Spoken Lao Lesson 4 Full Text Conversations for Lesson 4: Occupations 1 A: ເຈົ້າເຮັດການຫຍັງ What work do you do? B: ຂ້ອຍເປັນອາສາສະໝັກ I am a volunteer. A: ເຈົ້າເຮັດນຳອົງການໃດ What agency do you work with? B: ຂ້ອຍເຮັດນຳອົງການໄຈກາ I work with JICA. Occupations 2 A: ເຈົ້າເປັນຄູສອນແມ່ນບໍ You are a teacher, right? B: ບໍ່ ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ໄດ້ເປັນຄູສອນ ຂ້ອຍເປັນນັກຮຽນ No I am not a teacher; I am a student. Occupations 3 A: ເຈົ້າເຮັດການນຳລັດບໍ Do you work for the Government? B: ບໍ່ ຂ້ອຍເຮັດການນຳບໍລິສັດ No, I work for a business. A: ບໍລິສັດໃດ What business? A: ບໍລິສັດທ່ອງທ່ຽວລາວ Lao Tour Company. Vocabulary for Lesson 4: ອົສຕາລີ = Australia ອາສາສະໝັກ = volunteer ບໍລິສັດ = company ໄດ້ = can; also can mark past tense ບໍ່ໄດ້ເປັນ = not, not be ກະຊວງ = ministry ກະຊວງສຶກສາທິການ = Ministry of Education ເຮັດການ = to work ລັດ = government ຄູສອນ = teacher ພະນັກງານ = employee ໝໍ = doctor, medic ທ່ານໝໍ = doctor, medic ນາງພະຍາບານ = nurse ໄຈກາ = JICA ນັກຮຽນ = student ຍີ່ປຸ່ນ = Japan ນັກທຸລະກິດ = businessman ຊາວນາ = farmer ຕຳລວດ = policeman ທະຫານ = soldier ສະຖານທູດ = embassy ນັກການທູດ = diplomat ທ່ອງທ່ຽວ = to tour ນັກທ່ອງທ່ຽວ = tourist ຢູນິເຊັບ = UNICEF Grammar and Pronunciation Notes for Lesson 4: 1. The negative of ແມ່ນ is ບໍ່ແມ່ນ. The negative of ເປັນ is ບໍ່ໄດ້ເປັນ. ໄດ້ has several meanings in Lao depending on how it is used. Here, it is a helping verb before the main verb. In this position, it usually means to get to do, to have the fortune to do, or to have done something. The context may refer to past, present, or future time. For example, ເຈົ້າຊື່ຈິມ ແມ່ນບໍ Is your name Jim? ບໍ່ ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ໄດ້ຊື່ຈິມ No, my name isn't Jim. ເຈົ້າເປັນທະຫານບໍ Are you a soldier? ບໍ່ ບໍ່ໄດ້ເປັນ No, I'm not. ເຈົ້າເຣັດການນຳຢູເສດບໍ Do you work for USAID? ບໍ່, ບໍ່ໄດ້ເຣັດນຳຢູເສດ No, I don't work for USAID. As you go along, you will learn to use ໄດ້ in other situations. Don't try to link it with some particular word or grammatical feature in English. 2. ຄົນ is combined with the name of an organization to mean personnel of that organization. For example, ຄົນຢູເສດ USAID personnel 3. Reminder, be careful to distinguish between short and long vowels. 4. A few words spelled with ຮ may be pronounced with ລ or ຣ. The same speaker may sometimes say ຮ, sometimes ລ or ຣ. One of those words is ນັກຮຽນ. You may also hear ນັກລຽນ. More words with the h~l alternation are: ໂຮງຮຽນ (school) can be pronounced ໂຣງຣຽນ ໂຮງແຮມ (hotel) can be pronounced ໂຣງແຣມ
No, that doesn't work. When ຊື່ is in the position of the verb, the "am" is already implied, so ແມ່ນ becomes redundant and changes the meaning so it doesn't make sense. ແມ່ນ implies a state of being that doesn't change, or at least, doesn't normally change. You either are Jim, or you are not, that's why the word ໄດ້ doesn't normally work with it because ໄດ້ implies that you could have been someone different in the past. ໄດ້ works with the word ເປັນ because that is what you use when you are describing yourself as something that can change depending on the circumstances. In one circumstance you can be a soldier but in another you might be a neighbor, so you use ເປັນ to describe yourself in changeable circumstances. Back to your example above, you can say ບໍ່ ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ແມ່ນຈິມ "No, I am not Jim." Or ບໍ່ ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ໄດ້ຊື່ຈິມ "No, I am not named Jim." Or ບໍ່ ຊື່ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ແມ່ນຈິມ" No, my name is not Jim. I hope that makes sense!
Spoken Lao Lesson 4 Full Text
Conversations for Lesson 4:
Occupations 1
A: ເຈົ້າເຮັດການຫຍັງ What work do you do?
