Subject-Verb-Object Order
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Lao follows a strict Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order, just like English, making it very intuitive for beginners.
- The Subject always comes first: 'ຂ້ອຍ' (I) eat.
- The Verb follows the subject: I 'ກິນ' (eat) rice.
- The Object completes the thought: I eat 'ເຂົ້າ' (rice).
Meanings
The standard sequence of words in a Lao sentence, ensuring clear communication by placing the actor before the action and the receiver after.
Basic SVO
Standard declarative sentence structure.
“ຂ້ອຍຮັກເຈົ້າ (I love you)”
“ລາວໄປຕະຫຼາດ (He/She goes to the market)”
Basic Sentence Structure
| Subject | Verb | Object | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ຂ້ອຍ | ກິນ | ເຂົ້າ | ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າ |
| ລາວ | ໄປ | ຕະຫຼາດ | ລາວໄປຕະຫຼາດ |
| ໝາ | ເຫົ່າ | - | ໝາເຫົ່າ |
| ພວກເຂົາ | ຮຽນ | ພາສາລາວ | ພວກເຂົາຮຽນພາສາລາວ |
| ເຈົ້າ | ມັກ | ກາເຟ | ເຈົ້າມັກກາເຟ |
| ແມວ | ນອນ | - | ແມວນອນ |
Negative and Question Forms
| Type | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Negative | Subject + ບໍ່ + Verb + Object | ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ກິນເຂົ້າ |
| Question | Subject + Verb + Object + ບໍ່? | ເຈົ້າກິນເຂົ້າບໍ່? |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | S + V + O | ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າ |
| Negative | S + ບໍ່ + V + O | ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ກິນເຂົ້າ |
| Question | S + V + O + ບໍ່? | ເຈົ້າກິນເຂົ້າບໍ່? |
| Yes Answer | ແມ່ນ / ເຈົ້າ | ແມ່ນ, ຂ້ອຍກິນ |
| No Answer | ບໍ່ / ບໍ່ແມ່ນ | ບໍ່, ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ກິນ |
| Future | S + ຈະ + V + O | ຂ້ອຍຈະກິນເຂົ້າ |
격식 수준 스펙트럼
ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຮັບປະທານອາຫານ (Dining)
ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າ (Dining)
ກິນເຂົ້າລະ (Dining)
ກິນເຂົ້າແລ້ວ (Dining)
Lao Sentence Anatomy
Subject
- ຂ້ອຍ I
Verb
- ກິນ eat
Object
- ເຂົ້າ rice
Examples by Level
ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າ
I eat rice
ລາວໄປໂຮງຮຽນ
He goes to school
ໝາເຫົ່າ
The dog barks
ແມວມັກປາ
The cat likes fish
ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ກິນເຂົ້າ
I do not eat rice
ເຈົ້າໄປຕະຫຼາດບໍ່?
Are you going to the market?
ລາວບໍ່ມັກເຝີ
He does not like pho
ພວກເຂົາຫຼິ້ນກິລາ
They play sports
ຂ້ອຍຈະໄປວຽງຈັນມື້ອື່ນ
I will go to Vientiane tomorrow
ລາວໄດ້ອ່ານປຶ້ມຫົວນີ້ແລ້ວ
He has already read this book
ພວກເຮົາກຳລັງກິນເຂົ້າ
We are eating rice
ເຈົ້າເຄີຍໄປຫຼວງພະບາງບໍ່?
Have you ever been to Luang Prabang?
ເຖິງວ່າລາວຈະເມື່ອຍ, ລາວກໍຍັງເຮັດວຽກ
Even though he is tired, he still works
ອາຫານນີ້ຖືກປຸງໂດຍພໍ່ຄົວ
This food was cooked by the chef
ຂ້ອຍຢາກໃຫ້ເຈົ້າຊ່ວຍຂ້ອຍ
I want you to help me
ລາວບອກວ່າລາວຈະມາ
He said that he will come
ການຮຽນພາສາລາວເປັນສິ່ງທີ່ທ້າທາຍແຕ່ມ່ວນ
Learning Lao is challenging but fun
ບໍ່ວ່າຈະເກີດຫຍັງຂຶ້ນ, ຂ້ອຍກໍຈະຢູ່ກັບເຈົ້າ
No matter what happens, I will stay with you
ລາວໄດ້ຮັບການຍອມຮັບຈາກທຸກຄົນ
He received recognition from everyone
ຂ້ອຍເຫັນລາວແລ່ນຜ່ານໄປ
I saw him running past
ຄວາມສຳເລັດບໍ່ໄດ້ມາຈາກໂຊກຊະຕາ, ແຕ່ມາຈາກຄວາມພະຍາຍາມ
Success does not come from fate, but from effort
ເຖິງຈະມີອຸປະສັກ, ເຮົາກໍຕ້ອງກ້າວຕໍ່ໄປ
Despite obstacles, we must move forward
ລາວໄດ້ປະຕິບັດຕາມຄຳສັ່ງຢ່າງເຄັ່ງຄັດ
He followed the orders strictly
ບໍ່ມີໃຜຮູ້ໄດ້ວ່າອະນາຄົດຈະເປັນແນວໃດ
No one knows what the future will be like
Easily Confused
Learners often mix up the focus.
