Lao people I need your help

[Liberty]

Okay, I have a question about the word "jow" I use it all the time when talking to my parents but is that the same "Jow" as in "Jow Chai" and "Jow Ying"?
And is it "loaw" or "hoaw"? As in us. I've been saying "loaw" for as long as I could remember but then I've been watching all these Lao music video and they're saying "hoaw" so I thought, "Crap, have I been using the wrong word?"

 

[CTR]

Okay, I have a question about the word "jow" I use it all the time when talking to my parents but is that the same "Jow" as in "Jow Chai" and "Jow Ying"?
And is it "loaw" or "hoaw"? As in us. I've been saying "loaw" for as long as I could remember but then I've been watching all these Lao music video and they're saying "hoaw" so I thought, "Crap, have I been using the wrong word?"

I have always used hoaw (me) when I speak Lao. Ka noy would be good too when around an adult. Laow is like (him or her).

Hoaw si pai ta dtà-làat

Laow si pai dta'-laat jup noil


As for the first part, I don't think they are the same. Jout - commoner. It is shorter too. Jao Chai Jao Ying. It has to do with the tone. I can be wrong but hopefully someone can clarify better than me.

 

[KEdoubleNY]

'Jao' .. mostly Northern Laos people speak it .. like Vientiane and Luang Prabang. 'Jao' is a polite way of saying 'Yes'....NO relation to 'Jao Chai' or 'Jao Ying'. And if you notice .. Chiang Mai/Northern Thailand people say the same word ... 'JAO'.

As for 'Loaw' .. it mean .. Him/Her or That person .. for instance .. 'Loaw si pai leaw'. Meaning, .. 'He's going already'

'Hoaw' mean I/US/We .. depending on how you used it in a sentence.

 

[Liberty]

Intersting...thanks guys.
Well crap, I guess I've been saying it wrong. I wonder why my parents never corrected me. :huh:

I only say "hoaw" when referring to myself.
I use "loaw" for mutiples, like "Pork loaw".

Don't even get me started on saying yes, I just say "K" to everything and everyone, unless it's in a professional setting, then I say "yes".
As for the ka noy thing, I've only ever heard two families use that term. I don't think I was ever taught that.
It's probably why I avoid speaking to adults outside of family or stick to English. Family is just easier, I just say "baa" or "loong" (sorry if I'm spelling it wrong).
I use "jaow" when talking to my parents and grandparents. I don't know if it's appropriate but no one's every corrected me and every one seems to like me just fine, so I don't think I'm being rude, hopefully not anyway.
My aunts and uncles all speak English to me, so other than my parents and grandparents I don't really have a whole lot of Laotian interactions.

So what does "Koaw" mean? I thought it was the word for they/them but I'm not sure anymore.

Okay, another question. When you meet a really old family member, some very high up in the rankings like great grandparents, how are you suppose to address them and approach them? I went to visit a relative in Florida once and she was really old, I think she was like a great aunt or something (she remembered me from when I was a child) and my dad told me to "tuck tai" (I think that's the word he used) her and I was like what? :blink: I mean seriously, my dad expected me to do something I wasn't even taught.
You know what I did? I just mimicked what I saw in lakorns. Apparently it was the right thing to do because they were pleased.

 

[lady0fdarkness]

As for me... When I speak to my Mother... I refer to myself as "Louk."

When I talk to other Lao people or adults I say "Koy."

"Kaow" is them

"Laow" is him/her/she/he

"Haow" is us

So for me.. I normally don't use "Haow" to refer to myself. I just use "Koy."

 

[lady0fdarkness]

When speak to elders.. I just call them.. "Paw Tou" or "Mae Tou."

And I prefer to myself as "Ka Noy."

 

[Liberty]

I've heard lots of people say "koy" but I've never used that word before.
Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever heard anyone in my family use that word, except for maybe my dad, I wonder why that is. :mellow:


So what's "us" in Thai?

What's the Lao word for uncle and aunt?

 

[lady0fdarkness]

Us in Thai? Hmm... I'm not sure.. I don't speak Thai, I just understand it.

 

[Liberty]

Us in Thai? Hmm... I'm not sure.. I don't speak Thai, I just understand it.

lol. I was just asking because I was wondering where I picked up the "loaw" as us from. I thought maybe it was Thai thing and I just confused the language.

 

[lady0fdarkness]

I think Thai says "Raow" when they refer to us.

 

[CTR]

I've heard lots of people say "koy" but I've never used that word before.
Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever heard anyone in my family use that word, except for maybe my dad, I wonder why that is. :mellow:
So what's "us" in Thai?

What's the Lao word for uncle and aunt?

koy is more common but you use it to people you know. I always use Ka Noy around an adult because it is showing respect.

Us - There is no us in Thai just we. The word is Rao.

เฮา " hao" Issan
เรา "rao" Thai

Uncle " Your father's older brother" Lung
Aunt "Your father's older sister " Pa

Uncle " Your father's younger brother" Aout ---- An accent mark is needed in this one
Aunt " Your father's younger sister" Are


I'm using the vientiane wording for those. I have to learn both Thai and Lao since I have relatives on both side of the Mekong.

 

[KEdoubleNY]

the word 'Jao' can also refer to 'You' .. like when you asking someone a question'

'Jao' si pai sai .. meaing .. where are you going?

Lao people in America don't usually use 'Jao' ... when saying 'Yes'. They use terms like ... 'Doi' when speaking to elders .. or when speaking to friends .. 'Err' or 'Man Leaw'

Different parts of Laos speak Lao differently ... its surprising that a small country has many dialects.

