Spoken Lao: Lesson 3

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Spoken Lao: Lesson 3 Full Text Nationality 1 A: ພວກເຈົ້າມາແຕ່ໃສ Where do you come from? B: ພວກຂ້ອຍມາແຕ່ປະເທດຝຣັ່ງ We come from France. A: ພວກເຈົ້າເດ໊ How about you? B: ພວກຂ້ອຍມາແຕ່ລາວ We come from Laos. Nationality 2 A: ຂໍໂທດເຈົ້າເປັນຄົນລາວບໍ Excuse me, are you Lao? B: ແມ່ນແລ້ວ ຂ້ອຍເປັນຄົນລາວ That's right, I am Lao. A: ເຈົ້າມາແຕ່ແຂວງໃດ What province do you come from? B: ຂ້ອຍມາແຕ່ແຂວງ ຫຼວງພະບາງ I come from Luang Phabang. Nationality 3 A: ລາວເປັນຄົນຫຍັງ What nationality is he/she? B: ລາວເປັນຄົນ ອາເມລິກາ He/she is American. A: ລາວມາແຕ່ລັດໃດ What state does he/she come from? B: ລາວມາແຕ່ລັດ ເທັກຊັດ He/she comes from Texas. Vocabulary for Lesson 3 ອາເມຣິກາ = America ຝຣັ່ງ = French ກາລິຟໍເນັຍ = California ວຽດນາມ = Vietnam ກຳປູເຈຍ = Cambodia ເຂົາເຈົ້າ = they, them, their ຂະເຈົ້າ = they, them, their ຄົນ = person, people ຂໍໂທດ = excuse me (literally "request punishment") ແຂວງ = province ລາວ = Lao, he, she ຈີນ = China ຣັດ = state ຫລວງພຣະບາງ = Luang Phabang (old royal capital and province in northern Laos) ມາ = to come ເມືອງ = country, city ບ້ານ = village, house ປາກເຊ = Pakse (city in southern Laos) ເປັນ = to be ປະເທດ = country, state ພວກ = group, we, us ພວກເຈົ້າ = you (plural) ພວກຂ້ອຍ = we ໃສ = where ໃດ = which ເທັກຊັດ = Texas ແຕ່ = from, but ໄທ = Thai ວຽງຈັນ = Vientiane (administrative capital and province in central Laos) Grammar and Pronunciation Notes for Lesson 3 1. Both ເປັນ and ແມ່ນ mean -to be-. ແມ່ນ however, specifies or defines something or the role that someone plays, while ເປັນ does not; it merely identifies someone. 2. Nouns in Lao do not have singular and plural endings. For example, ຄົນ means person or people depending on context. 3. To state the nationality of a person, it is necessary to say ຄົນ before their nationality. For example, ຄົນລາວ a Lao, a Lao person(s) ຄົນອເມລິກາ an American, Americans 4. Remember ຕ is unaspirated, like the (t) in the word stop but not the (t) in top. 5. Note that ຂໍໂທດ has two long vowels ອໍ (ອອ) and ໂອ. ໂອ is not a glide. It does not sound like the English word oh. The lips and tongue should not change position while you are saying ໂອ. Be sure the ທ is aspirated, like the first (t) in tote. 6. The ວ in ຫລວງ is a vowel and sounds like the “ua” in dual. It is a single syllable not two. There is no (w) sound. Try to luang ຫລວງ and not to say lawang ລະວັງ.