Lao grammar or vainyakon lao (ໄວຍາກອນລາວ) are the building blocks of the language. If you’re a beginner Lao learner, grasping the basics of Lao grammar can open doors to understanding the language’s distinctive structure and flow. If you’re looking to communicate with other native speakers and enjoy Lao culture on a deeper level, understanding proper Lao grammar will set you up for success.
This overview will provide all that you need to know about Lao grammar, and then some! Read on as we summarize topics ranging from the Lao alphabet to using nouns, pronouns, verbs, and essential particles that bring the Lao language to life.
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A Primer On Lao Grammar And Language
Lao, or phasa lao (ພາສາລາວ), is used as the de facto standard language of Laos, and various Lao dialects are also spoken in areas of Northern Vietnam, Northeastern Thailand, and Southern China. Having been influenced by French rule and other European languages, the Lao language consists primarily of native Lao words along with borrowed ones, so you can expect to find many influences when using the different Lao loan words!
Lao grammar is unique and relatively straightforward compared to many languages, especially Indo-European languages. With a simple structure, where word order and context replace the need for conjugations or inflections. Tones are also used to convey different meanings, which can be challenging but rewarding to master. Not to mention that there are no plurals or tenses! Everything is specified by using special particles or context.
Without further ado, let’s get into the different aspects you need to know to master in Lao grammar!
The Lao Alphabet And Script
The Lao alphabet, or akson lao (ອັກສອນລາວ), is the official script in use for written Lao. There are 33 Lao consonants, called akson (ອັກສອນ), in addition to 28 Lao vowels, called sala (ສະຫຼະ). Using these 61 characters, you can communicate a wealth of information by constructing words and sentences, but don’t forget the tone marks! More on those below.
Tone Marks
Tones, tones, tones. There are in fact 6 tones, or vannayout (ວັນນະຍຸດ), to get familiar with in Lao. The four tone marks (x່, x້, x໊, x໋) modify the tone of any consonant cluster that they’re placed above.
But did you know that not all accents in Lao use all the tones? The Central Lao and Southern Lao accents utilize all 6 tones, while the Northern Lao accent only uses 5! Listen out for tone changes when speaking with a native speaker!
Sentence Structure
Lao uses a relatively simple sentence structure, called khongsang payok (ໂຄງສ້າງປະໂຫຍກ). Every sentence follows an SVO (subject-verb-object) order, identical to the structure pattern in English. English speakers may find it easy to grasp the basics of Lao syntax despite the differences in aspects such as tones and modifier use.
Nouns
Nouns, or kham nam (ຄໍານາມ), are words used for people, places, or objects. Lao nouns aren’t too different from English nouns, although the pronunciation has more importance in Lao since a different tone changes the meaning of a word. Take a look at an example of how to use nouns below:
Lao: khoyhenlao you souanchaoanouvong (ຂ້ອຍເຫັນລາວຢູ່ສວນເຈົ້າອານຸວົງ)
English: I saw him at Anouvong Park.
Pronouns
Pronouns, also known as kham thennam (ຄໍາເເທນນາມ), are words used instead of a noun or noun phrase. Common Lao pronouns include the words khoy (ຂ້ອຍ), chao (ເຈົ້າ), lao (ລາວ), ay (ອ້າຍ), and uay (ເອື້ອຍ). These mean ‘me’, ‘you’, ‘them’, ‘brother’, and ‘sister’, respectively. Here’s an example using the pronoun ay (ອ້າຍ), meaning ‘brother.’
Lao: ay haobeungmenoudaibo (ອ້າຍ ເຮົາເບິ່ງເມນູໄດ້ບໍ່?)
English: Brother, can I see the menu?
Verbs
Verbs are called kham kilinya (ຄຳກິລິຍາ) in Lao. Use these if you want to describe an action. Some common Lao verbs include but are not limited to, kin (ກິນ), pai (ໄປ), non (ນອນ), dum (ດື່ມ), and lin (ຫຼິ້ນ). Respectively, they mean ‘eat,’ ‘to go,’ ‘sleep,’ ‘eat,’ and ‘play.’ Let’s illustrate this with an example:
Lao: khoy painyanglin muni (ຂ້ອຍໄປຍ່າງຫຼິ້ນມື້ນີ້)
English: I went for a walk today.
Adverbs
Adverbs, or kham viset (ຄຳວິເສດ), are used to modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They can be used in many situations to convey the manner, time, or intensity of a word or action. They are placed after the verbs they modify. By repeating an adverb twice, you can emphasize the intensity of that adverb. See how the adverb vai vai (ໄວໆ), meaning ‘very fast’ is used to modify a verb in this example:
Lao: khoy khaplot manivaivai (ຂ້ອຍຂັບລົດມານີ້ໄວໆ)
English: I drove here quickly.
