Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use the verb 'hai' (ໃຫ້) to indicate that someone is causing or allowing an action to happen.
- Use 'hai' + [person] + [verb] to mean 'let' or 'make' someone do something: 'Khao hai khoy pai' (He let me go).
- The causative structure follows the pattern: Subject + hai + Object + Verb.
- In negative forms, place 'bo' before 'hai': 'Khao bo hai khoy pai' (He didn't let me go).
Meanings
The causative construction in Lao uses the verb 'hai' (to give) to express that a subject is causing, allowing, or enabling another person to perform an action.
Permission
Allowing someone to do something.
“ພໍ່ໃຫ້ຂ້ອຍໄປຫຼິ້ນ (Father lets me go play)”
“ຄູໃຫ້ພວກນັກຮຽນພັກ (The teacher lets the students rest)”
Compulsion/Instruction
Making or instructing someone to do something.
“ຫົວໜ້າໃຫ້ຂ້ອຍເຮັດວຽກ (The boss makes me work)”
“ໝໍໃຫ້ຂ້ອຍກິນຢາ (The doctor makes/tells me to take medicine)”
Causative Structure
| Subject | Causative | Object | Verb |
|---|---|---|---|
| ຂ້ອຍ | ໃຫ້ | ລາວ | ໄປ |
| ແມ່ | ໃຫ້ | ລູກ | ກິນ |
| ຫົວໜ້າ | ໃຫ້ | ພະນັກງານ | ເຮັດວຽກ |
| ໝໍ | ໃຫ້ | ຂ້ອຍ | ກິນຢາ |
| ລາວ | ໃຫ້ | ຂ້ອຍ | ລໍຖ້າ |
| ພໍ່ | ໃຫ້ | ລູກ | ຮຽນ |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | S + hai + O + V | ຂ້ອຍໃຫ້ລາວໄປ |
| Negative | S + bo + hai + O + V | ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ໃຫ້ລາວໄປ |
| Question | S + hai + O + V + bo? | ເຈົ້າໃຫ້ລາວໄປບໍ່? |
| Prohibition | Ya + hai + O + V | ຢ່າໃຫ້ລາວໄປ |
| Future | S + ja + hai + O + V | ຂ້ອຍຈະໃຫ້ລາວໄປ |
| Past | S + dai + hai + O + V | ຂ້ອຍໄດ້ໃຫ້ລາວໄປ |
격식 수준 스펙트럼
ກະລຸນາໃຫ້ລາວໄປ (Permission)
ໃຫ້ລາວໄປ (Permission)
ໃຫ້ມັນໄປ (Permission)
ປ່ອຍມັນໄປ (Permission)
The Causative Flow
Permission
- ອະນຸຍາດ allow
Instruction
- ສັ່ງ order
Examples by Level
ແມ່ໃຫ້ຂ້ອຍໄປ
Mother lets me go
ຄູໃຫ້ຂ້ອຍອ່ານ
The teacher makes me read
ລາວໃຫ້ຂ້ອຍກິນ
He lets me eat
ຂ້ອຍໃຫ້ລາວໄປ
I let him go
ໝໍໃຫ້ຂ້ອຍກິນຢາ
The doctor makes me take medicine
ເຈົ້າໃຫ້ລາວມາບໍ່?
Do you let him come?
ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ໃຫ້ລາວໄປ
I do not let him go
ພໍ່ໃຫ້ລູກຮຽນ
Father makes the child study
ຫົວໜ້າໃຫ້ພະນັກງານເຮັດວຽກ
The boss makes the staff work
ລາວໃຫ້ຂ້ອຍລໍຖ້າ
He makes me wait
ຢ່າໃຫ້ລາວຮູ້
Don't let him know
ຂ້ອຍໃຫ້ລາວຢືມປຶ້ມ
I let him borrow the book
ເພິ່ນໃຫ້ຂ້ອຍແກ້ໄຂບັນຫາ
He has me solve the problem
ແມ່ໃຫ້ລູກນອນແຕ່ຫົວຄ່ຳ
Mother makes the child sleep early
ຂ້ອຍຈະໃຫ້ລາວສົ່ງເອກະສານ
I will have him send the document
ລາວບໍ່ຍອມໃຫ້ຂ້ອຍເຂົ້າ
He refuses to let me enter
ລັດຖະບານໃຫ້ປະຊາຊົນມີສ່ວນຮ່ວມ
The government allows the people to participate
ລາວໃຫ້ຂ້ອຍຕັດສິນໃຈເອງ
He lets me decide for myself
ຂ້ອຍໃຫ້ລາວຮັບຜິດຊອບວຽກນີ້
I have him take responsibility for this work
ຢ່າໃຫ້ເລື່ອງນີ້ເກີດຂຶ້ນອີກ
Do not let this happen again
ການກະທຳຂອງລາວໃຫ້ຂ້ອຍຄິດຫຼາຍ
His actions make me think a lot
ລາວໃຫ້ຂ້ອຍເປັນຕົວແທນ
He has me act as a representative
ຂ້ອຍໃຫ້ລາວເບິ່ງແຍງເຮືອນ
I have him look after the house
ລາວໃຫ້ຂ້ອຍເຂົ້າໃຈຜິດ
He makes me misunderstand
Easily Confused
Both mean to make someone do something.
자주 하는 실수
hai pai khao
hai khao pai
khao hai khoy
khao hai khoy pai
hai khao het
hai khao hetວຽກ
hai khao pai leaw
hai khao pai
Sentence Patterns
ຂ້ອຍໃຫ້ ___ ___
Real World Usage
Hai khao ma!
Context is King
Smart Tips
Use 'hai' instead of passive voice.
발음
Tone of 'hai'
It has a high-rising tone.
Question
ໃຫ້ລາວໄປບໍ່? ↑
Rising intonation at the end for questions.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'hai' as a gift of action. You are 'giving' the action to someone else.
Visual Association
Imagine handing a ball (the verb/action) to a friend. You are 'giving' (hai) the ball to them so they can throw it.
Rhyme
Hai is the key, to make someone be.
Story
I wanted to go home. My boss said no. I asked him, 'Please let me go.' In Lao, I said 'Hai khoy pai'. He said yes. Now I am home.
Word Web
챌린지
Write 3 sentences using 'hai' to describe things you tell your family or friends to do today.
문화 노트
Using 'hai' with elders requires politeness markers like 'kho' (ask).
Derived from the verb 'to give'.
Conversation Starters
ເຈົ້າໃຫ້ລູກເຮັດຫຍັງ?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
ຂ້ອຍ ___ ລາວໄປ.
Score: /1
연습 문제
1 exercisesຂ້ອຍ ___ ລາວໄປ.
Score: /1
자주 묻는 질문 (1)
Mostly yes, but use 'sang' for formal orders.
In Other Languages
Hacer que
Lao does not use subjunctive.
Faire + infinitive
Lao verb stays in base form.
Lassen
German requires verb placement at the end.
Saseru
Lao is analytic, Japanese is agglutinative.
Ja'ala
Arabic has complex gender/number agreement.
Rang
Tone and specific vocabulary.