Lao Reading Practice for Beginners: Waking Up Late

This one comes from a 2nd grade textbook used in schools in Laos, written by ຟອງສະໄຫມ ພົມມະໄຊ Fohng-samai Phommasai.

It's a very short story about Alex and a very rushed morning, only ten sentences or so, and everything is written in Lao script with the romanisation underneath.

Before you start

Grab a pen and paper for your answers, since there's nothing to type into here. Read the story through once without stopping, then go back and read it again more slowly.

And please don't worry about understanding every single word. Guessing from what's around it is a real skill, and it's what you do when someone's speaking to you in real life. Answers are at the bottom, so do try the exercises first.

The story: ຕື່ນສວາຍ teun sooai

ທ້າວອາເລັກຕື່ນສວາຍຍ້ອນລາວບໍ່ໄດ້ຍິນໂມງປຸກ. ຫຼັງຈາກຕື່ນນອນລາວຟ້າວມ້ຽນບ່ອນນອນ. ອາເລັກຟ້າວອາບນໍ້າ. ລາວຟ້າວຈັບເສື້ອມານຸ່ງ. ອາເລັກຟ້າວກິນເຂົ້າກັບປີ້ງໄກ່. ລາວຟ້າວຈັບປຶ້ມໃສ່ຖົງ. ອາເລັກຟ້າວຂີ່ລົດຖີບໄປໂຮງຮຽນ. ລາວໄປຮອດໂຮງຮຽນ. ອາເລັກບໍ່ເຫັນໃຜຢູ່ໂຮງຮຽນ. “ໂອ້! ມື້ນີ້ໂຮງຮຽນພັກ”.

thaao Alex teun sooai nyohn lao boh dai nyin mong pook. langjaak teun nohn lao faao mian bohn nohn. Alex faao aab naam. lao faao jab seua maa noong. Alex faao kin khao kab ping kai. lao faao jab peum sai thong. Alex faao khee lod theeb pai honghian. lao pai hohd honghian. Alex boh hen phai yoo honghian. “oh! meunee honghian phak.”

Exercises

Ex 1: Match the words

To shower - Holiday - Bedroom - To wear a shirt - To ride a bicycle

1. ຫ້ອງນອນ hohng nohn
2. ອາບນໍ້າ aab naam
3. ນຸ່ງເສື້ອ noong seuaa
4. ຂີ່ລົດຖີບ khee lod theeb
5. ພັກ phak

Ex 2: Choose the correct answer

1. ເປັນຫຍັງອາເລັກຈຶ່ງຕື່ນສວາຍ? pen nyang Alex jeung teun sooai?
   ກ. ລາວນອນເຊົ້າ lao nohn sao
   ຂ. ລາວນອນກາຍໂມງ lao nohn kaai mong
   ຄ. ລາວບໍ່ໄດ້ຍິນໂມງປຸກ lao boh dai nyin mong pook
   ງ. ລາວເປັນໄຂ້ lao pen khai
2. ຫຼັງຈາກຕື່ນນອນອາເລັກໄດ້ເຮັດຫຍັງ? langjaak teun nohn Alex dai hed nyang?
   ກ. ກິນເຂົ້າເຊົ້າກ່ອນ kin khaosao kohn
   ຂ. ອາບນໍ້າ ແລະ ແຕ່ງຕົວ aab naam lae taengto
   ຄ. ມ້ຽນບ່ອນນອນ mian bohn nohn
   ງ. ຫຼິ້ນວິດີໂອເກມ lin video game
3. ອາເລັກໄປໂຮງຮຽນແນວໃດ? Alex pai honghian neodai?
   ກ. ກັບລົດເມ kab lod may
   ຂ. ກັບລົດຖີບ kab lod theeb
   ຄ. ກັບລົດໃຫຍ່ kab lod nyai
   ງ. ຍ່າງ nyaang
4. ເມື່ອອາເລັກໄປຮອດໂຮງຮຽນ ລາວຮູ້ວ່າຫຍັງ? meua Alex pai hohd honghian lao hoovaa nyang?
   ກ. ໂຮງຮຽນປິດເພາະມີວັນພັກ honghian pid phoh mee van phak
   ຂ. ລາວມາສວາຍ lao maa sooaai
   ຄ. ມີງານພິເສດທີ່ໂຮງຮຽນ mee ngaan phised
   ງ. ໝູ່ຂອງລາວບໍ່ມາ moo khohng lao boh maa

