ເເຕ່ວ່າ
[thae-wah]
but Conjunction
Example —
ລົດ ຂອງ ເຈົ້າ ເເມ່ນ ຄັນ ສີ ດໍາ ຫຼື ວ່າ ຄັນ ສີ ເເດງ*
[loht khorng jao maen khun sii dum leu wah khun sii daeng]
I want to go, but I’m lazy.
* Note — Lao sentences and phrases are not typically spaced out by syllables. But, this is helpful for recognizing where syllables start and end.
Tips:
ເເຕ່ວ່າ [thae wah] can be simplified to ເເຕ່ [thae].
Tone Breakdown
ເເຕ່ [thae] — this syllable has a middle-class consonant and a long vowel. This normally produces a low tone, but this syllable has a ໄມ້ເອກ /mai ehk/ tone mark. Therefore, the tone of the syllable is a middle tone.
ວ່າ [wah] — this syllable has a low-class consonant and a long vowel. This normally produces a high tone, but this syllable has a ໄມ້ເອກ /mai ehk/ tone mark. Therefore, the tone of the syllable is a middle tone.