ່າ Has value
Examples by Level
ອັນນີ້ເທົ່າໃດ?
How much is this?
ລາຄາເທົ່າໃດ?
What is the price?
ນ້ຳນີ້ເທົ່າໃດ?
How much is this water?
ໝາກໄມ້ນີ້ເທົ່າໃດ?
How much is this fruit?
ປຶ້ມຫົວນີ້ມີຄ່າຫຼາຍ.
This book has much value.
ມັນບໍ່ມີຄ່າຫຍັງ.
It has no value.
ລາຄາຂອງມັນແພງ.
Its price is expensive.
ເຈົ້າຊື້ມາເທົ່າໃດ?
How much did you buy it for?
ການສຶກສາມີຄ່າກວ່າເງິນ.
Education is more valuable than money.
ຄ່າໃຊ້ຈ່າຍໃນການເດີນທາງສູງ.
The cost of travel is high.
ລາຄາຖືກກວ່າທີ່ຂ້ອຍຄິດ.
The price is cheaper than I thought.
ລາວເຫັນຄ່າຂອງເວລາ.
He sees the value of time.
ສິ່ງນີ້ມີຄຸນຄ່າທາງຈິດໃຈ.
This has sentimental value.
ລາຄາຕະຫຼາດມີການປ່ຽນແປງ.
The market price is changing.
ມັນບໍ່ສົມກັບລາຄາ.
It is not worth the price.
ເຮົາຕ້ອງຮັກສາຄຸນຄ່າຂອງວັດທະນະທຳ.
We must preserve the value of culture.
ລາຄາທີ່ສະເໜີມາແມ່ນບໍ່ສົມເຫດສົມຜົນ.
The offered price is unreasonable.
ຄຸນຄ່າຂອງມະນຸດບໍ່ສາມາດຕີລາຄາໄດ້.
Human value cannot be priced.
ການປະເມີນລາຄາຕ້ອງມີຄວາມຊັດເຈນ.
The valuation must be clear.
ລາວມີຄຸນຄ່າຕໍ່ອົງກອນຫຼາຍ.
He is very valuable to the organization.
ການຕີລາຄາສິນຊັບມີຄວາມຊັບຊ້ອນ.
Asset valuation is complex.
ຄຸນຄ່າອັນສູງສົ່ງຂອງຄວາມຮັກ.
The sublime value of love.
ລາຄາຄ່າງວດແມ່ນສູງເກີນໄປ.
The installment price is too high.
ການຮັກສາຄຸນຄ່າດັ້ງເດີມແມ່ນສິ່ງສຳຄັນ.
Maintaining traditional values is important.
Easily Confused
Learners mix up price (la-kha) and cost/expense (khon-kha).
Learners don't know when to use 'khun-kha' (virtue/high value).
Learners think they are interchangeable.
よくある間違い
ລາຄາເທົ່າໃດ?
ອັນນີ້ເທົ່າໃດ?
ມີຄ່າເທົ່າໃດ?
ອັນນີ້ເທົ່າໃດ?
ເທົ່າໃດ kip?
ລາຄາເທົ່າໃດ kip?
ລາຄາ 1000
ລາຄາ 1000 ກີບ
ລາຄາສູງ
ລາຄາແພງ
ມີລາຄາຫຼາຍ
ມີຄ່າຫຼາຍ
ລາຄາຖືກ
ລາຄາຖືກ
ຄ່າລາຄາ
ລາຄາ
ຄຸນຄ່າລາຄາ
ຄຸນຄ່າ
ລາຄາຂອງມັນມີຄ່າ
ມັນມີຄ່າ
ການຕີລາຄາຄຸນຄ່າ
ການປະເມີນຄຸນຄ່າ
ລາຄາສູງສົ່ງ
ຄຸນຄ່າສູງສົ່ງ
ລາຄາຕະຫຼາດມີຄຸນຄ່າ
ລາຄາຕະຫຼາດມີຄວາມຜັນຜວນ
ບໍ່ມີລາຄາ
ບໍ່ມີຄ່າ
Sentence Patterns
___ ລາຄາເທົ່າໃດ?
___ ມີຄ່າຫຼາຍ.
ລາຄາ ___ ຖືກກວ່າ ___.