Adjectives
Adjectives, or kham khounnam (ຄຳຄຸນນາມ), are used to describe or modify a noun or pronoun. They are placed after the noun they modify or describe. This is pretty easy to remember! Let’s see an example using the adjective khem kheng (ເຂັ້ມແຂງ), meaning ‘strong’:
Lao: nang penkhonthi khem kheng (ນາງເປັນຄົນທີ່ເຂັ້ມແຂງ)
English: She is a strong person.
Conjunctions
Lao conjunctions, also called kham san than (ຄຳສັນທານ), or kham tor (ຄຳຕໍ່), are used to link ideas. There are three categories: coordinating, subordinating, and correlative conjunctions. These conjunctions function very similar to their English counterparts, being used at the beginning or middle of two clauses. Let’s see the simple conjunction leh (ແລະ) in use:
Lao: khoy khianbotkhouamni lebotkhouamnan (ຂ້ອຍຂຽນບົດຄວາມນີ້ແລະບົດຄວາມນັ້ນ)
English: I wrote this article and that article.
Prepositions
Lao’s many prepositions, or kham sieum (ຄໍາເຊື່ອມ), are used to describe relationships between elements of a sentence. There are three different types of prepositions: spatial, temporal, and directional. Depending on the context in which they’re used, Lao prepositions can convey multiple meanings. Below, you can find one of each type of preposition (spatial, temporal, and directional) used in an example:
Lao: khoy nyangkhanglao (ຂ້ອຍຍ່າງຂ້າງລາວ)
English: I walked beside him.
Lao: khoy bodaipaithinan tangtemunanma (ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ໄດ້ໄປທີ່ນັ້ນຕັ້ງແຕ່ມື້ນັ້ນມາ)
English: I haven’t been there since that day.
Lao: khoy tongphan thangbanni (ຂ້ອຍຕ້ອງຜ່ານທາງບ້ານນີ້)
English: I need to travel through this village.
How Do You Say ‘Grammar’ In Lao?
The word for ‘grammar’ in Lao is vainyakon (ໄວຍາກອນ)
Vocabulary Related To Grammar In Lao
Here are the different topics we’ve touched on, compiled into a vocabulary table for your reference. For even more insight into Lao grammar, vocabulary, and related phrases, check out the Ling app!
| English | Lao | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Grammar | ໄວຍາກອນ | vainyakon |
| Language | ພາສາ | phasa |
| Script | ອັກສອນ | akson |
| Tone marks | ວັນນະຍຸດ | vannayout |
| Sentence structure | ໂຄງສ້າງປະໂຫຍກ | khongsang payok |
| Nouns | ຄໍານາມ | kham nam |
| Pronouns | ຄໍາເເທນນາມ | kham thennam |
| Verbs | ຄຳກິລິຍາ | kham kilinya |
| Adverbs | ຄຳວິເສດ | kham viset |
| Adjectives | ຄຳຄຸນນາມ | kham khounnam |
| Conjunctions | ຄຳສັນທານ | kham santhan |
| Prepositions | ຄໍາເຊື່ອມ | kham xuam |
Frequently Asked Questions About Lao Grammar
1. Is Lao A Hard Language?
For speakers of English, learning Lao can be a challenging but ultimately rewarding experience. The unique Lao script, paired with its tonal language, distinguishes it from many of the world’s languages. However, with consistent practice and exposure, learners can grasp conversational Lao more easily than they may have expected.
2. What Does Lao Writing Look Like?
The Lao script, or akson lao (ອັກສອນລາວ), evolved over time from the Old Khmer script, much like the Thai alphabet. It has visually distinctive, rounded characters to form consonant clusters. Words are written from left to right, with spaces used primarily to separate phrases.
3. What Is The Closest Language To Lao?
The closest language to Lao is Thai, especially to the spoken dialect of Thai provinces in northeastern Thailand. Both languages share similar vocabulary, grammar, and tonal structures due to their shared history and proximity as Tai Kadai languages. Although the languages are similar, each has its own distinct characters and spelling conventions. Learning the Lao language can often help in learning the Khmer and Thai languages, or even other languages in Southeast Asia!
Lao Grammar Is Actually Easy!
Now that we’ve covered the different aspects of Lao grammar, from the Lao alphabet to sentence components such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, and more. Even though Lao and English use the same sentence structure, always keep in mind the subject-verb-object (SVO) order of words, along with where specific sentence components fit in. Once you’ve got those down, you should be able to tackle more complex topics related to the Lao language, such as writing or forming more complex sentences in speech.
Our only tip for you now is to practice, practice, practice! Reading up on Lao grammar is one thing, but it’s a whole nother ball game to put it to use in real-life contexts. Get out there and try talking to native Lao speakers, or even better, take a trip to Laos to really immerse yourself in Lao culture and make lifelong memories while you learn Lao.
Most importantly, good luck and have fun! Sok dee (ໂຊກດີ)!
