Demonstrative Pronouns
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Lao demonstratives follow the noun they modify, using 'ni' (this), 'nan' (that), and 'pun' (that over there).
- Use 'ni' for objects close to you: 'An ni' (This thing).
- Use 'nan' for objects near the listener: 'An nan' (That thing).
- Use 'pun' for objects far from both: 'An pun' (That thing over there).
Meanings
Demonstrative pronouns in Lao indicate the physical distance between the speaker, the listener, and the object being discussed.
Proximity
Defining distance relative to the speaker.
“ອັນນີ້ (an ni - this one)”
“ອັນນັ້ນ (an nan - that one)”
Demonstrative Structure
| Lao | Romanization | Meaning | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| ອັນນີ້ | an ni | this one | Near speaker |
| ອັນນັ້ນ | an nan | that one | Near listener |
| ອັນພຸ້ນ | an pun | that one over there | Far from both |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Noun + ni/nan/pun | ປຶ້ມນີ້ (This book) |
| Negative | bo maen + Noun + ni/nan/pun | ບໍ່ແມ່ນປຶ້ມນີ້ (Not this book) |
| Question | Noun + ni/nan/pun + bo? | ປຶ້ມນີ້ບໍ່? (Is this the book?) |
طیف رسمیت
ປຶ້ມນີ້ແມ່ນຂອງຂ້າພະເຈົ້າ. (Ownership)
ປຶ້ມນີ້ແມ່ນຂອງຂ້ອຍ. (Ownership)
ປຶ້ມນີ້ຂອງຂ້ອຍ. (Ownership)
ປຶ້ມນີ້ຂອງຂ້ອຍເດ. (Ownership)
Lao Distance Map
Distance
- ni here
- nan there
- pun over there
مثالها بر اساس سطح
ອັນນີ້ແມ່ນຫຍັງ?
What is this?
ຂ້ອຍມັກປຶ້ມນີ້.
I like this book.
ເຮືອນນັ້ນໃຫຍ່.
That house is big.
ໄປພຸ້ນ.
Go over there.
ເຈົ້າເຫັນລົດຄັນນັ້ນບໍ່?
Do you see that car?
ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ມັກອັນນີ້.
I don't like this one.
ໝາໂຕນັ້ນໜ້າຮັກ.
That dog is cute.
ເອົາອັນພຸ້ນໃຫ້ຂ້ອຍ.
Give me that one over there.
ເລື່ອງນັ້ນຂ້ອຍເຄີຍໄດ້ຍິນມາແລ້ວ.
I have heard of that story before.
ຜູ້ຊາຍຄົນນັ້ນແມ່ນໃຜ?
Who is that man?
ເຮົາຄວນໄປບ່ອນນັ້ນ.
We should go to that place.
ສິ່ງນີ້ສຳຄັນຫຼາຍ.
This thing is very important.
ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ຄິດວ່າອັນນັ້ນຈະໄດ້ຜົນ.
I don't think that will work.
ເຫດການນັ້ນເກີດຂຶ້ນເມື່ອປີກາຍ.
That event happened last year.
ເຈົ້າໝາຍເຖິງອັນນີ້ບໍ່?
Do you mean this one?
ບ່ອນພຸ້ນມີອາກາດດີກວ່າ.
The place over there has better weather.
ຄວາມຄິດນັ້ນເບິ່ງຄືວ່າຈະມີເຫດຜົນ.
That idea seems reasonable.
ສິ່ງທີ່ລາວເວົ້ານັ້ນແມ່ນຄວາມຈິງ.
What he said is the truth.
ເຮົາຕ້ອງຈັດການກັບບັນຫານີ້.
We must deal with this problem.
ທາງພຸ້ນມີທາງອອກ.
There is an exit over there.
ສະຖານະການນັ້ນຮຽກຮ້ອງໃຫ້ມີການຕັດສິນໃຈທີ່ເດັດຂາດ.
That situation demands a decisive decision.
ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າບໍ່ເຫັນດີກັບສິ່ງນັ້ນ.
I do not agree with that.
ອັນນີ້ແມ່ນຫຼັກຖານທີ່ສຳຄັນ.
This is the crucial evidence.
ເປົ້າໝາຍພຸ້ນຍັງອີກໄກ.
That goal over there is still far away.
بهراحتی اشتباه گرفته میشود
Learners mix up proximity.
اشتباهات رایج
ni pum
pum ni
pum pun
pum nan
an ni pum
pum an ni
ni
an ni
الگوهای جملهسازی
___ ແມ່ນຂອງຂ້ອຍ.
Real World Usage
ເອົາອັນນີ້.
ເຫັນອັນນັ້ນບໍ່?
ໄປທາງພຸ້ນ.
ສິ່ງນີ້ສຳຄັນ.
ເອົາອັນນີ້.
ມັກອັນນີ້ຫຼາຍ.
Use your hand
Word Order
Practice
Politeness
Smart Tips
Use 'an ni' to be clear.
Use 'pun' for distant landmarks.
Add a classifier for precision.
Use full noun phrases.
تلفظ
Tone
Ni, Nan, and Pun have specific tones that must be hit.
Question
pum ni bo?
Rising intonation at the end.
حفظ کنید
روش یادسپاری
Ni is near, Nan is near you, Pun is far away.
تداعی تصویری
Imagine holding a pen (Ni), pointing to your friend's pen (Nan), and pointing to a tree far away (Pun).
Rhyme
Ni is here, Nan is there, Pun is way over there.
Story
I hold my coffee (ni). You hold your tea (nan). The mountain far away (pun) is beautiful.
شبکه واژگان
چالش
Point to 5 items in your room and say their names with 'ni' or 'nan'.
نکات فرهنگی
Pointing with a finger is considered rude; use your whole hand.
Derived from ancient Tai spatial markers.
شروعکنندههای مکالمه
ອັນນີ້ແມ່ນຫຍັງ?
موضوعات نگارش
Test Yourself
ປຶ້ມ ___ (this book)
Which is 'that book'?
Find and fix the mistake:
ni pum
ປຶ້ມນີ້ (This book)
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
A: ເອົາອັນໃດ? B: ເອົາ ___.
pum / ni / an
Lao demonstratives come before the noun.
Score: /8
تمرینهای عملی
8 exercisesປຶ້ມ ___ (this book)
Which is 'that book'?
Find and fix the mistake:
ni pum
ປຶ້ມນີ້ (This book)
ni - nan - pun
A: ເອົາອັນໃດ? B: ເອົາ ___.
pum / ni / an
Lao demonstratives come before the noun.
Score: /8
سوالات متداول (8)
No, only for things close to you.
You can just use 'an' or skip it.
It's neutral, just spatial.
Check your word order.
Lao doesn't distinguish plural in demonstratives.
Yes, use your hand.
Yes, but be polite.
Yes, slightly.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
this/that
Word order is reversed.
este/ese/aquel
Spanish agrees in gender/number.
dieser/jener
Case and gender agreement.
kore/sore/are
Japanese uses them as standalone pronouns mostly.
hatha/thalika
Arabic has gendered forms.
zhe/na
Chinese uses classifiers differently.
