B2 · Upper Intermediate Chapter 46

Nominalization

4 Total Rules
1 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Unlock the power of Lao nouns by effortlessly transforming verbs into descriptive concepts.

  • Master the 'kan' prefix for active verbs.
  • Apply the 'khwam' prefix for abstract states.
  • Construct complex vocabulary from simple roots.
Turn actions into ideas with precision.

What You'll Learn

Turning verbs into nouns. Covers the use of 'kan' and 'khwam' prefixes.

Learning Objectives

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

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Use 'kan' to turn verbs into active nouns in daily conversation.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to: Distinguish between 'kan' and 'khwam' to define abstract concepts.

Tips & Tricks (4)

🎯

The 'Body' Test

If you can do the action with your body or mind (run, think, speak), use 'Kan'. If it's just a feeling (happy, sad), use 'Khwam'.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalization 'Kan'
💡

Check the type

Is it an action? Use Kan. Is it a state? Use Khwam.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalization 'Khwam'
🎯

The 'Feeling' Test

If you can say 'I feel...' before the word in English, use 'Khuam' in Lao.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Abstract Nouns
🎯

The 'Mental State' Rule

If a verb happens inside the head (think, know, understand), use ຄວາມ-. If it happens with the body (run, eat, write), use ການ-.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Derived Nouns

Key Vocabulary (5)

ການຮຽນ learning/studying ຄວາມສຸກ happiness ການເຮັດວຽກ working ຄວາມຄິດ thought/idea ຄວາມຮັກ love

Real-World Preview

briefcase

Discussing Work-Life Balance

Review Summary

  • ການ + Verb
  • ຄວາມ + Verb/Adj

Common Mistakes

You cannot use 'khwam' with physical verbs. Since 'going' is an action, it must be 'kan'.

Wrong: ຄວາມໄປ (Khwam pai)
Correct: ການໄປ (Kan pai)

Love is an abstract state, not a physical action, so it requires 'khwam'.

Wrong: ການຮັກ (Kan hak)
Correct: ຄວາມຮັກ (Khwam hak)

Adjectives like 'good' (dee) need 'khwam' to become abstract nouns.

Wrong: ການດີ (Kan dee)
Correct: ຄວາມດີ (Khwam dee)

Next Steps

You have mastered the building blocks of abstract thought in Lao. Keep practicing!

Write a diary entry using 5 nominalized words.

Continue to: Discourse Markers

Quick Practice (10)

Fill in the blank to mean 'The act of studying'.

___ຮຽນແມ່ນສິ່ງທີ່ດີ.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ການ
Studying is an action, so it uses 'ການ'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Abstract Nouns

Fill in the blank with the correct nominalizer.

___ ຮຽນພາສາລາວບໍ່ຍາກປານໃດ.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ການ
Studying is an action, so 'Kan' is required.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Derived Nouns

Fill in the blank.

Khwam-___ (beauty)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ngam
Ngam means beautiful.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalization 'Khwam'

Which one means 'Politics'?

Choose the correct formal term.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
'Politics' is a formal noun derived from 'city affairs' using 'ການ'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalization 'Kan'

Fill in the correct nominalizer (ການ or ຄວາມ).

___ ຮຽນພາສາລາວແມ່ນມ່ວນຫຼາຍ.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Learning is an action, so we use 'ການ'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalization 'Kan'

Choose the correct nominalizer.

___-kin (eating)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kan
Eating is a physical action.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalization 'Khwam'

Correct the sentence: 'ຂ້ອຍມີການຮັກເຈົ້າ.'

Find and fix the mistake:

ຂ້ອຍມີການຮັກເຈົ້າ.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ຂ້ອຍຮັກເຈົ້າ.
You don't need a noun prefix when using a verb directly with a subject.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Abstract Nouns

Find the error in the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

ຂ້ອຍມີການສຸກຫຼາຍ.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ການສຸກ
It should be 'ຄວາມສຸກ' because happiness is a state, not an action.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Derived Nouns

Correct the mistake in this sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

ຂ້ອຍມັກການດີຂອງເຈົ້າ.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
'Good' (ດີ) is an adjective, so it must use 'ຄວາມ'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalization 'Kan'

Choose the correct prefix for 'ຮັກ' (love) as a noun.

___ ຮັກແມ່ນສິ່ງທີ່ສວຍງາມ.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ຄວາມ
Love is an abstract emotion/state, so it uses 'Khuam'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Derived Nouns

Score: /10

Common Questions (6)

Use ການ (Kan) for actions (doing) and ຄວາມ (Khwam) for feelings or states (being). For example, ການຮັກ is the act of loving, while ຄວາມຮັກ is the feeling of love.
Almost any action verb can take ການ. However, it sounds unnatural with some very basic verbs in casual speech.
A nominalizer for abstract nouns.
Prefix it to adjectives.
No, they are mutually exclusive prefixes for a single root. You choose one based on whether you mean a state or an action.
Mostly, but it also covers any abstract quality like ຄວາມໄວ (speed) or ຄວາມຮ້ອນ (heat).
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