ສິ່ງນີ້ມີຄຸນຄ່າທາງ ___.
Real World Usage
ອັນນີ້ລາຄາເທົ່າໃດ?
ຄ່າອາຫານເທົ່າໃດ?
ສິ່ງນີ້ມີຄ່າຫຼາຍ.
ຄ່າຕອບແທນເທົ່າໃດ?
ຄ່າທົວເທົ່າໃດ?
ລາຄາລວມເທົ່າໃດ?
Always add 'kip'
Don't mix price and value
Use 'la-kha' for formal settings
Bargaining
Smart Tips
Add 'la-kha' to sound more polite.
Use 'mi-kha' for personal worth.
Use 'phaeng' for expensive.
Use 'kha' for services.
発音
Tones
Lao is tonal. 'Thao-dai' requires a falling tone on 'thao'.
Question
ອັນນີ້ເທົ່າໃດ? ↑
Rising intonation at the end for questions.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'Thao-dai' as 'How-much-dai' (How much do I pay?).
Visual Association
Imagine a scale. On one side, a pile of money (la-kha). On the other, a glowing heart (mi-kha).
Rhyme
Price is la-kha, value is mi-kha, ask thao-dai, don't be shy!
Story
You walk into a market. You ask 'thao-dai?' for a silk scarf. The seller says 'sip-pan'. You realize the scarf has 'mi-kha' (value) because it was handmade by a master.
Word Web
チャレンジ
Go to a website in Lao, find 3 items, and write down their prices using the 'la-kha' pattern.
文化メモ
Bargaining is common in markets. Asking 'thao-dai' is the start of a friendly negotiation.
The word 'la-kha' comes from Sanskrit 'lakṣa' (mark/sign), evolving into the concept of price.
Conversation Starters
ເຈົ້າຊື້ເສື້ອນີ້ມາເທົ່າໃດ?
ສິ່ງໃດມີຄ່າທີ່ສຸດສຳລັບເຈົ້າ?
ເຈົ້າຄິດວ່າລາຄາອາຫານໃນລາວແພງບໍ່?
ເຈົ້າເຄີຍຊື້ຂອງທີ່ບໍ່ຄຸ້ມຄ່າບໍ່?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
ອັນນີ້ ___ ເທົ່າໃດ?
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ລາຄາ 10000 (missing unit)
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
How much is this?
Answer starts with: ອັນ...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Use: ປຶ້ມ, ມີຄ່າ, ຫຼາຍ
When asking for a taxi fare, use:
Score: /8
練習問題
8 exercisesອັນນີ້ ___ ເທົ່າໃດ?
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ລາຄາ 10000 (missing unit)
ເທົ່າໃດ / ອັນນີ້ / ລາຄາ
How much is this?
Match: 1.ລາຄາ 2.ມີຄ່າ
Use: ປຶ້ມ, ມີຄ່າ, ຫຼາຍ
When asking for a taxi fare, use:
Score: /8
よくある質問 (8)
Yes, it is the most common way to ask 'how much' for any item.
'La-kha' is the price of an object. 'Kha' is often used for fees or costs like 'kha-lot' (taxi fare).
No, it is for things that have worth, like memories or time.
It specifies the currency, which is important in a country where other currencies are sometimes used.
Yes, it means 'expensive price'.
Say 'la-kha-thuk'.
Yes, it is used for high-value concepts like culture or virtue.
Just ask 'An-ni thao-dai?' and the seller will tell you.
In Other Languages
¿Cuánto cuesta?
Lao is more context-dependent.
Combien ça coûte?
Lao lacks gendered articles.
Wie viel kostet das?
German conjugates the verb 'kosten'.
Ikura desu ka?
Japanese uses particles like 'desu ka'.
Bikam?
Arabic is a prefix-based structure.
Duo shao qian?
Chinese explicitly mentions 'money' (qian).
