Opinions
❃ Opinions
-
ຂ້ອຍຄິດວ່າ...
[ khoi khit va... ] -
I think that...
-
ໃນຄວາມຄິດຂອງຂ້ອຍ...
[ nai khwam khit khong khoi... ] -
In my opinion...
-
ແມ່ນແລ້ວ
[ maen laew ] -
That's true / That's right.
-
ຂ້ອຍເຫັນດີນຳຫຼາຍ
[ khoi hen di nam lai ] -
I totally agree.
-
ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ເຫັນດີ
[ khoi bo hen di ] -
I don't agree.
-
ເປັນຄວາມຄິດທີ່ດີ
[ pen khwam khit thi di ] -
That's a good idea.
-
ບໍ່ແມ່ນ
[ bo maen ] -
That's wrong / Not true.
-
ບາງທີ
[ bang thi ] -
Maybe.
-
ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ແນ່ໃຈ
[ khoi bo nae chai ] -
I am not sure.
-
ເຈົ້າຄິດວ່າແນວໃດ?
[ chao khit va naew dai? ] -
What do you think?
-
ເປັນໄປບໍ່ໄດ້
[ pen pai bo dai ] -
It's impossible.
-
ເປັນໄປໄດ້
[ pen pai dai ] -
It's possible.
-
ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ມີຄວາມເຫັນ
[ khoi bo mi khwam hen ] -
I have no opinion.
-
ມັນຂຶ້ນກັບ
[ man khuen kap ] -
It depends.
-
ແມ່ນແທ້ໆ
[ maen thae thae ] -
Exactly!
In Western cultures, debating and expressing strong personal opinions are often seen as signs of intelligence and honesty. In Laos, however, maintaining social harmony and ensuring no one "loses face" are the paramount goals of any conversation. Direct confrontation or blunt disagreement is considered highly aggressive and socially awkward. When you want to share your thoughts, it is best to soften your approach by starting with ຂ້ອຍຄິດວ່າ... (khoi khit va... - I think that...) or ໃນຄວາມຄິດຂອງຂ້ອຍ... (nai khwam khit khong khoi... - in my opinion...). If you agree with someone, enthusiastically saying ແມ່ນແລ້ວ (maen laew - that's true) or ຂ້ອຍເຫັນດີນຳຫຼາຍ (khoi hen di nam lai - I totally agree) will build instant rapport and camaraderie. The real cultural challenge arises when you disagree. A blunt "no" or "you are wrong" (ບໍ່ແມ່ນ - bo maen) is rarely used in polite company. Instead, Laotians master the art of the soft rejection. To disagree gracefully, you should use terms that leave room for ambiguity, such as ບາງທີ (bang thi - maybe), ມັນຂຶ້ນກັບ (man khuen kap - it depends), or politely deflecting by saying ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ແນ່ໃຈ (khoi bo nae chai - I am not sure). If a local asks for your opinion on a sensitive topic by saying ເຈົ້າຄິດວ່າແນວໃດ? (chao khit va naew dai? - what do you think?), the safest and most culturally appropriate route is to offer a mild, positive observation or to humbly claim you don't know enough about it. By adopting this gentle, non-confrontational communication style, you show deep respect for the Lao value of peaceful coexistence.
Other sections
Keep your progress
Enjoying the phrasebook?
Create a free account to save favorites, track your study, and continue where you stopped.