1. kɔ̄ɔ ກໍ ,w 'too, also' also appeared in Lesson 10.  The expression kɔ̄ɔ dày ກໍໄດ້w at the end of a sentence indicates that what precedes is a possible alternative or choice in the situation being discussed.  

   Note the following phrases:

ເຈົ້າສິເອົາກາແຟຫຮືນ້ຳຊາw   càw si aw kaafée ly̌y nàm-sáa	Would you like tea or coffee?
ຂ້ອຍເອົາກາແຟກໍໄດ້ ນ້ຳຊາກໍໄດ້w   khɔ̂y aw kaafée kɔ̄ɔ dāy nàm sáa kɔ̄ɔ dày	I'll take either coffee or tea.
ເຮົາສິກິນຢູ່ໄສw   háw si kin jūu sǎy	Where shall we eat?
ກິນຢູ່ບ້ານກໍໄດ້  ຢູ່ຮ້ານອາຫານກໍໄດ້w   kin jūu bàan kɔ̄ɔ dày jūu hàan aahǎan kɔ̄ɔ dày	We could eat at home or at a restuarant, either one.

2. Classifiers are used to count.  They also are used to distinguish one of a kind, or set, from another.  In Lesson 17 it was necessary to use phūu ຜູ້ w to distinguish one child from another. 

ລູກຜູ້ທີ່ໜຶ່ງw	lùuk phūu thīi-nȳŋ	The first child.
ລູກຜູ້ທີ່ສອງw	lùuk phūu thīi-sɔ̌ɔŋ	The second child.

Compare the following two sentences:

1. ຂ້ອຍມີເສື້ອສີເຫຼືອງw	khɔ̌y míi sŷa sǐi ly̌aŋ	I have a yellow shirt.
2. ຂ້ອຍມີເສື້ອໂຕສີເຫຼືອງw	khɔ̌y míi sŷa too sǐi ly̌aŋ	I have the yellow shirt.

 

Sentence "1" speaks of one shirt without reference to any other.  No classifier is needed.  Sentence "2" distinguishes the yellow shirt from some other shirt of a different color, and therefore requires a classifier. 

 

3. Note the importance of word order.

ໂຕນີ້ງາມw	too nìi ŋáam	This one (shirt) is pretty.
ໂຕງາມນີ້w	too ŋáam nìi	This pretty one...........
ໂຕງາມນີ້ແພງw	too nìi phέεŋ	This pretty one is expensive.

 

4. tìa ເຕ້ຍw (short) refers to a 'a person's height,' not to the length of an object.  sân ສັ້ນw is used when referring to an object. 

ນ້ອງຊາຍເຕ້ຍw	nɔ̀ɔŋ sáay tìa	My younger brother is short.
ສໍດຳສັ້ນw	sɔ̌ɔ dam sân	The pencil is short.

5. A question word can be used in a statement.  Note the difference in meaning of the question word in the following pairs of sentences.

ຂີ່ຄັນນີ້ໄດ້w	khīi khán day	Ride which one?
ຂີ່ຄັນໃດກໍໄດ້w	khīi khán day kɔ̄ɔ dày	You can ride either one.
ໄປນຳໃຜw	pay nám phǎy	Go with whom?
ໄປນຳໃຜກໍໄດ້w	pay nám phǎy kɔ̄ɔ dày	Anybody
ໄປມື້ໃດw	pay mỳy day	Go when?
ໄປມຶື້ໃດກໍໄດ້w	pay mỳy day kɔ̄o dáy	Any time.