A2 · Elementary Chapter 19

Looking Back: Past Tense

4 Total Rules
1 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of storytelling by describing completed actions and life experiences in Lao.

  • Use the marker 'laew' to show an action is finished.
  • Express negative past events using 'bor thun'.
  • Describe past life experiences with the marker 'keuy'.
Unlock your story: From 'already done' to 'I remember'.

What You'll Learn

Using 'laew' and other markers to indicate completed actions. Covers the aspectual nature of Lao past tense.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Use 'laew' to confirm completion of daily tasks.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to: Differentiate between simple past and lived experiences.

Tips & Tricks (4)

💡

Placement

Always put laew after the verb.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Past Tense Marker 'Laew'
💡

Placement

Always put 'ແລ້ວ' after the verb.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Perfective Aspect
💡

Context is King

Lao verbs don't change. Use time words like 'yesterday' to make the past clear.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Negative Past Tense
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Keep it simple

Don't overthink the time. If it happened, use keuy.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Experience Marker 'Keuy'

Key Vocabulary (6)

ກິນ to eat ແລ້ວ already ເຄີຍ used to/have experienced ບໍ່ທັນ not yet ໄປ to go ເຫັນ to see

Real-World Preview

coffee

At the Restaurant

Review Summary

  • Verb + ແລ້ວ
  • ຍັງ + ບໍ່ທັນ + Verb
  • ເຄີຍ + Verb

Common Mistakes

The marker 'ແລ້ວ' must come after the verb, not before it.

Wrong: ຂ້ອຍແລ້ວກິນ (I already eat)
Correct: ຂ້ອຍກິນແລ້ວ (I have eaten)

Using a simple negative does not convey the past tense aspect. Use 'ຍັງບໍ່ທັນ' for events that haven't occurred.

Wrong: ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ກິນແລ້ວ (I didn't eat)
Correct: ຂ້ອຍຍັງບໍ່ທັນກິນ (I have not eaten yet)

If you are describing an experience, use 'ເຄີຍ'. 'ແລ້ວ' is for specific tasks.

Wrong: ຂ້ອຍໄປແລ້ວຫຼວງພະບາງ (I went to Luang Prabang)
Correct: ຂ້ອຍເຄີຍໄປຫຼວງພະບາງ (I have been to Luang Prabang)

Next Steps

You have done a great job! Keep practicing these markers, and you will be speaking about your life in Lao in no time.

Write a diary entry for yesterday

Continue to: Planning Ahead: Future Tense

Quick Practice (10)

Fix the error.

Find and fix the mistake:

Fix: laew kin.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: kin laew
Correct order.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Past Tense Marker 'Laew'

Fix the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Khoy keuy pai mue wan.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Khoy pai mue wan.
No specific time with keuy.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Experience Marker 'Keuy'

Fill in the blank.

Khoi kin ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: laew
Laew indicates completion.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Past Tense Marker 'Laew'

Choose the correct sentence.

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Khoy keuy pai.
Subject + keuy + Verb.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Experience Marker 'Keuy'

Fill in the blank.

ພວກເຂົາ ___ ຊື້ປຶ້ມ.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ບໍ່ໄດ້
Past negation.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Negative Past Tense

Fill in the blank.

ຂ້ອຍ ___ ໄປຕະຫຼາດ.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ບໍ່ໄດ້
Use 'bo dai' for past negation.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Negative Past Tense

Fix the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

ຂ້ອຍແລ້ວໄປ.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ຂ້ອຍໄປແລ້ວ
Particle follows verb.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Perfective Aspect

Choose the correct negative.

I haven't eaten yet.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ຂ້ອຍຍັງບໍ່ກິນເທື່ອ
Correct negative structure.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Perfective Aspect

Choose the correct sentence.

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ໄດ້ກິນ
Subject + bo dai + verb.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Negative Past Tense

Fix the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

ຂ້ອຍໄປບໍ່ໄດ້.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ໄດ້ໄປ
Negative marker goes before the verb.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Negative Past Tense

Score: /10

Common Questions (6)

It means 'already' or 'done'.
After the verb.
No, it marks completion, not time.
No, that would be contradictory.
No, 'bo' is for present/future. Use 'bo dai' for past.
No, Lao verbs are invariant.
Next Chapter
Planning Ahead: Future Tense
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