Agentive Passive
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'thuk' (ຖືກ) to indicate that the subject is the recipient of an action, often with a negative connotation.
- Use 'thuk' before the verb to show passive voice: 'khoy thuk ti' (I was hit).
- The agent (doer) follows the verb: 'thuk ti doi khoy' (hit by me).
- Usually implies an unpleasant or unwanted experience for the subject.
Meanings
The agentive passive in Lao is used to describe an action performed upon the subject, frequently highlighting an adverse or involuntary experience.
Adverse Passive
Subject experiences an unwanted event.
“ລາວຖືກລົດຕຳ (He was hit by a car.)”
“ຂ້ອຍຖືກລົບກວນ (I was disturbed.)”
Agentive Passive Formation
| Subject | Passive Marker | Verb | Agent (Optional) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ຂ້ອຍ (I) | ຖືກ (thuk) | ຕີ (hit) | ໂດຍລາວ (by him) |
| ລົດ (Car) | ຖືກ (thuk) | ຕຳ (hit) | ໂດຍລົດບັນທຸກ (by truck) |
| ລາວ (He) | ຖືກ (thuk) | ຈັບ (arrested) | ໂດຍຕຳຫຼວດ (by police) |
| ປຶ້ມ (Book) | ຖືກ (thuk) | ລັກ (stolen) | ໂດຍຄົນແປກໜ້າ (by stranger) |
| ແຜນ (Plan) | ຖືກ (thuk) | ຍົກເລີກ (canceled) | ໂດຍຫົວໜ້າ (by boss) |
| ເງິນ (Money) | ຖືກ (thuk) | ໃຊ້ (used) | ໂດຍນ້ອງຊາຍ (by brother) |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Subj + thuk + Verb | ລາວຖືກຕີ (He was hit) |
| Negative | Subj + bo + thuk + Verb | ລາວບໍ່ຖືກຕີ (He was not hit) |
| Question | Subj + thuk + Verb + bo? | ລາວຖືກຕີບໍ່? (Was he hit?) |
| Agentive | Subj + thuk + Verb + doi + Agent | ລາວຖືກຕີໂດຍລາວ (He was hit by him) |
| Past | Subj + thuk + Verb + (past context) | ລາວຖືກຕີເມື່ອວານ (He was hit yesterday) |
| Future | Subj + ja + thuk + Verb | ລາວຈະຖືກຕີ (He will be hit) |
Espectro de formalidade
ລາວຖືກລົດຕຳໂດຍອຸບັດຕິເຫດ (Accident report)
ລາວຖືກລົດຕຳ (Accident report)
ລາວຖືກລົດຕຳ (Accident report)
ລາວຖືກລົດຊົນ (Accident report)
The Thuk Passive Concept
Usage
- Negative Unwanted
- Involuntary Accidental
Structure
- Subj + thuk + V Basic form
- Subj + thuk + V + doi Agentive form
Examples by Level
ຂ້ອຍຖືກຕີ
I was hit.
ລາວຖືກລັກ
He was robbed.
ປຶ້ມຖືກເອົາ
The book was taken.
ຂ້ອຍຖືກດ່າ
I was scolded.
ລົດຖືກຕຳໂດຍລົດບັນທຸກ
The car was hit by a truck.
ລາວຖືກຈັບໂດຍຕຳຫຼວດ
He was arrested by the police.
ຂ້ອຍຖືກລົບກວນໂດຍສຽງດັງ
I was disturbed by the noise.
ເງິນຖືກລັກໂດຍຄົນແປກໜ້າ
The money was stolen by a stranger.
ເຮືອນຖືກທຳລາຍໂດຍພາຍຸ
The house was destroyed by the storm.
ແຜນການຖືກຍົກເລີກໂດຍຫົວໜ້າ
The plan was canceled by the boss.
ຂ້ອຍຖືກບັງຄັບໃຫ້ເຮັດວຽກ
I was forced to work.
ລາວຖືກວິຈານໂດຍເພື່ອນຮ່ວມງານ
He was criticized by a colleague.
ສິດທິຂອງລາວຖືກລະເມີດໂດຍບໍລິສັດ
His rights were violated by the company.
ຂໍ້ມູນຖືກຮົ່ວໄຫຼໂດຍພະນັກງານ
The data was leaked by an employee.
ລາວຖືກປະຕິເສດໂດຍຄະນະກຳມະການ
He was rejected by the committee.
ບັນຫາຖືກແກ້ໄຂໂດຍຜູ້ຊ່ຽວຊານ
The problem was solved by an expert.
ຄວາມຄິດເຫັນຂອງລາວຖືກມອງຂ້າມໂດຍສັງຄົມ
His opinion was overlooked by society.
ເອກະສານຖືກປອມແປງໂດຍກຸ່ມມິດຊາຊີບ
The document was forged by a criminal group.
ລາວຖືກກ່າວຫາໂດຍບໍ່ມີຫຼັກຖານ
He was accused without evidence.
ວັດທະນະທຳຖືກປ່ຽນແປງໂດຍໂລກາພິວັດ
The culture was changed by globalization.
ການຕັດສິນໃຈຖືກຊີ້ນຳໂດຍຜົນປະໂຫຍດສ່ວນຕົວ
The decision was guided by personal interest.
ລາວຖືກກັກຂັງໂດຍບໍ່ມີຄວາມຜິດ
He was detained without guilt.
ໂຄງການຖືກຂັດຂວາງໂດຍລະບຽບການ
The project was hindered by regulations.
