Language/Lao/Grammar/Negation

Lao Grammar - Negation

Hi Lao learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on negation in Lao grammar. It is important to know how to negate verbs, as well as other parts of speech in order to form negative sentences in Lao. This will help you to communicate more effectively in Lao. By the end of this lesson, you should be able to form negative sentences in Lao with ease. Let's get started!

Don't hesitate to look into these other pages after completing this lesson: Personal pronouns, Adjectives, How to Use Have & How to Use Be.

Negating Verbs

In Lao, negating verbs is done by adding the word "ບໍ່" (baw) before the verb. For example:

Lao	Pronunciation	English
ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຮັກລະບົບ	khā phá jao hǎk lā baw	I don't know the system -->

Another way to negate a verb in Lao is by using the word "ມັນບໍ່" (man baw) before the verb. For example:

Lao	Pronunciation	English
ມັນບໍ່ເກີນ	man baw keeo	It's not hot -->

In Lao, you can also use the word "ບໍ່" (baw) after the verb to negate it. For example:

Lao	Pronunciation	English
ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຮັກລະບົບບໍ່	khā phá jao hǎk lā baw	I don't know the system -->

Negating Other Parts of Speech

In Lao, you can negate other parts of speech, such as adjectives and nouns, by using the word "ບໍ່" (baw) before them. For example:

Lao	Pronunciation	English
ນ້ຳບໍ່ເຫັນນີ້ເກີນຫຍັງບໍ່	nom baw pen nii keeo yang baw	This soup is not too hot -->

You can also use the word "ມັນບໍ່" (man baw) before adjectives and nouns. For example:

Lao	Pronunciation	English
ມັນບໍ່ເປັນຄວາມສຸກ	man baw pen khwaam sook	It's not good -->

Combination of Negation and Interrogation

When you want to create a negative question in Lao, you can do that by using the question word "ບໍ່" (baw) after the verb. For example:

Lao	Pronunciation	English
ທ່ານບໍ່ເຂົ້າຮອບ?	thaao baw khao huab?	Don't you understand? -->

You can also use the word "ມັນບໍ່" (man baw). For example:

Lao	Pronunciation	English
ມັນບໍ່ຮອບໄດ້ຫຍັງ?	man baw huab dai yang?	Doesn't it work? -->

Examples in Context

To see how negation is used in context, let's take a look at the following dialogue:

• Person 1: ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຮັກລະບົບບໍ່ຮອບໄດ້? (khā phá jao hǎk lā baw huab dai? - Don't you understand the system?)
• Person 2: ມັນບໍ່ດຳເນີນການຕັ້ງຄ່າ. (man baw damneun kaan tung kaa - It's not difficult to set up.)

Tips

- In Lao grammar, negation is generally achieved by using the word "ບໍ່" (baw) before the verb or other part of speech. - For negative questions, you can add the word "ບໍ່" (baw) after the verb. - Don't forget to practice with native speakers! Use Polyglot Club to find native Lao speakers and ask them any Lao questions.

Conclusion

In this lesson, we have learned about negation in Lao grammar. We have seen how to negate verbs, as well as other parts of speech, and how to form negative questions. To improve your Lao Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Keep practicing and soon you will be able to form negative sentences in Lao with ease!

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➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Sources

• Lao grammar - Wikipedia
• A Grammar of Lao

Upon wrapping up this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Pronouns, Say Hello and Greetings in Lao, Future Tense & Questions.

Other Lessons

• How to Use Have
• Adjectives
• Future Tense
• Plurals
• Give your Opinion
• Pronouns
• Demonstrative Pronouns
• How to Use Be
• Personal pronouns