The particle 'ບໍ່' is often forgotten.
Placement of 'ບໍ່'.
자주 하는 실수
ຂ້ອຍເຂົ້າກິນ
ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າ
ກິນຂ້ອຍເຂົ້າ
ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າ
ຂ້ອຍກິນ
ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າ
ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ກິນ
ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ກິນເຂົ້າ
ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າບໍ່
ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າ
ບໍ່ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າ
ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ກິນເຂົ້າ
ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າແລ້ວບໍ່
ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າແລ້ວ
ເຂົ້າຂ້ອຍກິນ
ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າ
ລາວໄປຕະຫຼາດກິນເຂົ້າ
ລາວໄປຕະຫຼາດເພື່ອຊື້ເຂົ້າ
ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າກັບລາວ
ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າກັບລາວ
ການກິນເຂົ້າຂ້ອຍ
ການກິນເຂົ້າຂອງຂ້ອຍ
ລາວຖືກກິນເຂົ້າ
ລາວກິນເຂົ້າ
ຂ້ອຍເຫັນລາວໄປ
ຂ້ອຍເຫັນລາວໄປ
Sentence Patterns
ຂ້ອຍ___ເຂົ້າ
ລາວໄປ___
ເຈົ້າ___ບໍ່?
ພວກເຂົາ___ປຶ້ມ
Real World Usage
ຂ້ອຍເອົາເຝີ
ກິນເຂົ້າລະ
ຂ້ອຍມີປະສົບການ
ຂ້ອຍໄປຫຼວງພະບາງ
ຮັກທຸກຄົນ
ຂ້ອຍສັ່ງເຂົ້າ
Keep it simple
Watch the object
Use particles
Greeting
Smart Tips
Think S-V-O.
Add 'ບໍ່' at the end.
Add 'ບໍ່' before the verb.
Keep it simple.
발음
Tones
Lao is a tonal language. The meaning of words changes with pitch.
Question
Rising at the end
Indicates a question.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of a train: The Engine (Subject) pulls the Action (Verb) to the Destination (Object).
Visual Association
Imagine a person (Subject) pushing a cart (Verb) full of apples (Object).
Rhyme
Subject first, Verb in the middle, Object last, makes the riddle.
Story
Somsi is the Subject. She loves to run. She runs to the park. Somsi (S) runs (V) to the park (O).
Word Web
챌린지
Write 5 sentences about your day using the SVO pattern in 5 minutes.
문화 노트
Food is central to culture. 'Did you eat?' is a common greeting.
Lao belongs to the Tai-Kadai language family, which historically favored SVO.
Conversation Starters
ເຈົ້າກິນເຂົ້າແລ້ວບໍ່?
ເຈົ້າໄປໃສ?
ເຈົ້າມັກກິນຫຍັງ?
ເຈົ້າເຮັດວຽກຫຍັງ?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
ຂ້ອຍ ___ ເຂົ້າ
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Choose the correct sentence.
Find and fix the mistake:
ຂ້ອຍເຂົ້າກິນ
Subject: ລາວ, Verb: ໄປ, Object: ຕະຫຼາດ
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າ
A: ເຈົ້າໄປໃສ? B: ___
Score: /8
연습 문제
8 exercisesຂ້ອຍ ___ ເຂົ້າ
ເຂົ້າ / ກິນ / ຂ້ອຍ
Choose the correct sentence.
Find and fix the mistake:
ຂ້ອຍເຂົ້າກິນ
Subject: ລາວ, Verb: ໄປ, Object: ຕະຫຼາດ
I eat rice
ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າ
A: ເຈົ້າໄປໃສ? B: ___
Score: /8
자주 묻는 질문 (8)
Yes, it is.
Yes, if context is clear.
Add 'ບໍ່' at the end.
Add 'ບໍ່' before the verb.
Yes, very similar.
No, they don't.
Meaning changes.
It is neutral.
In Other Languages
SVO
Lao lacks verb conjugation.
SOV
Verb placement.
SVO
Tones and particles.
SVO
French uses gender and conjugation.
SVO
Verb second rule.
VSO
Verb-initial structure.
