- Words like mēt ເມັດ
 ,q kὲεw ແກ້ວˏq khón ຄົນq are
classifiers. They are used in counting as shown in the example above. The
usual pattern is:Noun + number + classifier
| Note the following phrases: |
If the number is nȳŋ ໜຶ່ງq 'one' or diaw ເດີຍວq 'just one' they come after the classifier.
|
ຢາເມັດເດີຍວ |
jaa mēt diaw |
Just one
tablet of medicine. |
In jaa sɔ̌ɔŋ mēt ຢາສອງເມັດq the Lao
phrase closely parallels its English translation. In English, it will be:
Medicine two tablets.
But, in the case of àay sɔ̌ɔŋ khón
ອ້າຍສອງຄົນq 'two brothers' (older), the English translation does not have a word
corresponding to khón. Just as mēt is necessary to count tablets of medicine, khón is necessary to count people.
In the first sentence below, the classifier is not needed.
It is needed in the next sentences.
|
|
Besides khón ຄົນq
there is another classifier for people, phūu
ຜູ້q
Both may be used to say 'one person, teacher, etc.'
|
ລູກຜູ້ໜຶ່ງ |
lùuk phūu nȳŋ |
one child |
|
ລູກຄົນໜຶ່ງ |
lùuk khón nȳŋ |
one child |
Only khón ຄົນq is
used to count above one.
Right:
|
ລູກສອງຄົນq |
lùuk sɔ̌ɔŋ khón |
two child
|
Wrong:
|
ລູກສອງຜູ້ |
lùuk sɔ̌ɔŋ phūu |
two child
|
Both khón ຄົນq
and phūu ຜູ້q can
be used with ordinal numbers.
|
ຄົນທີ່ໜຶ່ງ |
khón thīi nȳŋ |
the first
one |
|
ຜູ້ທີ່ໜຶ່ງ |
phūu thīi nȳŋ |
the first
one |
|
ຄົນທີ່ສອງ |
khón thīi sɔ̌ɔŋ |
the second
one |
|
ຜູ້ທີ່ສອງ |
phūu thīi sɔ̌ɔŋ |
the second
one |
phūu ຜູ້ q is commonly used for expressions such as:
|
ຜູ້ເດີຍວ |
phūu diaw |
alone, a
sigle one |
|
ຜູ້ໃດ |
phūu day |
who, which
one |
- In Lao culture, one is expected to defer to one's elders.
àay ອ້າຍq and
yáy ເອື້ອຍq may refer not only to one's older brother and sister, but to any
older male or female friend. Younger friends are often called nɔ̀ɔŋ
ນ້ອງq whether male or female.
- lùuk ລູກq means 'child, offspring'.
dék nɔ̀ɔy ເດັກນ້ອຍq means
'child, young person'.
- ñáŋ ຍັງq means
'still, yet,'. can be used in telling time.
|
ສາມໂມງຍັງສິບ |
sǎam móoŋ ñáŋ síp |
ten minutes
to three or 2.50 |
- îik ອີກq means
'more, further, again,'. also means 'other, another, the other.'
ທະຫານຜູ້ໜຶ່ງຢູ່ ອີກຜູ້ໜຶ່ງບໍ່ຢູ່ |
thahâan phūu nȳŋ jūuˏ îik phūu nȳŋ bɔ̄ɔ
jūu |
One of the soldiers is here, the other one isn't. |
ຜູ້ໜຶ່ງເປັນທະຫານ ອີກຜູ້ໜຶ່ງເປັນຕຳຫຼົວດ |
phūu
nȳŋ pen thahǎan îik phūu nȳŋ pen tamlûat |
One is a
soldier, another is a policeman. |
|
