Learning Thai Words | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Though it's not really necessary to get by, you will undoubtedly have an easier and more enjoyable experience in Thailand from any time you spend learning Thai. Most Thais don't expect a foreigner to be able to speak any of their language, and are often visibly surprised if you can string a few sentences together. It's also encouraging how many people will tell you that you " poot tai geng " (speak Thai well), no matter how limited your command of the language really is. Even with only a fairly small vocabulary, you will find it a lot easier to get discounted prices at shops and markets "rah kah poot tai dai" (Thai speaker prices) and to make friends amongst the locals. | ||||
| This is a simple guide for the benefit of visitors and to help those intending to learn Thai to get started. The following basic words should help you to communicate at a basic level. | ||||
Introductions
| ||||
| Mai pen rai is universally used to mean, ‘its ok’, ‘oh well’, ‘you’re excused’, ‘forget about it’ and more. Thais are very civil and polite by habit and will always add krup (male) or ka (female) to the end of the sentence when addressing others unless they are very familiar with them. Often they will also, as a matter of course, add na in front of this to soften any commands. It’s important to get into this habit from the start. | ||||
Actions
| ||||
Every day items |
| money baggage/bags clothes mobile phone taxi bus train airplane car gasoline | ngern gra-pao suea meu tor tak-see rot but rot fai kruang bin rot yon naam man | motorcycle boat books map things soap towel pen spectacles | (rot) mor-tor-sai ruav nang-sua preen-tee khawng sa-buu pra-chet-tua pak-ga wen-ta |
|---|
Numbers
| one two three four five six seven eight nineten | nueng sawng saam see haa (falling tone) hock jet peart gow (short and low) sib | eleven twelve twenty twentyone thirty hundred thousand ten thousand hundred thousand million | sib-et sib-sawng (and so on) yee-sib yee-sib-et (and so on) saam-sib rooi pan mueng sen laan |
|---|
Days and time
| Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Weekend | wan jan wan ankhaan wan phut wan paruhat wan suk wan saow wan ah-tit sao-ahtit | month year hour minute morning afternoon evening night | due-en pii chua mong na-tee dawn chao dawn bai dawn yen dawn tum |
|---|
Expressing time: this is somewhat tricky in Thai as they have traditionally broken the 24-hour clock into four sections. As a beginner, it’s too confusing to follow and your best bet is to stick to a 24-hour clock (e.g. 1pm would be sib-saam chua mong or 13 hours).
Questions
| what where when how much how many how (action) is (is not) can (cannot) have (action) are (to be) | a-rai (thee) nai (sometimes ‘nai’ is used on its own) mua-rai or gee mong (at what time) tao rai gee (comes before the subject, as an exception to the rule) yaang raimai (rising tone) dai mai (rising tone) rue yaang (as in ‘have you finished’) rue plow (as in ‘are you Thai’) |
|---|
Hospitality
| hotel guest house restaurant toilet/bathroom hot water room bed massage air con | rong rerm baan phak raan ah-harn hawng naam naam rawn hawng thii nawn nuat air con | fan storey swimming pool knife, fork, spoon bill telephone tv cable | phad lom chan sa-wai-inaam met, sawm, chorn check bin tor-ra-sap tor-ra-tat cay-bon |
|---|
Eating and drinking
| food seafood drinking water beer ice liquor fruit juice fruit lunch breakfast dinner rice fried rice chicken | ah-harn pla talae naam plao bier nam ken lao naam pon-lamai pon-lamai ah-harn klang wan ah-harn chao ah-harn yen kaow(falling tone) kaow pad gai | pork (all kinds) beef shrimp / prawns tofu vegetables noodles bread bakes / snacks sugar sweet salt(y) spicy / chilli msg wheat | muu neu-ah gung tao hoo phak kwai-teow ka-nom pan ka-nom naam-taan wan kem pet / prik pon suu rot kao saa lii |
|---|
If you don’t want an ingredient included simply add mai ow (lit; not want) before any of these (e.g. Mai own pon suu rot). Places
Places
| city / town village house beach island bay mountains river market park | meu-ang (moo) baan baan haad koh aow phuu-kao mae naam talad suan-luang | national park waterfall museum bank bus station train station airport police station post office | suan sa-ta-na naam tok pee piti pan ta-na-karn sa-tar-ni rot but sa-tar-ni rot fai sa-nam-bin sa-tar-ni tam ruat pra-sa-nii |
|---|
Adjectives
| fast big fat early cheap long difficult full hot loud near black red blue (light / dark) gold long time | reo yaai uan chao tuuk yaow yaak tem rawn siang dang glai-ee (falling) sii dam sii dang sii faa / sii nam ngerng sii tong naan | slow small thin late expensive short easy empty cold quiet far white yellow green grey a lot little | cha lek phawm saai paeng tia ngaai (falling tone) mot yen (naow – weather) niyap glai (low tone) sii khaow (rising tone) sii luang siik Kieow sii tao yerk/maak nit noi |
|---|
Emergency
| help! not well stomach ache tooth ache hospital doctor thief / stolen medicine afraid tired | chuay duay mai sabai puat tong puat fun Rong payabaan maw kamoy-ee yaa klua | danger hurt / pain head ache eyes sore police station dentist accident lawyer must have | aan-ta-rai jep / puat phuat hua puat taa sa-tar-ni tum ruat maw fan oo-bot-tee-het nat got-mai nuay dong mee |
|---|
Essential phrases
| I don’t understand I want to go to … What time will you leave? What time does it close? Turn left / right I don’t want any thanks Can you fix this? Can you make it cheaper? Can we meet again? I miss you Do you understand? Do you have a room? What time will it open? Which way? Go straight / stop! Go away How much is this? I don’t like (this) … I love you very much | mai kao jai yaak pai… ja pai gee mong bit gee mong leo saai / kwaa mai ow krap / ka! som nee dai mai (falling and rising tone on dai mai) lot dai mai (falling and rising tone on dai mai) pob gan dai mai (rising tone on mai) kit tung khun … kao jai mai (rising tone on last word) mee hawng wang mai (rising tone on last word) bert gee mong tang nai trong pai / yuut! pai sii!! nee tao rai mai chawp (nee)… Pom / chan rak kun maak |
|---|