Here's a Lao dialect spoken in Southern China .. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8XkFWHZOY4

That part of Southern China is known as 'Sip Song Pahn Na' ...

 

[lady0fdarkness]

Different parts of Laos speak Lao differently ... its surprising that a small country has many dialects.

Here's a Lao dialect spoken in Southern China .. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8XkFWHZOY4

That part of Southern China is known as 'Sip Song Pahn Na' ...

Those people are called "Lue." My boyfriend is one. That's how he speak.

 

[Liberty]

Thanks everone, its been very helpful and the Laos section is more active. ^_^
I'll come back when I have more questions, thanks for the link.

Thanks CTR for the explanation of "rao", that's actually what I mean I just wasn't sure how to spell it so that you guys knew what I was talking about.
hehe Didn't even occur to me to use an 'R' because I can't roll my "Rs", it's why I didn't take Spanish.

Uncle " Your father's younger brother" Aout ---- An accent mark is needed in this one
Aunt " Your father's younger sister" Are

I didn't know this part. I call all older aunts and uncles (older than my parents, even though both my parents are the eldest child from their families), Pa and Lung, everyone else I use the word for older brother/older sister (that's what I call my aunts and uncles).

 

[ohitsnoyyy]

that's funny. because I always say 'Hoaw' whenever i'm referring to myself, but only when i'm speaking to my parents. I rarely or more like never use 'Koy'. that's how my parents raise me I gues... i dont know.. :huh:

For instance, whenever my mama ask me where i'm going, I'll say 'Hoaw see pai ta-lad' [i'm going to the store.]

I always hear people say "koy see pai ta-lad.'


But when I speak to elders, I say 'ka Noy' or i just use my name. & i always say 'Doy' afterward hehe.

 

[lady0fdarkness]

Thanks everone, its been very helpful and the Laos section is more active. ^_^
I'll come back when I have more questions, thanks for the link.

Thanks CTR for the explanation of "rao", that's actually what I mean I just wasn't sure how to spell it so that you guys knew what I was talking about.
hehe Didn't even occur to me to use an 'R' because I can't roll my "Rs", it's why I didn't take Spanish.



I didn't know this part. I call all older aunts and uncles (older than my parents, even though both my parents are the eldest child from their families), Pa and Lung, everyone else I use the word for older brother/older sister (that's what I call my aunts and uncles).

You're not alone!! I can't roll my tongue at all.. Some Thai words I can't even say, like "Raow." Good thing English and Lao doesn't really require rolling tongues.

 

[CTR]

that's funny. because I always say 'Hoaw' whenever i'm referring to myself, but only when i'm speaking to my parents. I rarely or more like never use 'Koy'. that's how my parents raise me I gues... i dont know.. :huh:

For instance, whenever my mama ask me where i'm going, I'll say 'Hoaw see pai ta-lad' [i'm going to the store.]

I always hear people say "koy see pai ta-lad.'
But when I speak to elders, I say 'ka Noy' or i just use my name. & i always say 'Doy' afterward hehe.

I use Hoaw (use with family members though) instead of Koy because I feel it is more proper. B)


Liberty, you probably say Aih or Eer (not good at spelling these words). It depends where you come from too. The region and your ethnic background.

My cousin always call my mom and dad as: Mae Pa and Phor Lung.
I'll call their dad: Aout... I.E Aout Noy, Aout Joy....
I'll call my dad's younger sister: Are Bua, Are Nown, etc.


On my mom sister (my mom is the oldest) (Thai side):

My Mom's younger sisters: Na Sao .... Na Sao (insert name)
My Mom's younger brothers: Na Bao... Na Bao (insert name)

 

[Liberty]

Yeah, I call my uncles Aih and I call my aunts Eer, along with any older relative that's younger than my parents.

 

[donna]

i don't really use the word "koy" when i refer to myself. i usually say "hao".

when i talk to older people i say "koy" but if they are close to me, again "hao"

if i don't know what to call someone older than my mom, i usually say "pah" if they look very grandma-ish is say mae thou.

the only time i would say "mung" or "goo" is if the person is very close to me or my sisters and brothers. if i have to cuss an older person out, i use those words too. in an argument, there is no place to be proper, hehe

as for aunt/uncle:

father side: older than dad: loong pah younger than dad: aow ah
mother side: older than mom: loong pah younger than mom: nah bao, nah sao or bao/sao insert name

 

[KEdoubleNY]

I use Hoaw (use with family members though) instead of Koy because I feel it is more proper. B)
Liberty, you probably say Aih or Eer (not good at spelling these words). It depends where you come from too. The region and your ethnic background.

My cousin always call my mom and dad as: Mae Pa and Phor Lung.
I'll call their dad: Aout... I.E Aout Noy, Aout Joy....
I'll call my dad's younger sister: Are Bua, Are Nown, etc.
On my mom sister (my mom is the oldest) (Thai side):

My Mom's younger sisters: Na Sao .... Na Sao (insert name)
My Mom's younger brothers: Na Bao... Na Bao (insert name)

Central Thai doesn't say 'Na Sao' or 'Na Bao' .. They just say .. Na (than name of their aunt or uncle) .. Esan part of Thailand and Laos use .... 'Na Sao' and 'Na Bao' when refering to the mom's side

As for Koy/Koi .. meaning I ... its not really polite if you use 'koy/koi' when speaking to your parents or elders. 'koy/koi' is use when speaking to ur spouse, friends or someone a bit older than you.

When speaking to your parents.. you can use 'haow' but if you want to be polite .. you can use 'ka noy' ... and also 'doi' ... but these two words SHOULD BE use when speaking to elders (grandma/grandpa etc.) .. if you're polite.