B: ຂ້ອຍເປັນອາສາສະໝັກ I am a volunteer.
A: ເຈົ້າເຮັດນຳອົງການໃດ What agency do you work with?
B: ຂ້ອຍເຮັດນຳອົງການໄຈກາ I work with JICA.
Occupations 2
A: ເຈົ້າເປັນຄູສອນແມ່ນບໍ You are a teacher, right?
B: ບໍ່ ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ໄດ້ເປັນຄູສອນ ຂ້ອຍເປັນນັກຮຽນ No I am not a teacher; I am a student.
Occupations 3
A: ເຈົ້າເຮັດການນຳລັດບໍ Do you work for the Government?
B: ບໍ່ ຂ້ອຍເຮັດການນຳບໍລິສັດ No, I work for a business.
A: ບໍລິສັດໃດ What business?
A: ບໍລິສັດທ່ອງທ່ຽວລາວ Lao Tour Company.
Vocabulary for Lesson 4:
ອົສຕາລີ = Australia
ອາສາສະໝັກ = volunteer
ບໍລິສັດ = company
ໄດ້ = can; also can mark past tense
ບໍ່ໄດ້ເປັນ = not, not be
ກະຊວງ = ministry
ກະຊວງສຶກສາທິການ = Ministry of Education
ເຮັດການ = to work
ລັດ = government
ຄູສອນ = teacher
ພະນັກງານ = employee
ໝໍ = doctor, medic
ທ່ານໝໍ = doctor, medic
ນາງພະຍາບານ = nurse
ໄຈກາ = JICA
ນັກຮຽນ = student
ຍີ່ປຸ່ນ = Japan
ນັກທຸລະກິດ = businessman
ຊາວນາ = farmer
ຕຳລວດ = policeman
ທະຫານ = soldier
ສະຖານທູດ = embassy
ນັກການທູດ = diplomat
ທ່ອງທ່ຽວ = to tour
ນັກທ່ອງທ່ຽວ = tourist
ຢູນິເຊັບ = UNICEF
Grammar and Pronunciation Notes for Lesson 4:
1. The negative of ແມ່ນ is ບໍ່ແມ່ນ. The negative of ເປັນ is ບໍ່ໄດ້ເປັນ. ໄດ້ has several meanings in Lao depending on how it is used.
Here, it is a helping verb before the main verb. In this position, it usually means to get to do, to have the fortune to do, or to have done something. The context may refer to past, present, or future time.
For example,
ເຈົ້າຊື່ຈິມ ແມ່ນບໍ Is your name Jim?
ບໍ່ ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ໄດ້ຊື່ຈິມ No, my name isn't Jim.
ເຈົ້າເປັນທະຫານບໍ Are you a soldier?
ບໍ່ ບໍ່ໄດ້ເປັນ No, I'm not.
ເຈົ້າເຣັດການນຳຢູເສດບໍ Do you work for USAID?
ບໍ່, ບໍ່ໄດ້ເຣັດນຳຢູເສດ No, I don't work for USAID.
As you go along, you will learn to use ໄດ້ in other situations. Don't try to link it with some particular word or grammatical feature in English.
2. ຄົນ is combined with the name of an organization to mean personnel of that organization.
For example,
ຄົນຢູເສດ USAID personnel
3. Reminder, be careful to distinguish between short and long vowels.
4. A few words spelled with ຮ may be pronounced with ລ or ຣ. The same speaker may sometimes say ຮ, sometimes ລ or ຣ. One of those words is ນັກຮຽນ. You may also hear ນັກລຽນ.
More words with the h~l alternation are:
ໂຮງຮຽນ (school) can be pronounced ໂຣງຣຽນ
ໂຮງແຮມ (hotel) can be pronounced ໂຣງແຣມ
Can I say < ບໍ່ ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ແມ່ນຊື່ຈິມ > instead of ບໍ່ ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ໄດ້ຊື່ຈິມ?
No, that doesn't work. When ຊື່ is in the position of the verb, the "am" is already implied, so ແມ່ນ becomes redundant and changes the meaning so it doesn't make sense. ແມ່ນ implies a state of being that doesn't change, or at least, doesn't normally change. You either are Jim, or you are not, that's why the word ໄດ້ doesn't normally work with it because ໄດ້ implies that you could have been someone different in the past. ໄດ້ works with the word ເປັນ because that is what you use when you are describing yourself as something that can change depending on the circumstances. In one circumstance you can be a soldier but in another you might be a neighbor, so you use ເປັນ to describe yourself in changeable circumstances. Back to your example above, you can say ບໍ່ ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ແມ່ນຈິມ "No, I am not Jim." Or ບໍ່ ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ໄດ້ຊື່ຈິມ "No, I am not named Jim." Or ບໍ່ ຊື່ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ແມ່ນຈິມ" No, my name is not Jim. I hope that makes sense!