Ex 3: True (T) or False (F)

1. ___ ອາເລັກເກັບປຶ້ມໃສ່ກະເປົາກ່ອນກິນເຂົ້າເຊົ້າ. Alex keb peum sai kapao kohn kin khaosao.
2. ___ ຕອນອາເລັກໄປຮອດໂຮງຮຽນລາວເຫັນນັກຮຽນຫຼາຍຢູ່ໂຮງຮຽນ. tohn Alex pai hohd honghian lao hen nak hian laai yoo honghian.
3. ___ ອາເລັກຮູ້ສຶກແປກເພາະໂຮງຮຽນປິດ. Alex hooseuk paek phoh honghian pid.
4. ___ ອາເລັກຕື່ນເຊົ້າຕອນເຊົ້າ. Alex teun sao tohn sao.
5. ___ ອາເລັກອາບນໍ້າກ່ອນແຕ່ງຕົວ. Alex aab naam kohn taengto.

Ex 4: Answer the questions

1. ຫຼັງຈາກອາເລັກລຸກຈາກຕຽງ ລາວໄດ້ເຮັດຫຍັງ? langjaak Alex look jaak tiang lao dai hed nyang?
2. ອາເລັກກິນຫຍັງຕອນເຊົ້າ? Alex kin nyang tohn sao?
3. ອາເລັກເອົາຫຍັງໄປໂຮງຮຽນ? Alex ao nyang pai honghian?
4. ອາເລັກຮູ້ສຶກແນວໃດຕອນເຫັນໂຮງຮຽນບໍ່ມີຄົນ? Alex hooseuk neodai tohn hen honghian boh mee khon?
5. ເປັນຫຍັງໂຮງຮຽນຈຶ່ງບໍ່ມີຄົນມື້ນັ້ນ? pen nyang honghian jeung boh mee khon meunan?

Translation

Ex 2

1. Why did Alex wake up late?
   a. He went to bed early
   b. He overslept
   c. He missed the alarm
   d. He was sick
2. What did Alex do after waking up?
   a. He ate breakfast first
   b. He washed and got dressed
   c. He made the bed
   d. He played video games
3. How did Alex go to school?
   a. By bus
   b. By bicycle
   c. By car
   d. On foot
4. What did Alex realize when he arrived at school?
   a. The school was closed for a holiday
   b. He was late for class
   c. There was a school event
   d. His friends were absent

Ex 3

1. ___ Alex packed his book bag before eating breakfast.
2. ___ When Alex arrived, he saw many students at school.
3. ___ Alex was surprised because school was closed.
4. ___ Alex woke up early in the morning.
5. ___ Alex washed before putting on his clothes.

Ex 4

1. After Alex got out of bed, what did he do?
2. What did Alex eat in the morning?
3. What did Alex take to school?
4. How did Alex feel when he saw that there were no people at school?
5. Why were there no people at school that day?

Answers

Ex 1

1. Bedroom
2. To shower
3. To wear a shirt
4. To ride a bicycle
5. Holiday

Ex 2

1. ຄ. ລາວບໍ່ໄດ້ຍິນໂມງປຸກ lao boh dai nyin mong pook
2. ຄ. ມ້ຽນບ່ອນນອນ mian bohn nohn
3. ຂ. ກັບລົດຖີບ kab lod theeb
4. ກ. ໂຮງຮຽນປິດເພາະມີວັນພັກ honghian pid phoh mee van phak

Ex 3

1. F
2. F
3. T
4. F
5. T

Ex 4

1. ລາວໄດ້ມ້ຽນບ່ອນນອນ
2. ອາເລັກກິນເຂົ້າກັບປີ້ງໄກ່ຕອນເຊົ້າ
3. ອາເລັກເອົາປຶ້ມໃສ່ຖົງໄປໂຮງຮຽນ
4. ອາເລັກຮູ້ສຶກຕົກໃຈ
5. ເພາະໂຮງຮຽນພັກ

How did you get on?

That's ຕື່ນສວາຍ teun sooai done, and reading a whole story in Lao is no small thing, even a short one like this.

If some of it went over your head, that's completely normal. Do have another read through now you know what happens, and you'll be surprised how much more you pick up the second time.

Get full access with audio

Every lesson comes with audio so you hear exactly how it sounds. Join weekly speaking sessions, get direct support from Ginie, and access everything LES Community has to offer.

Learn more about LES Community →