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