1. The word "bOO"  [= (low rising tone) is an utterance-final question word.  It is used to transform a statement into a question to which the answer is "yes" or "no".  The short "yes" answer to a "bOO" question is simply to repeat the verb or verb phrase used in the question. A short "no" answer requires the insertion of the negative "bO#O"  [=j    (high mid tone) before the verb or verb phrase used in the question. ( For a description of tonal differences in the Vientiane dialect you must now go to Tone Chart.  You should refer to this chart often and memorize it as part of mastering tones.)

For example,

]k;lt[kpfu	la2aw saba4ay di4i	He's well.
]k;lt[kpfu[=	la2aw saba4ay di4i bOO	Is he well?

2. In Lao, adjectives do not occur with the verb "to be".  Thus, "saba4ay" lt[kp  means "to be healthy", not simply "healthy".   In other words, "to be" is automatically part of the adjective.  There is no clear distinction between verbs and adjectives in Lao.

For example,

0hvplt[kp

khO3y saba4ay

I'm fine.

3. When people part, the one leaving says "la2a kO#On"  ]kdjvo "good-bye"; the other person says "se2en pay di4i"  Xg-uowxfu?   "please, go well" (Farewell).

4. The subject (noun or pronoun) is often not present in a Lao sentence.  This grammatical phenomenon is called "pro-drop", dropping the pronoun.  It is not necessary to use pronouns in face-to-face conversations.   The use of kinship terms instead of pronouns is much more common, especially with family members or friends.  The use of the pronouns "I" /khO3y/ and  "you"  /ca1w/   below is quite formal. 

For example,

g9hklt[kpfu[=	ca1w saba4ay di4i bO#O	How are you?
X0hvp?lt[kpfu 0v[.9	(khO3y) saba4ay di4i, khO3Op-cay	(I'm) fine, thank you.

5. Adjectives follow nouns in Lao.  In the following phrase, note that "my" khO3y 0hvp         follows "wife" mi2a g,pD

g,p0hvp (wife my)

mi2a khO3y (wife my)

My wife

6. Often question words "who" pha4y Xwz?   and "what/how" n)a4N Xspa'?                   are replaced by the answer with no other change in the sentence.

For example,

]k;c,jo.z	la2aw mE#E#n pha4y (he is who)	Who's he?
]k;c,jookp76	la2aw mE#E#n na2ay-khu2u (he is teacher)	He's the teacher.
]k;-jnspa'	la2aw sy#y n)a4N (he named what)	What's his name?
]k;-nj[5o,u	la2aw sy#y bu4nmi2i (he named Boonmee)	His name is Boonmee.

7. "mE#En"  Xc,jo?    "to be", is a verb which specifies or defines someone or something.  It is not used wtih adjectives, like "to be fat,"  "to be old," etc.

For example,

]k;c,jookp76

la2aw mE#En na2ay-khu2u (he is teacher)

He's a teacher.

"mE#En bOO" c,jo[=    is used to verify a statement.

If the question is "he's the teacher, right?", "la2aw mE#En na2ay-khu2u mE#En bOO"  ]k; c,jo okp76 c,jo[= ,    the answer can be "mE#En lE1Ew" c,joc]h;,                            'Right' or "bO#O mE#En" [⁺c,jo ,     "no, not right".

8. "de2e"  gf   is a question word meaning "what about?" and "and ....?".

Fore example,

]k;gf	la2aw de2e	And him?
okp76gf	na2ay-khu2u de2e	What about the teacher?