Topicalization
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Topicalization moves the subject or object to the front of the sentence to highlight what you are talking about.
- Place the topic at the start: 'Pizza, I like it' (ພິດຊ່າ, ຂ້ອຍມັກ).
- Use it to contrast: 'Beer I drink, but wine I don't' (ເບຍຂ້ອຍດື່ມ, ແຕ່ເຫຼົ້າແວງຂ້ອຍບໍ່ດື່ມ).
- Keep the rest of the sentence as a comment: 'The weather, it is very hot' (ອາກາດ, ມັນຮ້ອນຫຼາຍ).
Meanings
Topicalization is a syntactic operation that moves an element to the front of a sentence to establish it as the 'topic' or the 'known information' before providing a 'comment' about it.
Contrastive Focus
Highlighting one item against another.
“ເງິນຂ້ອຍມີ, ແຕ່ເວລາຂ້ອຍບໍ່ມີ (Money I have, but time I don't).”
“ປຶ້ມຫົວນີ້ຂ້ອຍອ່ານແລ້ວ, ຫົວອື່ນຍັງ (This book I read already, others not yet).”
Setting the Scene
Introducing a new subject matter.
“ເລື່ອງວຽກ, ມື້ອື່ນເຮົາຄ່ອຍລົມກັນ (About work, let's talk tomorrow).”
“ອາກາດຢູ່ຫຼວງພະບາງ, ດີຫຼາຍ (The weather in Luang Prabang, it's very good).”
Topicalization Structure
| Topic | Comment | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Subject + Verb | ອາຫານ, ຂ້ອຍກິນແລ້ວ |
| Time | Subject + Verb | ມື້ອື່ນ, ເຮົາໄປກັນ |
| Location | Subject + Verb | ຢູ່ລາວ, ອາກາດດີ |
| Object | Subject + Verb | ປຶ້ມນີ້, ຂ້ອຍມັກ |
| Idea | Subject + Verb | ເລື່ອງນີ້, ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ຮູ້ |
| Person | Subject + Verb | ລາວ, ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ຮູ້ຈັກ |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Topic + Comment | ໝາກໄມ້, ຂ້ອຍມັກ |
| Negative | Topic + ບໍ່ + Comment | ໝາກໄມ້, ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ມັກ |
| Question | Topic + Question word? | ໝາກໄມ້, ເຈົ້າມັກບໍ່? |
| Contrast | Topic A + Comment, Topic B + Comment | ໝາກໄມ້ຂ້ອຍມັກ, ຜັກຂ້ອຍບໍ່ມັກ |
| Emphasis | Topic + ເດ + Comment | ໝາກໄມ້ເດ, ຂ້ອຍມັກຫຼາຍ |
| Short Answer | Topic + Yes/No | ໝາກໄມ້, ມັກ |
フォーマル度スペクトル
ວຽກງານດັ່ງກ່າວ, ໄດ້ສຳເລັດແລ້ວ. (Work status)
ວຽກ, ເຮັດແລ້ວ. (Work status)
ວຽກ, ແລ້ວເດີ້. (Work status)
ວຽກ, ຈົບ! (Work status)
Topicalization Map
Time
- ມື້ອື່ນ Tomorrow
Objects
- ປຶ້ມ Book
Abstract
- ຄວາມຮັກ Love
Examples by Level
ໝາກໄມ້, ຂ້ອຍມັກ
Fruit, I like.
ວຽກ, ເຮັດແລ້ວ
Work, done.
ລາຄາ, ເທົ່າໃດ?
Price, how much?
ນ້ຳ, ບໍ່ເອົາ
Water, I don't want.
ເບຍ, ຂ້ອຍດື່ມແຕ່ເຫຼົ້າ, ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ດື່ມ
Beer I drink, but alcohol I don't.
ມື້ອື່ນ, ເຮົາໄປຫຼິ້ນກັນ
Tomorrow, let's go out.
ປຶ້ມຫົວນີ້, ເຈົ້າອ່ານບໍ່?
This book, have you read it?
ເຮືອນຫຼັງນີ້, ໃຫຍ່ຫຼາຍ
This house, it is very big.
ເລື່ອງເງິນ, ບໍ່ຕ້ອງຫ່ວງ
About money, don't worry.
ອາຫານລາວ, ເຈົ້າເຄີຍກິນບໍ່?
Lao food, have you ever eaten it?
ວຽກບ້ານ, ຂ້ອຍເຮັດແລ້ວແຕ່ຍັງບໍ່ໄດ້ສົ່ງ
Homework, I finished but haven't submitted.
ອາກາດ, ມື້ນີ້ຮ້ອນຫຼາຍ
The weather, it's very hot today.
ຄວາມຄິດເຫັນຂອງເຈົ້າ, ຂ້ອຍເຫັນດີນຳ
Your opinion, I agree with it.
ບັນຫາທີ່ເກີດຂຶ້ນ, ເຮົາຕ້ອງແກ້ໄຂດ່ວນ
The problem that occurred, we must solve it urgently.
ເງິນເດືອນ, ມັນບໍ່ພໍໃຊ້
Salary, it is not enough to use.
ຄວາມສຸກ, ບໍ່ໄດ້ມາຈາກເງິນ
Happiness, it doesn't come from money.
ການຮຽນພາສາລາວ, ຕ້ອງໃຊ້ເວລາຫຼາຍ
Learning Lao, it requires a lot of time.
