Classifier for Buildings
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
In Lao, you must use the classifier 'ຫຼັງ' (lang) when counting buildings like houses or shops.
- Use 'ຫຼັງ' (lang) for houses, shops, and buildings: 'ເຮືອນສອງຫຼັງ' (two houses).
- Place the classifier after the noun and the number: [Noun] + [Number] + [Classifier].
- For questions, use 'ຈັກ' (jak) before the classifier: 'ເຮືອນຈັກຫຼັງ?' (how many houses?).
Meanings
The classifier 'ຫຼັງ' is used to categorize and count structures that have a roof and walls, primarily houses, shops, and small buildings.
Residential/Commercial
Counting houses, shops, or small office buildings.
“ເຮືອນສາມຫຼັງ”
“ຮ້ານຄ້າໜຶ່ງຫຼັງ”
Building Counter Structure
| Noun | Number | Classifier | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ເຮືອນ | ໜຶ່ງ | ຫຼັງ | One house |
| ເຮືອນ | ສອງ | ຫຼັງ | Two houses |
| ຮ້ານຄ້າ | ສາມ | ຫຼັງ | Three shops |
| ເຮືອນ | ຈັກ | ຫຼັງ | How many houses? |
| ເຮືອນ | ຫຼາຍ | ຫຼັງ | Many houses |
| ເຮືອນ | ທຸກ | ຫຼັງ | Every house |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Noun + Number + ຫຼັງ | ເຮືອນສອງຫຼັງ |
| Negative | ບໍ່ມີ + Noun + ຫຼັງ | ບໍ່ມີເຮືອນຈັກຫຼັງ |
| Question | Noun + ຈັກ + ຫຼັງ | ເຮືອນຈັກຫຼັງ? |
| Demonstrative | Noun + ຫຼັງ + ນີ້/ນັ້ນ | ເຮືອນຫຼັງນີ້ |
| Plural | Noun + ຫຼາຍ + ຫຼັງ | ເຮືອນຫຼາຍຫຼັງ |
| Every | Noun + ທຸກ + ຫຼັງ | ເຮືອນທຸກຫຼັງ |
Espectro de formalidad
ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າມີເຮືອນສອງຫຼັງ. (Describing property)
ຂ້ອຍມີເຮືອນສອງຫຼັງ. (Describing property)
ເຮືອນຂ້ອຍມີສອງຫຼັງ. (Describing property)
ເຮືອນຂ້ອຍມີສອງຫຼັງເດ. (Describing property)
Classifier Usage
Buildings
- ເຮືອນ House
- ຮ້ານຄ້າ Shop
Examples by Level
ເຮືອນໜຶ່ງຫຼັງ
One house
ເຮືອນສອງຫຼັງ
Two houses
ເຮືອນສາມຫຼັງ
Three houses
ເຮືອນສີ່ຫຼັງ
Four houses
ເຈົ້າມີເຮືອນຈັກຫຼັງ?
How many houses do you have?
ຂ້ອຍມີຮ້ານຄ້າໜຶ່ງຫຼັງ.
I have one shop.
ເຮືອນຫຼັງນີ້ງາມ.
This house is beautiful.
ຂ້ອຍເຫັນເຮືອນສອງຫຼັງ.
I see two houses.
ເຮືອນຫຼັງນັ້ນເປັນຂອງຂ້ອຍ.
That house over there is mine.
ມີຮ້ານຄ້າຫຼາຍຫຼັງຢູ່ຖະໜົນນີ້.
There are many shops on this street.
ລາວສ້າງເຮືອນໃໝ່ສອງຫຼັງ.
He is building two new houses.
ເຮືອນຈັກຫຼັງທີ່ເຈົ້າຕ້ອງການຊື້?
How many houses do you want to buy?
ໂຄງການນີ້ມີເຮືອນທັງໝົດສິບຫຼັງ.
This project has a total of ten houses.
ຂ້ອຍມັກເຮືອນຫຼັງທີ່ຢູ່ໃກ້ແມ່ນ້ຳ.
I like the house that is near the river.
ຮ້ານຄ້າທຸກຫຼັງໃນຕະຫຼາດປິດແລ້ວ.
Every shop in the market is closed.
ເຮືອນຫຼັງໃຫຍ່ໆນັ້ນແມ່ນເຮືອນຂອງໝູ່ຂ້ອຍ.
That big house is my friend's house.
ການອອກແບບເຮືອນແຕ່ລະຫຼັງມີຄວາມແຕກຕ່າງກັນ.
The design of each house is different.
ເຮືອນຫຼັງດັ່ງກ່າວໄດ້ຮັບການປັບປຸງໃໝ່.
The aforementioned house has been renovated.
ເຮືອນຫຼັງໜຶ່ງຕັ້ງຢູ່ເທິງພູ.
One house is situated on the hill.
ເຮືອນຫຼັງທີ່ສວຍງາມທີ່ສຸດແມ່ນເຮືອນຂອງລາວ.
The most beautiful house is his.
ເຮືອນຫຼັງນ້ອຍໆແຕ່ລະຫຼັງສະທ້ອນເຖິງວັດທະນະທຳທ້ອງຖິ່ນ.
Each small house reflects the local culture.
ເຮືອນຫຼັງທີ່ຖືກທຳລາຍນັ້ນເຄີຍເປັນຫໍພິພິທະພັນ.
The house that was destroyed used to be a museum.
ເຮືອນຫຼັງໃດກໍຕາມທີ່ເຈົ້າເລືອກຈະເປັນຂອງເຈົ້າ.
Whichever house you choose will be yours.
