Lao Language--Grammar Notes 28

Grammar Notes 28

pen ເປັນ w 'is', are', also means 'to change into, to become'. It is used in this way to talk about sickness and disease.

ລາວເປັນຫວັດw	láaw pen wát	He is caught a cold.
ລາວເປັນໄຂ້w	láaw pen khây	He has a fever.

pen ñâŋ ເປັນຫຍັງw at the beginning of sentences means 'why'. In the following sentences it means 'what's wrong with, what's the matter with'.

ເຈົ້າເປັນຫຍັງw	càw pen ñǎŋ	What's wrong with you?
ແຂວນເຈົ້າປັນຫຍັງw	khε̌εn càw pen ñǎŋ	What's wrong with your arm?
ລາວເຈົ້າເປັນຫຍັງບໍ່ມາw	láaw pen ñǎŋ bɔ̄ɔ máa	What's the matter with him that he didn't come?

Compare the word order in the following two questions.

ເປັນຫຍັງລາວຈຶງບໍ່ກິນເຂົ້າw	pen ñǎŋ láaw cȳŋ bɔ̄ɔ kin khâw	Why doesn't he eat?
ລາວເປັນຫຍັງຈຶງບໍ່ກິນເຂົ້າw	láaw pen ñǎŋ cȳŋ bɔ̄ɔ kin khâw	What's wrong with him that he doesn't eat?

The following sentence would be a suitable answer to either of the above questions.

ລາວເຈັບທ້ອງ ລາວຈຶງບໍ່ກິນw

láaw cép thɔ̀ɔŋ láaw cȳŋ bɔ̄ɔ kin

He's got a stomachache so he's not eating.

pen ເປັນw is also used as a secondary verb meaning 'to know how to, to be able to'.

ລອຍນ້ຳເປັນ

lɔ́ɔy nàm pen

He knows how to swim.

ໃຊ້ມີດບໍ່ເປັນ

sày mìit bɔ̄ɔ pen

He doesn't know how to use a knife.

ກິນອາຫານເຜັດບໍ່ເປັນ

kin aahǎan phét bɔ̄ɔ pen

He can't eat spicy food.

dày ໄດ້w 'can, be albe', and pen ເປັນw have overlapping meanings.

ເວົ້າໄດ້w	wàw dày	can speak (knows how)
ເວົ້າເປັນw	wàw pen	can speak (knows how)

dày ໄດ້ and pen ເປັນ can also be used differently.

ລອຍໄດ້w	lɔ́ɔy dày	can swim (is permitted to swim)
ລອຍເປັນw	lɔ́ɔy pen	can swim (knows how)

kŷap ເກືອບw 'almost', is a helping verb.

ຂ້ອຍເກືອບບໍ່ທັນw	khɔ̂y kŷap bɔ̄ɔ thán	I almost didn't make it on time.
ຈອກເກືອບແຕກw	cɔ̂ɔk kŷap tε̂εk	The glass almost broke.
ເຮັດເກືອບແລ້ວແລ້ວw	hēt kŷap lὲεw lὲεw	I am almost finished.

nɔ̀ɔk câak ນອກຈາກw 'except, except for, unless', is a connecting word.

ນອກຈາກເຈົ້າສິໄປ, ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ໄປw	nɔ̀ɔk câak càw si payˏ khɔ̂y bɔ̄ɔ pay	Unless you go, I won't go.
ນອກຈາກເຈົ້າ, ໄປໝົດຊູ່ຄົນw	nɔ̀ɔk câak càwˏ pay mót sūu khón	Excerpt you, Everyone is going.

sūu ຊູ່ means 'every' in the following sentences.

ໝົດຊູ່ຄົນມັກw	mót sūu khón māk	Everyone likes it.
ໄປໝົດຊູ່ຄົນw	pay mót sūu khón	Everyone is going.
ຊູ່ມື້ນີ້ ໄປຫຼາຍຄົນw	sūu mỳy nìi pay lǎay khôn	Everyday more and more people go.

bɔ̄ɔ sūu ບໍ່ຂູ່w is following sentence means 'not so much'.

ຄົນບໍ່ຂູ່ໄປຫຼາຍ

khón bɔ̄ɔ sūu pay lǎay

People don't go so much.

tāaŋ ຕ່າງw 'different', is used like khýy ຄື . w

ສອງຄົນນີ້ຕ່າງກັນw	sɔ̌ɔŋ khón nìi tāaŋ kan	These two people are different.
ຄັນນີ້ຕ່າງກັນກັບຄັນນັ້ນw	khán nìi tāaŋ kan káp khán nàn	This car is different from that one.

tāaŋ tāaŋ ຕ່າງ ໆw means 'various'.

ໄປແຂວງຕ່າງ ໆ

pay khwε̌εŋ tāaŋ tāaŋ

Go to various provinces.

sáaw ຊາວw as in sáaw náa means 'person, people.' It combines with other words.

ຊາວພະມ່າw	sáaw phamàa	Burmese
ຊາວສວນw	sáaw sǔan	Gardener, Fruit-grower
ຊາວຕ່າງປະເທດw	sáaw tāaŋ pathèet	foreigner

phùak ພວກw 'group' combines with càw ເຈົ້າ,w háw ເຮົາ :w

ເຈົ້າw	càw	You (s)
ພວກເຈົ້າw	phùak càw	You (pl.)
ເຮົາw	háw	we
ພວກເຮົາw	phùak háw	we

It also combines with khɔ̂y ຂ້ອຍw and khacàw ຂະເຈົ້າw

ຂ້ອຍw khɔ̄y I

ພວກຂ້ອຍw phùak khɔ̄y us, my group

ຂະເຈົ້າw khacàw they

ພວກຂະເຈົ້າw phùak khacàw them, their group

Compare the following sentences; different words may be used like classifiers.

ຊາສອງຈອກນີ້ຕ່າງກັນ

sáa sɔ̌ɔŋ cɔ̂̂ɔk nìi tāaŋ kan

These two cups of tea are different.

ຊາສອງຈອກນີ້ບ່ຄືກັນ

sáa sɔ̌ɔŋ cɔ̂̂ɔk nìi bɔ̄ɔ khýy kan

These two kinds of tea are not the same.

ມີຊາສອງຫໍ່

míi sáa sɔ̌ɔŋ hɔ̄ɔ

There are two packages of tea.

ມີຊາສອງສ່ວນ

míi sáa sɔ̌ɔŋ sǔan

There are two packages of tea.

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