What you need to know first
In English, "hour" does two jobs. It tells you the time (it's 8 o'clock) and it tells you how long something lasts (I slept 8 hours). Lao splits those into two separate words.
- ໂມງ mong is for clock time. 8 ໂມງ = 8 o'clock
- ຊົ່ວໂມງ soa mong is for how long. 8 ຊົ່ວໂມງ = 8 hours
- ນາທີ nathee is minute
So if you say 8 ຊົ່ວໂມງ 8 soa mong when you mean 8 o'clock, you've just told someone you worked an 8 hour shift.
How to ask & answer
Put ຈັກ jak in front of the unit. It asks how many, when the answer is a countable number like hours or minutes.
- ຈັກໂມງ? jak mong? = what time?
- ຈັກຊົ່ວໂມງ? jak soa mong? = how many hours?
- ຈັກນາທີ? jak nathee? = how many minutes?
To answer, replace ຈັກ jak with the number. ຈັກໂມງ? jak mong? becomes 8 ໂມງ 8 mong, ຈັກຊົ່ວໂມງ? jak soa mong becomes 6 ຊົ່ວໂມງ 6 soa mong. That's the pattern for every question below.
Three things you'll notice
- ແລ້ວ leo means already. ຈັກໂມງແລ້ວ? jak mong leo? would be "what time is it already?".
- The minutes are separated by ໂມງ, with no ນາທີ needed.
e.g. 8:20 is 8 ໂມງ 20. 8 mong 20. For half past, use ເຄິ່ງ khuhng. - Bracketed words like (ພວກ phooak) are optional. Add them for a more formal tone.
What time?
- Q: What time is it now? - ດຽວນີ້ຈັກໂມງ? diaonee jak mong?
A: Now is 8:20 - ດຽວນີ້ 8 ໂມງ 20. diaonee paed mong saao. - Q: What time is it already? - ຈັກໂມງແລ້ວ? jak mong leo?
A: It is 10:05 already. - 10 ໂມງ 5 ແລ້ວ. sib mong haa leo. - Q: What time does the plane depart? - ຍົນອອກຈັກໂມງ? nyon ohk jak mong?
A: The plane departs at 6 o’clock. - ຍົນອອກ 6 ໂມງ. nyon ohk hok mong.
How many hours?
- Q: How many hours do you work a week? - ອາທິດໜຶ່ງ, ເຈົ້າເຮັດວຽກຈັກຊົ່ວໂມງ? athid neung, jao hed viak jak soa mong?
A: I work 36 hours a week. - ອາທິດໜຶ່ງ, ຂ້ອຍເຮັດວຽກ 36 ຊົ່ວໂມງ. athid neung, khoi hed viak saam sib hok soa mong. - Q: How many hours do you sleep a night? - ຄືນໜຶ່ງ, ເຈົ້ານອນຈັກຊົ່ວໂມງ? kheun neung, jao nohn jak soa mong?
A: I sleep 6 hours a night. - ຄືນໜຶ່ງ,ຂ້ອຍນອນ 6 ຊົ່ວໂມງ. kheun neung, khoi nohn hok soa mong. - Q: How many hours will you be out? - ເຈົ້າຈະອອກໄປຈັກຊົ່ວໂມງ? jao ja ohk pai jak soa mong?
A: I will be out for around 1 hour. - ຂ້ອຍຈະອອກໄປປະມານ 1 ຊົ່ວໂມງ. khoi ja ohk pai pamaan neung soa mong.
How many minutes?
- Q: How many minutes does 1 hour have? - 1 ຊົ່ວໂມງມີຈັກນາທີ? neung soa mong mee jak nathee?
A: 1 hour has 60 minutes. - 1 ຊົ່ວໂມງມີ 60 ນາທີ. neung soa mong mee hok sib nathee. - Q: How many minutes do you need? - ເຈົ້າຕ້ອງການຈັກນາທີ? jao tohng kaan jak nathee?
A: I need at least half an hour. - ຂ້ອຍຕ້ອງການຢ່າງໜ້ອຍເຄິ່ງຊົ່ວໂມງ. khoi tohng kaan yaang noi khuhng soa mong. - Q: How many minutes do we have left? - (ພວກ)ເຮົາຍັງເຫຼືອຈັກນາທີ? (phooak) hao nyang leua jak nathee?
A: We still have 5 minutes left. - (ພວກ)ເຮົາຍັງເຫຼືອ 5 ນາທີ. (phooak) hao nyang leua haa nathee.
Your turn
Try answering these out loud (not in your head!). Speaking is the part that's hardest to practise on your own, so take the chance while you're here:
- ດຽວນີ້ຈັກໂມງ? diaonee jak mong?
- ຄືນໜຶ່ງ, ເຈົ້ານອນຈັກຊົ່ວໂມງ? kheun neung, jao nohn jak soa mong?
- 1 ຊົ່ວໂມງມີຈັກນາທີ? neung soa mong mee jak nathee?
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