ຄວາມຈິງຖືກບິດເບືອນໂດຍສື່ມວນຊົນ
The truth was distorted by the media.
Easily Confused
Learners use 'thuk' for everything.
Learners use 'thuk' for positive things.
Learners confuse the passive marker with the verb 'to be correct'.
Erros comuns
ຂ້ອຍຖືກໃຫ້ຂອງຂວັນ
ຂ້ອຍໄດ້ຮັບຂອງຂວັນ
ຖືກຂ້ອຍຕີລາວ
ລາວຖືກຂ້ອຍຕີ
ຂ້ອຍຖືກກິນເຂົ້າ
ຂ້ອຍກິນເຂົ້າ
ລາວຖືກຮັກ
ລາວໄດ້ຮັບຄວາມຮັກ
ລົດຖືກຕຳໂດຍຂ້ອຍ
ລົດຖືກຂ້ອຍຕຳ
ລາວຖືກຊະນະ
ລາວເສຍ
ຖືກລັກໂດຍໂຈນເງິນ
ເງິນຖືກລັກໂດຍໂຈນ
ຂ້ອຍຖືກເຊີນ
ຂ້ອຍໄດ້ຮັບຄຳເຊີນ
ລາວຖືກບອກໃຫ້ໄປ
ລາວຖືກສັ່ງໃຫ້ໄປ
ຖືກເຮັດໂດຍລາວ
ລາວເປັນຄົນເຮັດ
ຄວາມຄິດຖືກຍອມຮັບໂດຍທຸກຄົນ
ທຸກຄົນຍອມຮັບຄວາມຄິດ
ລາວຖືກແຕ່ງຕັ້ງ
ລາວໄດ້ຮັບການແຕ່ງຕັ້ງ
ຖືກຂຽນໂດຍຂ້ອຍ
ຂ້ອຍເປັນຄົນຂຽນ
Sentence Patterns
ຂ້ອຍຖືກ ___ ໂດຍ ___
___ ຖືກ ___
ເຈົ້າເຄີຍຖືກ ___ ບໍ່?
ລາວຈະຖືກ ___
Real World Usage
ລົດຖືກຕຳ
ລາວຖືກຈັບ
ຂ້ອຍຖືກໂກງ
ຂ້ອຍຖືກຕຳໜິ
ຂ້ອຍຖືກລັກກະເປົາ
ລາວຖືກກ່າວຫາ
Check the mood
Don't over-passive
Agent placement
Tone matters
Smart Tips
Use 'thuk' to show the subject is the victim.
Use 'thuk' to emphasize your bad experience.
Use 'thuk' to focus on the loss.
Use 'doi' to introduce the agent clearly.
Pronúncia
Thuk
The 'th' is an aspirated 't' sound. The 'uk' is a short vowel sound.
Statement
ລາວຖືກຕີ ↘
Falling intonation for facts.
Question
ລາວຖືກຕີບໍ່ ↗
Rising intonation for questions.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'thuk' as 'took' (as in, something was taken from you).
Visual Association
Imagine a person standing in the rain. They are 'thuk' (subjected to) the rain. It's an unwanted experience.
Rhyme
When things go wrong and you feel stuck, just put in front the word 'thuk'.
Story
Yesterday, I was walking. I was 'thuk' (subjected to) a splash from a car. The driver was rude. I felt 'thuk' (unlucky).
Word Web
Desafio
Write 3 sentences about a bad day you had using 'thuk'.
Notas culturais
Lao culture values harmony. Using 'thuk' to complain is seen as a serious matter, not just a casual observation.
The word 'thuk' originates from the verb 'to touch' or 'to hit'.
Conversation Starters
ເຈົ້າເຄີຍຖືກລົດຕຳບໍ່?
ເຈົ້າເຄີຍຖືກຄົນດ່າບໍ່?
ເຈົ້າຄິດວ່າການຖືກວິຈານດີບໍ່?
ເຈົ້າເຄີຍຖືກລັກຂອງບໍ່?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
ລາວ ___ ຕຳ.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ຂ້ອຍຖືກໃຫ້ເງິນ (I was given money).
ຕຳຫຼວດ / ລາວ / ຖືກ / ຈັບ
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
ຂ້ອຍຖືກລົບກວນ
ລົດຕຳລາວ
ລາວຖືກຈັບ ___ ຕຳຫຼວດ.
Score: /8
Exercicios praticos
8 exercisesລາວ ___ ຕຳ.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ຂ້ອຍຖືກໃຫ້ເງິນ (I was given money).
ຕຳຫຼວດ / ລາວ / ຖືກ / ຈັບ
Match: ລາວຖືກຕີ
ຂ້ອຍຖືກລົບກວນ
ລົດຕຳລາວ
ລາວຖືກຈັບ ___ ຕຳຫຼວດ.
Score: /8
Perguntas frequentes (8)
No, 'thuk' is for negative or involuntary events.
The agent follows the verb.
No, it can also mean 'to touch' or 'correct'.
Avoid it when active voice is clearer.
Because it allows you to name the agent.
It can be used in formal reports.
English is neutral; Lao is negative.
Just omit the agent part.
In Other Languages
Ser + participio
Lao 'thuk' is negative-only.
Être + participe passé
Lao is not for neutral events.
Werden + Partizip II
Lao passive is for misfortune.
Passive suffix -reru
Japanese suffix is morphological.
Passive voice (internal vowel change)
Lao uses a separate marker.
Bei (被) construction
Both are for negative events.
