Resultative Compounds
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Resultative compounds combine an action verb with a result verb to show the outcome of an action.
- Place the result verb immediately after the action verb: 'ກິນ' (eat) + 'ອີ່ມ' (full) = 'ກິນອີ່ມ' (eat until full).
- Negation happens by placing 'ບໍ່' before the compound: 'ບໍ່ກິນອີ່ມ' (did not eat until full).
- Questions use 'ໄດ້' or 'ບໍ່' at the end: 'ກິນອີ່ມບໍ່?' (Did you eat until full?).
Meanings
Resultative compounds indicate that an action has reached a specific state or outcome. They are essential for describing completed tasks or physical changes.
Completion
Indicates an action is finished.
“ຂ້ອຍເຮັດວຽກສຳເລັດ”
“ລາວຂຽນຈົດໝາຍຈົບ”
Physical State
Indicates a change in state due to action.
“ລາວຕີໝາຕາຍ”
“ຂ້ອຍເປີດປະຕູອອກ”
Ability/Possibility
Indicates whether the result is achievable.
“ຂ້ອຍຟັງອອກ”
“ລາວອ່ານບໍ່ໄດ້”
Resultative Compound Formation
| Action Verb | Result Word | Compound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ກິນ | ອີ່ມ | ກິນອີ່ມ | Eat until full |
| ເຮັດ | ສຳເລັດ | ເຮັດສຳເລັດ | Finish doing |
| ຊອກ | ພົບ | ຊອກພົບ | Find |
| ຟັງ | ອອກ | ຟັງອອກ | Understand |
| ຕີ | ຕາຍ | ຕີຕາຍ | Hit to death |
| ເປີດ | ອອກ | ເປີດອອກ | Open |
| ຂຽນ | ຈົບ | ຂຽນຈົບ | Finish writing |
| ເບິ່ງ | ຈື່ | ເບິ່ງຈື່ | Remember by looking |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | V1 + V2 | ກິນອີ່ມ |
| Negative | ບໍ່ + V1 + V2 | ບໍ່ກິນອີ່ມ |
| Question | V1 + V2 + ບໍ່? | ກິນອີ່ມບໍ່? |
| Past | V1 + V2 + ແລ້ວ | ກິນອີ່ມແລ້ວ |
| Ability | V1 + ໄດ້ | ກິນໄດ້ |
| Inability | V1 + ບໍ່ໄດ້ | ກິນບໍ່ໄດ້ |
正式程度
ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າໄດ້ເຮັດວຽກສຳເລັດແລ້ວ. (Work completion)
ຂ້ອຍເຮັດວຽກສຳເລັດແລ້ວ. (Work completion)
ເຮັດວຽກສຳເລັດແລ້ວ. (Work completion)
ວຽກຈົບແລ້ວ! (Work completion)
Resultative Compound Map
Completion
- ເຮັດສຳເລັດ Finished
State
- ກິນອີ່ມ Full
Ability
- ຟັງອອກ Understand
Examples by Level
ຂ້ອຍກິນອີ່ມ
I ate until full
ລາວໄປຮອດ
He arrived
ຂ້ອຍເຫັນແລ້ວ
I saw it
ລາວອ່ານຈົບ
He finished reading
ຂ້ອຍເຮັດວຽກສຳເລັດ
I finished the work
ລາວຊັກເສື້ອສະອາດ
He washed the shirt clean
ເຈົ້າຟັງອອກບໍ່?
Do you understand what you heard?
ຂ້ອຍຊອກບໍ່ພົບ
I didn't find it
ລາວຕີໝາຕາຍ
He hit the dog to death
ຂ້ອຍເປີດປະຕູອອກ
I opened the door
ລາວຂຽນຈົດໝາຍແລ້ວ
He finished writing the letter
ເຮົາກິນເຂົ້າໝົດ
We ate all the food
ໂຄງການນີ້ເຮັດສຳເລັດໄດ້ຍາກ
This project is hard to finish
ລາວເວົ້າໃຫ້ຂ້ອຍຟັງເຂົ້າໃຈ
He explained it so I understood
ຂ້ອຍເບິ່ງຮູບນີ້ຈົນຈື່
I looked at this picture until I remembered it
ລາວແຕ່ງກິນແຊບ
He cooked it delicious
ລາວພະຍາຍາມແກ້ໄຂບັນຫາຈົນສຳເລັດ
He tried to solve the problem until successful
ການກະທຳນີ້ເຮັດໃຫ້ຂ້ອຍເສຍໃຈ
This action made me sad
ລາວຂັບລົດໄປຮອດວຽງຈັນ
He drove until he reached Vientiane
ຂ້ອຍພິມເອກະສານຜິດ
I typed the document wrong
ການວິເຄາະນີ້ສະແດງໃຫ້ເຫັນຢ່າງຈະແຈ້ງ
This analysis shows it clearly
ລາວຕັດສິນໃຈເຮັດວຽກນີ້ໃຫ້ສຳເລັດ
He decided to complete this work
ຂ້ອຍຈື່ຈຳເຫດການນີ້ໄດ້ດີ
I remember this event well
ລາວປ່ຽນແປງສະຖານະການໃຫ້ດີຂຶ້ນ
He changed the situation for the better
Easily Confused
Learners think both verbs are actions.
