ດີຫຼາຍ
The English phrase "very good" is translated into Lao as ດີຫຼາຍ.
ດີຫຼາຍ is used to express that something is very good.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ດີ (good) and ຫຼາຍ (many/much/very).
Which one should you use?
While ດີ means "good", adding ຫຼາຍ makes it "very good" or "a lot of good".
How does it change in a sentence?
Reduplicating the intensifier ຫຼາຍ to ດີຫຼາຍໆ emphasizes the degree of goodness even further, meaning "very, very good".
Did you know?
- When praising a meal, Lao speakers often use the word ແຊບ (delicious) rather than ດີ (good), as using 'good' for food can sound unenthusiastic.
- If you say ດີຫຼາຍ to a person's behavior, it implies they are being 'obedient' or 'well-behaved' rather than just 'good' in character.
- To express that something is 'too good' to be true or excessively good, Lao speakers don't use ດີຫຼາຍ, but instead use the word ດີເກີນໄປ. This marks a sharp boundary between 'very good' and 'excessive'.
Examples in context
- ອາຫານນີ້ດີຫຼາຍ.ahan ni di lai.This food is very good.
- ລາວເຮັດວຽກດີຫຼາຍ.lao het viak di lai.He works very well.
Example conversation
A friend is tasting a dish made by another friend.
- Aອາຫານຊາມນີ້ເປັນແນວໃດ?ahan sam ni pen naew dai?How is this dish?
- Bມັນດີຫຼາຍ, ຂອບໃຈເດີ້.man di lai, khop chai der.It is very good, thank you.
- Aເຈົ້າມັກມັນແມ່ນບໍ?chao mak man maen bo?Do you like it?
- Bແມ່ນແລ້ວ, ແຊບຫຼາຍ.maen laew, saep lai.Yes, it is very delicious.
