Thai Language Lessons - Lesson 3
Date of lesson: Friday 6th February 2004
Meeting People After An Absence
(l)sa-baai dii (r)mai = How are you?
(l)sa-baai dii (h)khrap = fine, thanks
(r)laew khun lah! = And you?
yin!-dee (r)tii jeu gun [(h)pohp! gun] (l)eek (h)khrang! = I'm glad to see you again
yin!-dee hmeung gun [pause] (r)tii (h)pohp! gun (l)eek = I'm glad to see you again too!
dii jai can also be used for 'glad' instead of yin!-dee
I haven't seen you for years
(r)phom (h)mai (h)dai (h)pohp! gun (r)lai bpii
(h)mai (h)dai = 'haven't' or 'cannot' or 'do not'
(h)pohp! = see
khun! = you (can be used instead of gun)
(r)lai = many (in a time context)
bpii = years
usually = (l)muk (pronounced muck)
I usually go to school by bus
(r)phom (l)muk bpai rohng ree-un doi (h)roht! meh
rohng ree-un = school
doi = by
(h)roht! meh = bus
(h)roht! (h)too = van
(h)roht! yohn = car
(h)roht! moh-tuh-sai = motorcycle
(h)roht! jahk-a-yahn = bicycle
(h)roht! fai = train
(f)kreu-ung bin! = airplane
I = (r)phom! [male polite]; (r)chahn! [female polite]; (l)rao [informal version for both sexes]
my = (r)kawng (r)phom!
his = (r)kawng (r)kow!
her = (r)kawng (l)hlon!
he = (r)kow!
she = (l)hlon!
our = (r)kawng (f)phuak rao
we = rao
your = (r)kawng khun!
their = (r)kawng (f)phuak (r)kow!
they = (f)phuak (r)kow!
many foreigners = (l)fa-(l)rahng! (h)yuh! (h)yuh! [wide mouth and spoken through clenched teeth] or (l)fa-(l)rahng! (f)mahk (f)mahk
How is your family?
(f)krawp kru-uh (r)kawng khun! bpen! (l)yaang! rai (h)baang
How is your father?
(f)por (r)kawng khun! bpen! (l)yaang! rai (h)baang
Relatives
father = (f)por
mother = (f)maa
older brother = (f)pii chai
younger brother = (h)nawng chai
older sister = (f)pii (r)sow
younger sister = (h)nawng (r)sow
older brother-in-law = (f)pii (r)kuh-ee
younger brother-in-law = (h)nawng (r)kuh-ee
older sister-in-law = (f)pii sa-(h)pai!
younger sister-in-law = (h)nawng sa-(h)pai!
daughter = (f)look (r)sow
son = (f)look chai
aunt (elder sister of parent) = (f)bpah
aunt (younger sister of parent) = (h)nah
husband of younger aunt = (h)nah keu-(r)ay
husband of elder aunt = loong! keu-(r)ay
cousin = (r)hlaan
How old are you?
khun ah-(h)yu! (r)thao rai
ah-(h)yu! = age
(r)thao rai = how many?
Asking The Age Of Another Person
khun 'name of person' ah-(h)yu! (r)thao rai
If you don't know the age of the person
(r)kow ah-(h)yu! (r)thao rai
(r)kow = his / her
khun ja pai nai = Where are you going?
Answering About Someone In Your Family
Don't use (r)kao (he/she) for older relatives, use (h)tan! as it is more polite
(h)tan! (l)sa-baai dii = he/she is fine
(h)took! kohn! (l)sa-baai dii = Everyone is fine
giin! (f)khao (r)mai! = Would you like to eat rice?
giin! ah!-rai! doy gun (r)mai! = Would you like to eat with me?
(l)kawp khun! (to accept the invitation)
khun! ja (h)rahp! ah!-rai! dii (h)khrap! = What would you like to eat?
(h)rahp! = to get [giin! or tahn (the verbs to eat) can be used instead of (h)rahp!]
(h)rahp! can only be used in questions, not answers
(r)phom (l)yaak giin! (or tahn) pizza = I like to eat pizza
(r)phom (l)yaak dai pizza = I like pizza
Asking About Work
Are you still working in Bangkok?
khun! yahng!-khong tahm! ngaan (r)tii krung!-(f)thep (r)mai!
bor-ri-(l)sat! = company (as in firm, or organisation)
What are you doing now?
thawn (h)nii khun! tham ah!-rai!
now = thawn (h)nii or (r)dee-oh (h)nii
Engineer at .......... company
(h)wit!-sa-wa-gawn (r)tii bor-ri-(l)sat! ..........
Do you still play tennis every day?
khun! yahng!-khong (f)len! tennis (h)tuuk! wan (r)mai!
(f)len! = to play (both sport and music)
gee-lah = sport
(f)len! dohn!-dtree = play music
Where Are You Going?
bpai (r)nai - this is the question that everyone asks you in Thailand
(r)phom doen doo (r)khong bpai reuy! reuy! = I'm walking around looking for things to buy
doo (r)khong = looking for things to buy
(r)phom doen (f)tiew bpai reuy! reuy! = I'm walking around for pleasure
bpai (f)tiew = travelling for pleasure