Wednesday 25th February 2004
Thai Language Lesson 10

Phonetics guide

Five different tones are used in Thai. For the purpose of these pages words are broken up into syllables and each syllable has it's own tone. To indicate the appropriate tone one of the following letters is used in front of each syllable. The mid tone is indicated by the absence of a letter and is pronounced without any inflection in the middle of the vocal range.

(h) high
(l) low
(r) rising
(f) falling
(!) an exclamation mark used after a syllable indicates the syllable is pronounced quickly

Some consonants in Thai do not have an exact English equivalent but are somewhere in between two English letters. Where this occurs I have used both of the English letters to indicate this. Examples are:

bp where the sound is neither b or p but somewhere in between and pronounced quite explosively, such as bpii for year/s.

dt where the sound is neither d or t but somewhere in between, such as (h)dto! for table.

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 (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

The 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!