Thai language for newbies

[Guest]

Hi all,

 

I'm trying to put together a "Thai language for dummies" guide for myself. I'm taking all my notes off hand written legal pad, from various sources, and putting in reasonable alpha order, for my convenience. I left my Thai translation book in my packed-up van today, which I'll be able to extract tomorrow, so a lot of this is from memory. VERY rough draft, but thought it might be cool to have something here for 'Paasaa Thai newbies' to be able to print out, to study on their first, second, third flight to LOS. Just very basic words, and phrases they might run across, and can look up quickly. Problem with dictionaries is just getting to the simple beginners stuff.

 

Of course, tones and such, aren't addressed, but at least is better than nothing. Much is left out right now, because I don't remember the spelling (laew, lao, etc..).

 

Just thought I'd throw this out there for initial comments. Like I said, I'm doing this for myself, and will be a work in progress. Anybody wants to jump in, it can only be a good thing. It would simply be something a member who knew zero Thai could use to try and make some reason out of what they were hearing on their newbie visits.

 

HT

 

A-rai= what? (sl: ah-rye)

A-rai na= what? (with additional confusion added) (sl. ah-rye-nah)

Aahaan= food (SL: ah-haa-n)

Ao = take/want (SL: ouch, without the ch) /// (mai ow)= not want!

Aayu = age (SL: ah-you) /// (Khun aayu mai) = You('re) age?= How old are you?

Aat ja= maybe (SL: ott-ja)

Aachip= job (SL: ah-ship)

An nai= which one? (SL: on-nai)

Awk= out/to leave= (SL: hawk, without the 'h') /// (kit mai awk)= thought won't come out /// (ja awk)= when will......?

Bai= go = (SL: pie) ///(Phom bai Pattaya)= I go Pattaya. /// (phom ja bai Pattaya)= I go Pattaya in the future.

Bai si= go away (rude) (SL: pie see)

Bap nai= what kind? (SL: bup nai) (located end of sentence)

Boi boi= often (SL: boy-boy)

Baan= house (SL: bon, as in bon-bon candies)

Baang= some/any (SL. as it looks, but remember 'aa' sound is 'a' as in 'father'.

Chai= yes (SL: chime, without the 'me') /// Mai chai = no

Chai mai= aren't you?, isn't that true?, isn't that right?

Chowp= like (SL: chop, with 'w' sound inserted right before 'p') = (phom chowrp khao)= I like rice.

Bork= to tell (SL: pork, with a 'b')

Dai= can (able to) (SL: die) /// Mai dai= Cannot.

Doa= to guess

Doi= by (SL: toy, with a 'd', instead of 't'

Duay= also/too (SL: due-oy)

Dtrong= straight (SL: strong, with 's' missing) ////dtrong-dtrong = truthfully (phoot dtrong-dtrong) = Speak truthfully.

Fon= rain

Fon tok= raining

Gup= with (SL: top, with 'g' instead of 't'. Said very fast and short)

Gun= each other, us = (Bai gun mai) = go us? /// (together = rao)

Gin= eat (SL: as in guiness) /// (Thaam) = formal word for food.

Hai= give or wish (SL: hy)

Hiu= hungry (SL: hew) /// Hiu naan= thirsty /// Hiu Khun= hungry for you.

Haa= to look for /// Duu= to see

Hai khun= give you (SL: hy koon)

Hen= agree = (phom hen duay)= I agree. /// (Phom mai hen duay) = I don't agree.

iik= more/again (SL: eek) = (iik hok wan)= in 6 days.....

iik tii= again (SL: eek-tee)

itsara= free (not bound, indentured)

ja= used to mean later if placed in front of action word= (phom Ja bai Pattaya)= I go Pattaya later, but not right now.

Jai= heart (SL: by, but with a 'j')

Jam dai= remember (jum die)

Jaak= from (SL: jock)

Jaak nai= from where? (end of sentence)

Jaai= to pay

Ja ao= I'll take.... (SL: ja now, without the 'n')

Khor= I'd like a.... (SL: car) /// (Khor bia) = I'd like a beer.

Kit= think ///Kit wa= thinking /// Kit theung= miss (Phom kit thueng khun)= I miss you.

Khuen= rising, to go up (SL: coo-en)

Khong khun= yours (belonging to you) (SL: kong coon)

Long= falling, to go down (phom kit wa...phom long rak khun) = I'm thinking....I'm falling in love with you.

Leum= to forget (SL: loom)

Ma= indicates action of leaving.

mii= have (SL: mee) ///mai mee= not have (phom mai mee baht)= I not have money.