Learners use adverbs instead of result words.
Learners use only one verb.
常见错误
ອີ່ມກິນ
ກິນອີ່ມ
ຂ້ອຍກິນ
ຂ້ອຍກິນອີ່ມ
ກິນແລ້ວອີ່ມ
ກິນອີ່ມ
ກິນອີ່ມບໍ່
ກິນອີ່ມບໍ່?
ເຮັດສຳເລັດວຽກ
ເຮັດວຽກສຳເລັດ
ຊອກພົບບໍ່
ຊອກພົບບໍ່?
ຟັງບໍ່ເຂົ້າໃຈ
ຟັງບໍ່ອອກ
ຕີຕາຍໝາ
ຕີໝາຕາຍ
ເປີດປະຕູອອກ
ເປີດອອກ
ຂຽນຈົບແລ້ວ
ຂຽນຈົບ
ເຮັດໃຫ້ສຳເລັດ
ເຮັດສຳເລັດ
ສະແດງເຫັນຈະແຈ້ງ
ສະແດງເຫັນ
ປ່ຽນດີຂຶ້ນ
ປ່ຽນດີ
Sentence Patterns
ຂ້ອຍ___ສຳເລັດແລ້ວ
ເຈົ້າ___ພົບບໍ່?
ລາວ___ອີ່ມ
ຂ້ອຍ___ອອກ
Real World Usage
ເຫັນແລ້ວ
ເຮັດສຳເລັດ
ກິນອີ່ມ
ໄປຮອດ
ອ່ານຈົບ
ຊອກພົບ
Focus on the result
Don't over-complicate
Use with 'ແລ້ວ'
Be direct
Smart Tips
Use resultative compounds instead of long clauses.
Use 'ສຳເລັດ' to show completion.
Use 'ຊອກພົບ' for success.
Use 'ຟັງອອກ' to confirm understanding.
发音
Stress
Stress the first verb slightly more than the second.
Question
ກິນອີ່ມ-ບໍ່? (Rising pitch at the end)
Indicates a question.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of it as a 'Result-Glue'. You glue the result to the action to make it stick.
Visual Association
Imagine a person eating a giant bowl of noodles. As they finish, a big 'FULL' sign pops up above their head. The action 'eat' and the result 'full' are physically connected.
Rhyme
Action first, result behind, the meaning is what you will find.
Story
Somchai wanted to find his keys. He searched (action) and found (result) them. He was so happy he ate until full. He finished his day successfully.
Word Web
挑战
For the next 5 minutes, describe everything you do using a resultative compound (e.g., 'I opened-door', 'I read-finished').
文化笔记
Lao culture values directness in task completion. Using these compounds shows you are efficient.
These compounds evolved from serial verb constructions in Proto-Tai.
Conversation Starters
ເຈົ້າກິນເຂົ້າອີ່ມບໍ່?
ເຈົ້າເຮັດວຽກສຳເລັດບໍ່?
ເຈົ້າຊອກພົບປຶ້ມນັ້ນບໍ່?
ເຈົ້າຟັງອອກບໍ່ທີ່ລາວເວົ້າ?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
ຂ້ອຍກິນ___
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ອີ່ມກິນ
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
I finished reading.
Answer starts with: ຂ້ອ...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Use 'ຊອກພົບ'.
Resultative compounds use two verbs.
Score: /8
练习题
8 exercisesຂ້ອຍກິນ___
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
ອີ່ມກິນ
ສຳເລັດ / ເຮັດ / ວຽກ
I finished reading.
ກິນ + ?
Use 'ຊອກພົບ'.
Resultative compounds use two verbs.
Score: /8
常见问题 (8)
Usually no, stick to two for clarity.
Yes, that is the standard order.
Use a general word like 'ແລ້ວ' (finished).
Yes, they are standard in all registers.
Yes, the result word can be an adjective.
Put 'ບໍ່' before the first verb.
Similar, but more productive in Lao.
It makes your Lao sound natural and precise.
In Other Languages
Resultative Verb Complements (RVC)
Lao is more flexible with word order.
Te-form + auxiliary
Japanese uses particles.
Phrasal verbs
English is less systematic.
Verb + Adjective
Spanish doesn't use verb-verb compounds.
Separable verbs
German is morphological.
Verb + Adverbial
Arabic is highly inflected.