ເຮືອນຫຼັງໜຶ່ງທີ່ຂ້ອຍເຄີຍຢູ່ຍັງຄົງຢູ່ໃນຄວາມຊົງຈຳ.
The house I once lived in remains in my memory.
Easily Confused
Learners often use 'ໂຕ' for everything.
Learners use 'ຄົນ' for people and buildings.
Learners use 'ອັນ' as a generic classifier.
Errores comunes
ເຮືອນສອງ
ເຮືອນສອງຫຼັງ
ຫຼັງເຮືອນສອງ
ເຮືອນສອງຫຼັງ
ເຮືອນສອງໂຕ
ເຮືອນສອງຫຼັງ
ເຮືອນໜຶ່ງ
ເຮືອນໜຶ່ງຫຼັງ
ເຮືອນຈັກ?
ເຮືອນຈັກຫຼັງ?
ເຮືອນຫຼັງສອງ
ເຮືອນສອງຫຼັງ
ຮ້ານຄ້າສອງໂຕ
ຮ້ານຄ້າສອງຫຼັງ
ເຮືອນຫຼັງນັ້ນສອງ
ເຮືອນສອງຫຼັງນັ້ນ
ເຮືອນທຸກ
ເຮືອນທຸກຫຼັງ
ເຮືອນຫຼາຍ
ເຮືອນຫຼາຍຫຼັງ
ເຮືອນຫຼັງທີ່ສວຍ
ເຮືອນຫຼັງທີ່ສວຍງາມ
ເຮືອນຫຼັງດັ່ງກ່າວນີ້
ເຮືອນຫຼັງດັ່ງກ່າວ
ເຮືອນຫຼັງໜຶ່ງໆ
ເຮືອນແຕ່ລະຫຼັງ
Sentence Patterns
ຂ້ອຍມີເຮືອນ ___ ຫຼັງ.
ເຮືອນຫຼັງ ___ ງາມ.
ມີຮ້ານຄ້າ ___ ຫຼັງຢູ່ທີ່ນີ້.
ເຮືອນຫຼັງທີ່ ___ ແມ່ນເຮືອນຂອງຂ້ອຍ.
Real World Usage
ເຮືອນຫຼັງນີ້ລາຄາເທົ່າໃດ?
ເຮືອນຫຼັງທີສອງທາງຂວາ.
ເຮືອນຫຼັງໃໝ່ຂອງຂ້ອຍ!
ເຈົ້າຢູ່ເຮືອນຫຼັງໃດ?
ມີໂຮງແຮມຈັກຫຼັງຢູ່ໃກ້ນີ້?
ເຮືອນຫຼັງສີຟ້າ.
Consistency
Don't skip
Practice
Respect
Smart Tips
Always add 'ຫຼັງ' after the number.
Use 'ຈັກ' + 'ຫຼັງ'.
Use 'ຫຼັງ' + 'ນີ້/ນັ້ນ'.
Use 'ຫຼາຍ' + 'ຫຼັງ'.
Pronunciación
ຫຼັງ
The 'ຫຼ' is a cluster. Pronounce it as a single 'l' sound with a high tone.
Question
ເຮືອນຈັກຫຼັງ? ↗
Rising intonation for questions.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'Lang' as 'Long'—a long roof over a house.
Visual Association
Imagine a row of houses, each with a big 'L' shaped roof. The 'L' stands for 'Lang'.
Rhyme
For a house or a shop, use 'Lang' to stop.
Story
I walked down the street. I saw one house (ເຮືອນໜຶ່ງຫຼັງ). Then I saw two shops (ຮ້ານຄ້າສອງຫຼັງ). I counted them all using 'ຫຼັງ' because they all had roofs.
Word Web
Desafío
Look at 3 buildings in your neighborhood and say their names in Lao using the correct classifier.
Notas culturales
In Lao culture, houses are very important. Using the correct classifier shows respect for the home.
The word 'ຫຼັງ' originally meant 'back'. It was extended to buildings because the roof is like the back of the building.
Conversation Starters
ເຈົ້າມີເຮືອນຈັກຫຼັງ?
ໃນບ້ານເຈົ້າມີຮ້ານຄ້າຈັກຫຼັງ?
ເຈົ້າມັກເຮືອນຫຼັງໃດ?
ເຮືອນຫຼັງທີ່ເຈົ້າຢູ່ໃຫຍ່ບໍ່?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
ຂ້ອຍມີເຮືອນສອງ___.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ເຮືອນສອງໂຕ
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Three houses.
Answer starts with: ເຮື...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
I have one shop.
How many houses?
Score: /8
Ejercicios de practica
8 exercisesຂ້ອຍມີເຮືອນສອງ___.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ເຮືອນສອງໂຕ
ຫຼັງ / ເຮືອນ / ສອງ
Three houses.
House - ?
I have one shop.
How many houses?
Score: /8
Preguntas frecuentes (8)
It is a mandatory classifier in Lao for buildings.
No, 'ໂຕ' is for animals or small objects.
It will sound unnatural and incomplete.
Yes, it is used for most buildings with roofs.
Use 'ຈັກ' before the classifier.
Yes, it is standard across Lao.
Usually 'ຫຼັງ' or other specific classifiers depending on size.
Sometimes, but there are other specific words.
In Other Languages
棟 (tou)
Japanese has many more classifiers than Lao.
座 (zuò)
The specific word used is different.
None
Spanish lacks the classifier system entirely.
None
French lacks the classifier system entirely.
None
German lacks the classifier system entirely.
None
Arabic uses dual forms instead of classifiers.
