Language/Lao/Grammar/Comparatives

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Lao → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Comparatives and Superlatives → Comparatives

Comparatives are an essential aspect of any language, allowing us to compare and contrast two people, objects or ideas. In Lao, comparatives are formed using specific structures that are unique to the language. In this lesson, you will learn how to form and use comparatives in Lao to compare two items or ideas.

Forming Comparatives

To form comparatives in Lao, we use the following structure:

[Subject A] + ລວງ + ກວ້າງ + [Subject B]

Let's break down this structure:

- "ລວງ" (luang) is the Lao word for "more" or "less" - "ກວ້າງ" (kuang) is a modifier particle that we use to indicate that we are making a comparison - [Subject A] is the item or idea that we are comparing - [Subject B] is the item or idea that we are comparing [Subject A] to

Here are some examples to help illustrate this structure:

Lao	Pronunciation	English
ມ່ວນດີນ້ອຍເກີນ	mau ny noi kae y	This book is more beautiful than that book.
ໂຫຍ້າແກ້ວໜ້າ	hya kae wao no	The hotel is less expensive than the restaurant.

As you can see from these examples, we use the modifier particle "ກວ້າງ" (kuang) to indicate that we are making a comparison, and we use the word "ລວງ" (luang) to indicate whether something is "more" or "less."

It's also worth noting that we can use adjectives to modify [Subject A] or [Subject B] in this structure, as in the example below:

Lao	Pronunciation	English
ເຮືອໄຕດີນ້ອຍເກີນ	heua hat dai ny noi kae y	The big car is more expensive than the small car.

In this example, we use the adjective "ໄຕ" (dai) to modify the noun "ຄັ້ງ" (car), indicating that one car is bigger than the other.

Using Comparatives

Comparatives are used in Lao for different purposes, such as comparing two people, two objects, two ideas, or simply two different states of the same subject. They are also commonly used to express preferences or make recommendations.

Here are some examples of how to use comparatives in Lao:

• ນີ້ແມ່ນມື້ໃຫມ່ກວ້າງມື້ຜ່ອນ. (ni mai meu neua kuang mai kuang peun) - This is a newer day than yesterday.
• ບາງຫນ້າຂອງສຸກຍົງກວ້າງລ້າງເຂົ້າຄວບຄຸມແກ້ວໄດ້. (bang na nau kong suk yong kuang lang khob khum keo dai) - The air from Sukhothai is fresher than the air in Bangkok.
• ຈະຕິດຕາມຄວາມສະເໜີດກວ້າງຄວາມປອດຂອງຊົງມີ. (ja thud tam kaum sa nard kuang kaum pak kong song mi) - You should follow your heart more than your mind.

As you can see, comparatives are used to express differences or similarities between two people, objects or ideas, but also for advising on the best way or option to choose.

Exceptions

While the structure for forming comparatives in Lao is relatively straightforward, there are some exceptions to keep in mind. Here are a few examples:

• ກາງ (kang) - middle - This word is an exception as its comparative form is "ກາງກວ້າງ" (kang kuang).
• ສູງ (sung) - tall or long - The comparative form of this word is "ປາກສູງ" (pa sung).
• ກາຍ (kai) - small or short - To form the sentence "A is less X than B," we use the structure [Subject A] + ບໍ່ + ກາຍ + [Subject B].

While some words may require different comparative forms, once you get the hang of the structure, it becomes much easier to use comparatives effectively.

Practice Exercises

Here are some practice exercises to help you reinforce what you have learned in this lesson:

1. Write a sentence using the structure [Subject A] + ລວງ + ກວ້າງ + [Subject B] to compare two people's ages. 2. Write a sentence comparing two different foods. 3. Write a few sentences giving advice using comparatives.

Conclusion

Congratulations, you have learned how to form and use comparatives in Lao! Remember to keep practicing and trying out new sentences using this structure, and you will be on your way to becoming proficient at expressing differences and making recommendations in Lao.

Table of Contents - Lao Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Pronouns and Verb to be

• Personal Pronouns
• Verb to be

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-10
• Telling Time

  ---

Nouns and Plurals

• Nouns
• Plurals

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationships

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjectives
• Adverbs

  ---

Food and Drinks

• Common Foods
• Ordering at a Restaurant

  ---

Lao Customs and Etiquette

• Greetings and Social Etiquette
• Festivals and Celebrations

  ---

Questions and Negations

• Question Words
• Negations

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Asking for Directions

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Prepositions
• Conjunctions

  ---

Shopping and Money

• Shopping Vocabulary
• Money and Currency

  ---

Lao Food and Dining

• Traditional Lao Dishes
• Eating Customs and Etiquette

  ---

Tenses and Verb Conjugation

• Present Tense
• Past Tense

  ---

Weather and Seasons

• Weather Vocabulary
• Seasons

  ---

Comparatives and Superlatives

• Comparatives
• Superlatives

  ---

Hobbies and Interests

• Common Hobbies
• Sports and Activities

  ---

Lao Music and Arts

• Traditional Music
• Arts and Crafts

Other Lessons

• How to Use Have
• Questions
• Adjectives
• Negations
• Future Tense
• Superlatives
• Demonstrative Pronouns
• Adverbs
• Personal pronouns
• Question Words

Sources

• Lao grammar - Wikipedia
• (PDF) An Analysis on the Comparison of Thai and Lao Language ...
• Lao Language - Why does it get confused with Thai? - Bilingua

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