Passive 'Thuk'
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'thuk' (ຖືກ) before a verb to describe an action that happens to someone, usually with a negative or unwanted result.
- Place 'thuk' before the main verb: 'khoy thuk ti' (I was hit).
- It implies an unwanted or negative experience for the subject.
- The agent (who did it) can be added after the verb using 'doi' or 'kong'.
Meanings
The 'thuk' construction is the primary way to form the passive voice in Lao. It specifically highlights that the subject is the recipient of an action, often one that is unpleasant or involuntary.
Adversative Passive
Used when the subject suffers a negative consequence.
“ລາວຖືກດ່າ (He was scolded)”
“ຂ້ອຍຖືກລັກເງິນ (My money was stolen)”
Thuk Construction Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Subj + thuk + Verb | Khoy thuk ti |
| Negative | Subj + bo thuk + Verb | Khoy bo thuk ti |
| Question | Subj + thuk + Verb + bo? | Jow thuk ti bo? |
| Agent | Subj + thuk + Verb + doi + Agent | Khoy thuk ti doi ai |
| Past | Subj + thuk + Verb + laew | Khoy thuk ti laew |
| Future | Subj + ja thuk + Verb | Khoy ja thuk ti |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Subject + thuk + Verb | Khoy thuk ti |
| Negative | Subject + bo thuk + Verb | Khoy bo thuk ti |
| Question | Subject + thuk + Verb + bo? | Jow thuk ti bo? |
| With Agent | Subject + thuk + Verb + doi + Agent | Khoy thuk ti doi ai |
| Past | Subject + thuk + Verb + laew | Khoy thuk ti laew |
| Future | Subject + ja thuk + Verb | Khoy ja thuk ti |
フォーマル度スペクトル
ລາວຖືກໄລ່ອອກຈາກວຽກ (Workplace)
ລາວຖືກໄລ່ອອກ (Workplace)
ລາວຖືກໄລ່ (Workplace)
ລາວຖືກເຕະ (Workplace)
The Thuk Concept
Usage
- Negative Bad things
- Involuntary Not chosen
Examples by Level
ຂ້ອຍຖືກຕີ
I was hit.
ລາວຖືກດ່າ
He was scolded.
ຂ້ອຍຖືກລືມ
I was forgotten.
ມັນຖືກປິດ
It was closed.
ລົດຂ້ອຍຖືກລັກ
My car was stolen.
ເຈົ້າຖືກໃຊ້ງານບໍ່?
Were you used?
ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ຖືກຕີ
I was not hit.
ລາວຖືກໄລ່ອອກ
He was fired.
ຂ້ອຍຖືກຕຳຫຼວດຈັບ
I was arrested by the police.
ເຮືອນຖືກໄຟໄໝ້
The house was burned down.
ລາວຖືກໝູ່ຫຼອກ
He was tricked by a friend.
ຂ້ອຍຖືກບັງຄັບໃຫ້ໄປ
I was forced to go.
ໂຄງການນີ້ຖືກຍົກເລີກໂດຍຫົວໜ້າ
This project was cancelled by the boss.
ລາວຖືກວິຈານຢ່າງໜັກ
He was heavily criticized.
ເງິນຖືກໂອນໄປແລ້ວ
The money has been transferred.
ລາວຖືກກ່າວຫາວ່າລັກຂອງ
He was accused of stealing.
ລາວຖືກກົດດັນໃຫ້ລາອອກຈາກຕຳແໜ່ງ
He was pressured to resign from his position.
ຜົນງານຂອງລາວຖືກປະຕິເສດ
His work was rejected.
ເມືອງນີ້ຖືກທຳລາຍໃນສົງຄາມ
This city was destroyed in the war.
ລາວຖືກໃສ່ຮ້າຍປ້າຍສີ
He was slandered.
ສິດທິຂອງລາວຖືກລະເມີດໂດຍລັດ
His rights were violated by the state.
ລາວຖືກຕັດສິດໃນການແຂ່ງຂັນ
He was disqualified from the competition.
ຂໍ້ສະເໜີຖືກປະຕິເສດຢ່າງສິ້ນເຊີງ
The proposal was flatly rejected.
ລາວຖືກປະນາມຈາກສັງຄົມ
He was condemned by society.
Easily Confused
Both are passive, but one is for bad and one for good.
よくある間違い
Khoy thuk kin khao
Khoy kin khao
Khoy thuk hai khong khwan
Khoy dai-rap khong khwan
Thuk khoy ti
Khoy thuk ti
Khoy thuk pai talat
Khoy pai talat
Sentence Patterns
Khoy thuk ___.
Real World Usage
The thief was caught.
Use for bad things
Smart Tips
Use thuk to emphasize your victimhood.
発音
Thuk
Pronounced with a high tone, short vowel.
Complaint
Khoy thuk... (falling intonation)
Shows frustration.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'Thuk' as 'Took'—something was 'taken' from you or done to you.
Visual Association
Imagine a person standing in the rain. They are 'thuk' (getting) wet. It's not something they want, it's happening to them.
Rhyme
When things go wrong and you feel stuck, just put in front the word 'thuk'.
Story
Yesterday, I was walking. I was 'thuk' (hit) by a ball. Then I was 'thuk' (scolded) by the owner. It was a bad day.
Word Web
チャレンジ
Write 3 sentences about annoying things that happened to you today using 'thuk'.
文化メモ
Lao culture values harmony, so using 'thuk' to complain is common but done carefully.
Thuk originally meant 'to touch' or 'to hit'.
Conversation Starters
What is the worst thing that happened to you?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
Khoy ___ ti.
Score: /1
練習問題
1 exercisesKhoy ___ ti.
Score: /1
よくある質問 (1)
No, use dai-rap instead.
In Other Languages
Ser + participio
Lao is adversative.
Être + participe
Lao is adversative.
Werden + particip
Lao is adversative.
reru/rareru
Japanese is more grammaticalized.
Passive verb form
Lao uses a particle.
Bei
Bei is more common for all passive.
