Thai Language Lessons - Lesson 10
Date of lesson: Wednesday 25th February 2004
Terms Of Address
The Personal Pronoun 'I' and Terms Of Address
In general (r)phom! is used by males and (r)chahn! by females.
When a female is talking to an older person she may use (r)nuu instead of (r)chahn! or she may use her own name if she knows the person.
When a male is talking to an older person he will continue to use (r)phom! but when talking to a younger person he may use (h)pi!
When addressing a younger person in a restaurant the term '(h)nawng' may be used
Please give us a menu
(h)nawng (h)khrap! (l)bproht ow! rai-gahn ah-(r)haan (h)hai! (r)phom (l)noi!
(h)pi! can be used instead of (r)phom if speaking to a younger person
rai-gahn ah-(r)haan = menu
Forming Questions (contd.)
Continued from last lesson.
When? = (f)meu-uh (l)rai!
Where? = (f)tee (r)nai!
Where is the bus stop?
(f)bpai (h)roht!-(l)bpra!-jam-tahng yoo! (f)tee (r)nai!
(f)bpai (h)roht!-(l)bpra!-jam-tahng = bus stop
Where did you go yesterday?
(f)meu-uh wan (h)nii khun! bpai! (r)nai!
Where can I change my money for Thai currency?
(r)phom ja (f)laak ngeun! (r)kawng (r)phom! bpen ngeun! tai (f)dai! (f)tee (r)nai!
(f)laak = change
ngeun! = money
(r)kawng (r)phom! = my
Verb 'To Be'
There are three Thai words used for the verb 'to be'
yoo!, bpen, (l)keu! (wide-mouth sound)
He is there
(r)kow! yoo! (f)tee (r)nai!
He is a doctor
(r)kow! bpen (r)mor
Who are you?
khun! (l)keu! (l)krai!
'bpen' and '(l)keu!' are interchangeable
beautiful
= '(r)soo-ay' or 'ngaam' or '(h)ngod! ngaam'
Why? = tam!-mai!
Why is exercise good for the body?
tam!-mai! gaan-(l)awk-gam!-lahng!-gai dii (l)tor! (l)sook!-ka-(f)pahp
gaan-(l)awk-gam!-lahng!-gai = exercise
(l)sook!-ka-(f)pahp = health
(f)rahng-gai = body
Why is December 5th celebrated in Thailand?
tam!-mai! wan (h)ti! (f)haa tan!-wah-kom! (l)jeung! mii gaan cha-(r)lawng nai! bpra-(f)tet tai
gaan cha-(r)lawng = to celebrate
tan!-wah kom! = December
nai! = in
bpra-(f)tet tai = Thailand
Birthday = wan! (l)gerdt [for all people]
King's birthday = wan! (h)pra!-raat-cha-(r)som-(h)phob!
kam-ra-cha-(l)sab! = the special vocabulary used by and when speaking about royalty
January = (h)mohk!-ga-rah kom!
February = goom!-pah pan!
March = mee-nah kom!
April = mae-(r)sah yon!
May = (h)preudt!-sa-pah kom!
June = (h)mi!-tu!-na yon!
July = ga-(h)ra!-ga-da kom!
August = (r)sing!-(r)ha kom!
September = gan!-ya yon!
October = dtoo!-la kom!
November = (h)preudt!-sa!-(l)ji-ga yon!
December = tan!-wah kom!
All months end in either kom!, yon! or pan! but sometimes Thai speakers omit this final syllable
Whose? = (r)kawng krai!
Whose book is this?
nahng!-(r)siew (f)lem! (h)nii bpen! (r)kawng krai!
nahng!-(r)siew = book
(f)lem! = the classifier for book
(h)nii = this
Whose pen did he borrow?
(r)kow! yeum (l)bpahk-gah (r)kawng krai!
(r)kow! = he
yeum = borrow
(l)bpahk-gah = pen
Yes/No Questions
Does he understand you?
(r)kow! (f)khao!-jai! khun! (h)mai!
Yes = (f)chai! (r)kow! (f)khao!-jai!
No = (h)mai! (r)kow! mai (f)khao!-jai!
Do mangoes taste sweet?
ma-(f)muang mii (h)roht! (r)wahn (h)mai!
ma-(f)muang = mango
mii = have
(h)roht! = taste
(r)wahn = sweet
Yes = (f)chai! ma-(f)muang mii (h)roht! (r)wahn
No = (h)mai! ma-(f)muang mii (h)roht! (h)mai! (r)wahn
Alternatively you could just answer '(r)wahn' or '(h)mai! (r)wahn'
Can you swim?
khun! (f)wai-(h)naam (f)dai! (h)mai!
(f)wai-(h)naam = swim
Yes = (f)dai! (r)phom (f)wai-(h)naam (f)dai!
No = mai (f)dai! (r)phom (f)wai-(h)naam mai (f)dai!
A short answer would be '(f)dai!' or 'mai (f)dai!'
Can a tiger climb trees?
(r)seu-uh bpeen (f)dtohn!-(h)mai (f)dai! (h)mai!
(r)seu-uh = tiger
bpeen = climb
(f)dtohn!-(h)mai = tree/s
Yes = (f)dai! (r)seu-uh bpeen (f)dtohn!-(h)mai (f)dai!
No = mai (f)dai! (r)seu-uh bpeen (f)dtohn!-(h)mai mai (f)dai!
(h)chao!-(f)choo = a person that has lots of boyfriends/girlfriends
(r)seu-uh (f)poo-(r)ying! = a man that has lots of girlfriends
Will she come back again?
(l)lon! (l)ja! (l)glahp! mah (l)eek (h)mai!
(l)lon! = she
(l)ja! = will
(l)glahp! mah = come back / return
(l)eek = again
Yes = (f)chai! (l)lon! (l)ja! (l)glahp! mah
No = mai (l)lon! mai (l)glahp! mah
I'm not sure
(h)mai! (h)na jai! or (h)mai! (h)man! jai!