Core Lao grammar patterns and verb and sentence structure. Front: the Lao pattern or example. Back: English explanation.
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- Subject Verb Object (SVO)
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Lao basic word order is Subject-Verb-Object, the same as English- ກຳລັງ (kamlang) + verb
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Marks a continuous action, similar to '-ing' (ກຳລັງກິນ = is eating)- verb + ແລ້ວ (laeo)
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Marks a completed action, similar to a past tense marker (ກິນແລ້ວ = have eaten)- ຈະ (cha) + verb
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Marks the future tense, similar to 'will' (ຈະໄປ = will go)- ບໍ່ (bo) + verb
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Negates a verb, placed directly before it (ບໍ່ໄປ = will not go)- verb + ບໍ່? (bo?)
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Turns a statement into a yes/no question by adding bo at the end- ເຄີຍ (kheuy) + verb
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Marks past experience, 'have ever done' (ເຄີຍໄປ = have been there before)- ກຳລັງຈະ (kamlang cha) + verb
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Marks a near-future action, 'about to' (ກຳລັງຈະໄປ = about to go)- Noun + ນີ້ (ni) / ນັ້ນ (nan)
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Demonstratives 'this' and 'that' follow the noun they modify- Adjective placement
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Adjectives follow the noun they describe, unlike in English (ເຮືອນໃຫຍ່ = house big = big house)- ຫຼາຍ (lai) after adjective
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Intensifier meaning 'very', placed after the adjective (ດີຫຼາຍ = very good)- Classifiers (ລູກ, ໂຕ, ອັນ)
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Lao nouns need a classifier word when counted, chosen by the noun's category- Number + classifier + noun
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Standard counting order: number, then classifier, then optionally the noun- ໃຫ້ (hai) as 'give/for'
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Can mean 'to give' or introduce a beneficiary, 'for someone's benefit'- ຢູ່ (you) as locative
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Marks location, 'to be at/in' (ຢູ່ເຮືອນ = at home)
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