ສິ່ງທີ່ລາວເວົ້າ, ມັນບໍ່ແມ່ນຄວາມຈິງ
What he said, it is not the truth.
ໂຄງການນີ້, ພວກເຂົາຈະເລີ່ມໃນເດືອນໜ້າ
This project, they will start next month.
ຄວາມສຳເລັດ, ມັນບໍ່ແມ່ນເລື່ອງບັງເອີນ
Success, it is not a coincidence.
ວັດທະນະທຳລາວ, ມັນມີຄວາມງົດງາມທີ່ເປັນເອກະລັກ
Lao culture, it has a unique beauty.
ການປ່ຽນແປງຂອງໂລກ, ມັນສົ່ງຜົນກະທົບຕໍ່ທຸກຄົນ
Global change, it affects everyone.
ຄວາມຮັກ, ມັນເປັນສິ່ງທີ່ອະທິບາຍຍາກ
Love, it is something hard to explain.
ປະຫວັດສາດ, ມັນສອນໃຫ້ເຮົາຮຽນຮູ້ຈາກອະດີດ
History, it teaches us to learn from the past.
Easily Confused
Both move the object to the front.
よくある間違い
ຂ້ອຍມັກໝາກໄມ້
ໝາກໄມ້, ຂ້ອຍມັກ
ໝາກໄມ້ຂ້ອຍມັກ
ໝາກໄມ້, ຂ້ອຍມັກ
ໝາກໄມ້, ຂ້ອຍມັກມັນ
ໝາກໄມ້, ຂ້ອຍມັກ
ໝາກໄມ້, ມັກ
ໝາກໄມ້, ຂ້ອຍມັກ
Sentence Patterns
___, ຂ້ອຍມັກຫຼາຍ
___, ເຈົ້າເຄີຍໄປບໍ່?
___, ມັນເປັນເລື່ອງທີ່ສຳຄັນ
___, ບໍ່ແມ່ນສິ່ງທີ່ງ່າຍ
Real World Usage
ເຜັດ, ບໍ່ເອົາ
ວຽກ, ແລ້ວເດີ້
ປະສົບການ, ຂ້ອຍມີ 5 ປີ
ຫ້ອງນ້ຳ, ຢູ່ໃສ?
ມື້ນີ້, ໄປທ່ຽວ
ບັນຫາ, ທີ່ເຮົາພົບ
Use the pause
Don't overdo it
Use particles
Politeness
Smart Tips
Use topicalization for both items to highlight the contrast.
Repeat the topic from the question to be clear.
Use 'ເລື່ອງ' (about) before the topic.
Topicalize the object of your frustration.
発音
Pause
There is a slight pause after the topic.
Topic-Rise
Topic↑, Comment↓
Signals the start of a new topic.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of the topic as the 'Headline' of a newspaper. Put the headline first, then the article follows.
Visual Association
Imagine holding up a sign with the topic written on it, then pointing to yourself to start the comment.
Rhyme
Topic at the start, makes you look smart.
Story
You are at a market. You point to a mango and say 'Mango' (Topic). Then you say 'I want' (Comment). Everyone understands you perfectly.
Word Web
チャレンジ
For the next 5 minutes, describe everything you see by fronting the object: 'This chair, it is blue. This table, it is wood.'
文化メモ
Topicalization is used to show politeness by softening the request.
Topicalization is a feature of many Southeast Asian languages.
Conversation Starters
ອາຫານລາວ, ເຈົ້າມັກບໍ່?
ວຽກບ້ານ, ເຮັດແລ້ວບໍ່?
ອາກາດມື້ນີ້, ເຈົ້າຄິດວ່າແນວໃດ?
ການຮຽນພາສາລາວ, ເຈົ້າພົບຄວາມຫຍຸ້ງຍາກຫຍັງແດ່?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
___, ຂ້ອຍມັກກິນ.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ລົດຂ້ອຍຊື້ເມື່ອວານ (Missing pause)
ຂ້ອຍມັກພາສາລາວ.
Topicalization is only for questions.
A: ວຽກບ້ານເຮັດແລ້ວບໍ່? B: ___.
ຂ້ອຍ / ມັກ / ອາຫານລາວ
Sort the topics.
Score: /8
練習問題
8 exercises___, ຂ້ອຍມັກກິນ.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ລົດຂ້ອຍຊື້ເມື່ອວານ (Missing pause)
ຂ້ອຍມັກພາສາລາວ.
Topicalization is only for questions.
A: ວຽກບ້ານເຮັດແລ້ວບໍ່? B: ___.
ຂ້ອຍ / ມັກ / ອາຫານລາວ
Sort the topics.
Score: /8
よくある質問 (8)
No. Passive voice uses 'ຖືກ' and changes the verb. Topicalization just moves the word.
Yes, but be careful. It is more common in speech.
It changes the focus, not the core meaning.
The pause separates the topic from the comment.
Rarely. It is usually for nouns or noun phrases.
Yes, it is a core feature of the language.
It might sound like a normal sentence, losing the focus.
Start by describing your day using this structure.
In Other Languages
Wa-particle
Japanese uses a particle, Lao uses position.
Topic-comment
Lao is more flexible with word order.
Fronting
English is strictly SVO, Lao is not.
Dislocación
Spanish requires clitic doubling.
Mise en relief
French uses a cleft structure.
Vorfeld
German is verb-second, Lao is not.
