Language/Lao/Vocabulary/Telling-Time
Lao, also known as Laotian, is the official language of Laos and is also spoken in various regions of Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. In this lesson, you will learn how to tell time in Lao and understand common expressions related to time.
Numbers and Counting in Lao
Before we start telling time in Lao, it's important to know how to count in Lao. Here are the numbers from 1 to 10 in Lao:
| Lao | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ຫນ່ວຍ | nuai | one |
| ຫຍັງ | nyang | two |
| ສາມ | sam | three |
| ສີ | see | four |
| ຫ້າ | haa | five |
| ຫົກ | hok | six |
| ຫານ | harn | seven |
| ສິບ | sip | eight |
| ຫຼັງຈີນ | song jiin | nine |
| ສິບຜູ້ | sip phu | ten |
Pay attention to the pronunciation of the numbers, and try to repeat them as much as possible until you master them.
To count beyond 10, you can add a specific classifier to a number. For example, if you want to say 11, you would say "ຫຼາຍສິບຫນ່ວຍ" (lao alphabet), which means "ten and one".
Similarly, to say 25 in Lao, you would say "ສີສຸກຫຼາຍສິບເອັດ" (lao alphabet), which translates to "two-ten and five".
Telling Time in Lao
In Lao, we use a 24-hour system to tell time, which means that we don't use the AM/PM system.
To ask "What time is it?" in Lao, you would say "ເມື່ອການເວລາແມ່ນລົງວັນທີ່ໃດ?" (lao alphabet).
Here's how to tell the time in Lao:
| Lao | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ເຂົ້າໃນ | khao nai | in the morning |
| ທ່ຽງໃດ | tiang dai | in the afternoon |
| ບໍ່ໃນປາກເຊົ້າ | baw nai bpa sek | in the evening |
| ໃນທັງໝົດ | nai tang mot | at night |
| ຂອງເວລາ | kong vela | o'clock |
To tell the time in Lao, you would combine these expressions with the appropriate numbers. For example:
- 8:00 AM: "ເກົ້າໃນລ້ຽວນ້ອຍຫຼາຍ" (lao alphabet), which means "in the morning, eight o'clock".
- 2:30 PM: "ທ່ຽງໃດສອງຄິດ" (lao alphabet), which means "in the afternoon, two-thirty".
- 7:45 PM: "ບໍ່ໃນປາກເຊົ້າເສັງຄົວລາວນີ້" (lao alphabet), which means "in the evening, fifteen minutes to eight".
Note that Lao speakers often add "ຈໍ" (lao alphabet) at the end of the sentence to make it sound more polite, which is equivalent to adding "please" in English.
In addition to these basic expressions, there are some other common phrases related to time in Lao:
- "ບໍ່ໄດ້ເລີຍ" (lao alphabet): it's not too late
- "ບໍ່ຄວນເລີຍ" (lao alphabet): it's not too early
- "ສາມາດເລີຍ" (lao alphabet): it's possible
- "ບໍ່ໄດ້ລົບເຊີນ" (lao alphabet): it's not too chaotic
Practice Telling Time in Lao
Now, let's practice telling time in Lao! Try to answer the following questions:
1. ເມື່ອການເວລາແມ່ນລົງວັນທີ່ໃດ? (lao alphabet) Answer: It means "What time is it?"
2. ບໍ່ຄວນເລີຍ (lao alphabet) Answer: It means "It's not too early".
3. ທ່ຽງໃດເດືອນໄຕສຸກຂີ້ແລ້ວ? (lao alphabet) Answer: It means "What is the date today?"
4. ບໍ່ໃນທັງໝົດ? (lao alphabet) Answer: It means "Is it in the evening?"
5. ກະລຸນາຈໍເລີຍ (lao alphabet) Answer: It means "Please" or "You're welcome".
Congratulations! You've learned how to tell time in Lao and use some common expressions related to time. Keep practicing and don't forget to review the numbers in Lao. Good luck!