Mai= come, dog,

Mai= ? = turns statement into a question when placed at end of sentence, or even one word= (dai=can, mai dai= can not ///

Mai mee a-rai= nothing (SL: my me ah-rye)

Moh moh= angry (SL: moe-moe)

Meuan= like (as in similar) (SL: mew-un) /// (meuan kan)= same

Meua-rai= when/not sure when (SL: mew-a rye)

Nai= in (Zoo Dusit nai Krung Thep)= Dusit Zoo is in (located) Bangkok.

Nai= where? (if the last word in a sentence) //// (Bai nai)= Go where? = (where are you going?)

Ow ma= get

Phop= to find, or meet (SL: pope)

Panhaa= problem /// (mai mee panhaa) = No problem

Pen= to know, be /// (also how to do something)

Phit= wrong

Prostitute= soh-pheh-nii (SL: so-pa-nee)

Ow ma= get

rao= us

rao rao= approx.

rao tham dai= we do can= we can do it! /// (Rao tham mai dai)= We can't do it.

raan = shop, or store (SL: ron)

raan aahaan= restaurant /// (pat-a-karn)= formal word for restaurant. /// (Raan aahaan Thai, dee dee, yuu tii nai)= Where is a very good Thai restaurant?

Raw= wait

Reu= or (SL: root, without the 't')

Reu blao= are you?, or not? (SL: roo plow)

Reu yang= or yet? (SL: roo young) /// (yang)= not yet

Rawaang thii= during

Ruu= to know something (SL: rooo)

Ruujaak= to know person (SL: rooo-jock)

Rawang= be careful, be aware of

Samkhan= important /// (mai samkhan)= Not important.

Seu= buy, or shop for

Sia jai= hurt heart (phom sia jai)= I have hurt/sad heart= I'm sorry (as in if some has died, or is hurt)

Tong karn= I need /// phom ow= I want ///phom yaak= I desire

Talaad= market

tii= at, or place.

tii nee= here

tii nan= there

tii nai= where?

tawn nii= now

tii yuu= address

thiaw= out = (khun yaak bai thiaw, reu plao?) You like go out, or not?

Theung= to arrive

Tham= to do/make

Tam-mai= why?

Thaam= ask

Thao-nan= only

Tat-sin-jai= to decide

Toke-long= OK! / Agreed

Thuk= each (SL: took)

Wang= to hope (wung)

Wan= day (SL: wun) /// (wan nii)= today /// (Phreung nii)= tomorrow /// (meuang wan nii)= yesterday.

Way-lar= time

Yuu= stay

Yuu tii= to live at

Yaak= want (SL: jock, but with a 'y')

Yaak dai= to want/desire (object) /// (tong karn)= to need (must have) /// (Ao)= give me! /// (Khor)= May I please have (polite) ///

 

 

 

[Guest]

I'm just thinking....(phom kit wa.....) I didn't even include the most simple of stuff (was not in my notes, because I already know stuff like 'phom, dii-chun, khao (her/him/they). Like I said....VERY rough draft. ::

 

HT

[haltest]

It all seems ok from a quick glance but i would question your decision to miss tones out. Tones are vital when you speak thai.

 

For example

near/far

dog/horse/to come/ past action/ bring

scratch/ nine

 

This is not an exhaustive list (obviously) just some that spring to mind.

 

Its worth the effort learning the tones and it will help your communication a lot.

 

It would also benefit from some grammatical sentence stuctures. Knowing the words is not enough without being able to use them in the context of a sentence.

 

I recommend the book THai reference grammar: The structure of spoken Thai by James Higbie and Snea Thinsan

[Guest]

...would question your decision to miss tones out

 

Talk about a tough crowd. Geez, we are talking about newbies getting their feet wet here. Most tones can be deduced by Thai's by context. Just like the English language many words are ambiguous unless you know the context (eg: "wear" "where" "ware" all sound identical, but you can figure out each one by how it is used).

 

By the way, the Thai's I know use "glai" once for far and "gla-glai" for near. This seems to be because even amongst themselves they have trouble picking up this tone.

 

Now, if I was making a Thai language for dummies, I wouldn't use the ridiculous phonetics that are so common.

 

I would use uh-rye, not arai (what)

I would use pie, not bai or pai (go)

I would use boy-boy, not boi-boi (often)

I would use Bonn, not baan (house)

I would use loom, not leum (forget)

...and so on and so forth because newbies would have a much better chance of being understood.

 

[markle]

"I recommend the book THai reference grammar: The structure of spoken Thai by James Higbie and Snea Thinsan "

I second that I keep seeing it and thinking the guys on the board should be checking it out. I belive it's published by Orchid Press. I don't know it's availability outside of Thailand.

[haltest]

You make a good point, however context is not everything and I stand by my statement that tones are important. Ignore tones and Thai people will not understand you.

 

The worst thing about using phonetics is that everyone will have their own version and way of writing them. I would write to go as bpai someone else would write it as bai, some as pie, some as pai etc etc.

 

As for Glai for near and glai glai for far, the tones are way different and its not every time that that glai is duplicated.

 

I (as a native english thai speaker) would understand everything said using this system however I question whether a thai would comprehend it

[Guest]

Brilliant work project HT. You'll get a lot out of it, so will the newbies. Sure better than the 20 words they will read on the Thai inflight magazine. I agree that this should only be Thai survival basics aimed at trying to be polite and make a few friends.

 

Hopefully this work in progress will inspire others to help, not simply criticise, even it they are "correct". Once newbies can get through a visit or 2 they will decide themselves to learn Thai "properly". But this is a whole lot more than most will find otherwise.

 

Hopefully this board will develop and use the vast pool of knowledge that it's members have. Would love to see guides on:

 

1. Language for dummies. (You've started it !)

 

2. Customs and ettiquitte.

 

3. Getting married. Actions, responsibilties, legal guidelines.

 

4. Working here. Including the visa options.

 

5. Regional guides, by city or area.

 

No doubt the best board in the world on Thailand, just need ALL of us to keep making it better.

 

Thank for your efforts. :hubba: :hubba:

[Guest]

Hi LaoHuLi,

 

Yes...you understand the purpose. As well as Escape Rabbit.

 

I'm thinking an "Emergency guide" to the Thai language. Here's the problem I have encountered:

 

I got "Living Language" CD to learn Thai. No tone markers, and was not lit. translation, which I found out later, much to my dismay. Nuttawuds (sp?) site is great, but no lit. translitation, so what is spoken, and what is written, is often very different (and no tone markers, either). So as a newbie, I'm associating two words, written and spoken, and wasting an awful lot of time. The whole process has been very fustrating.

 

I'm with you in thinking different levels, but the basis, at first, should be focused around, "Ok! I'm going to be in BKK in one week, and how can I hope to communicate?"

 

I'm thinking key words/phrases as simple as possible for the newbie. I say this with the knowlege that the typical Thai cab driver will understand English much better, than butchered Thai, with incorrect tones.

 

I guess format is the question. The purpose is not to introduce all the different tone markers involved (not enough time), but to come up with some very basic Thai phrases, that you are likely to encounter. Example:

 

Phom Yaak..... (I want......)

 

Mai ow = (not want)

 

And explain in great detail (using English language) to explain how to say, without tone markers.

 

Example: Phom = poem (in English)

 

I don't know? Open to suggestions.

 

HT

 

 

[samak]

hi HT

good work!

just a couple of suggestions:

<<Hiu= hungry /// Hiu naan= thirsty>> hiu khaow (rice) = hungry, hiu nam (water) = thursty and for fun: hiu khun = hungry for you

<<Khon khun= yours (belonging to you)>> it is khong khun (literally your thing)

<<Mai= horse, come, dog, wood, new,>> the word for the first three is mar not mai! horse (high tone), come (flat tone) and dog (rising tone)

<<Pope= to find, or meet>> more like pop or pop gan

<<Panhaa= problem /// (mai panhaa) = No problem>> would be mai mee panhaa

<<Sia= lonely (phom sia jai)= I have lonely heart= I'm sorry (as in if some dies, or is hurt)>> i think this is not accurate; lonely is ngao; sia jai is more hurt, desperate, broken heart

 

 

 

[Guest]

For direct translations I find Thai-language. com the best.

 

The link for the online dictionary is thai-language

 

Would be great to have a local on the level we wish to communcate with, to use as a test subject. Unfortunately I would be back for several months or my GF and I would be glad to help with translation. I suggest this as most of our communications will be with BGs, vendors and service personal. Most of their slang and common word usage is not what is taught in books or used even by the more erudite Thai speakers on this forum.

 

Other point would be to make it in a format that would allow lookups in English, Thai and Thai script. The last would be most difficult, but very necessary if you want someone to reply to you. My GF and I went through many dictionaries to find one we both could use and still have to carry 2 different ones. Big, sit on the shelf volumes are great, but difficult to carry with you to the market.

 

One area that seems to be overlooked (besides the obvious pickup and bedroom stuff) is street life. The things we do everyday. Names of food on the street etc. I am sure that a few days (weeks) with the right lady by your side on the streets, just doing newbie stuff, would provide a wealth of info. Perhaps one of the other members can offer their time with a suitable guide. My GF and I certainly will help when I return.

 

Keep at it.