Tuesday 24th February 2004
Thai Language Lesson 9

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.

Forming Questions

What? = ah!-rai!

What is the teacher doing?
khun! kroo gam-lang tahm! ah!-rai!

tahm! = to do
gam-lang tahm! = doing (present tense)

What is she looking for?
(l)hlon! gam-lang mawng ah!-rai!

looking for = mawng, doo or (r)hah

What did he say?
(r)khao (f)phoot ah!-rai!

(f)phoot is a long word when articulated

This same sentence in Thai could also mean 'What is he saying?' as no tense is indicated.

What language is he learning now?
(r)khao gam-lang rean pah-(r)sah ah!-rai! tawn-(h)ni!

rean = to learn
tawn-(h)ni! = now (can be used at the beginning of the sentence instead)

What time did you get up yesterday?
khun! (l)dteun-nawn we-lah ah!-rai! (f)meu-uh wan (h)nii

(l)dteun-nawn = get up / wake up
we-lah ah!-rai! = what time

What time did (do you) you get up?
khun! (l)dteun-nawn we-lah ah!-rai!

Which? = (r)nai!

Which river flows through Bangkok?
(f)maa-(h)naam! (r)sai (r)nai (r)lai! (l)pahn groong!-(f)thep

(f)maa-(h)naam! = river
(r)sai = the classifier for river
(r)lai! = flows
(l)pahn = through

Which book?
nahng!-(r)siew (f)lem! (r)nai

nahng!-(r)siew = book
(f)lem! = the classifier for book

Which bus goes to Phuket?
(h)roht!-(l)bpra!-jam-tahng (l)kan! (r)nai bpai Phuket

(h)roht!-(l)bpra!-jam-tahng = bus
(h)roht!-(f)tua! = another word for bus
(l)kan! = the classifier for bus

Which apartment does Dang live in?
(f)hawng!-(f)chao! (f)hawng! (r)nai (h)ti! Dang (l)yoo

(f)hawng!-(f)chao! = apartment
(f)chao! = to rent
(f)hawng! = the classifier for apartment
(l)yoo = to live

An alternative way to form this question would be:

Dang (l)yoo (f)hawng!-(f)chao! (f)hawng! (r)nai

How? = (l)yahng-rai!

How do (did) you come here?
khun! mah (f)tii-(f)nii (l)yahng-rai!

mah = come
(f)tii-(f)nii = here

How does he do it?
(r)khao tahm! mahn! (l)yahng-rai!

mahn! = it

How can we learn more English?
rao! rean pah-(r)sah ahng!-(l)grit! (f)maak-(h)keun! (l)yahng-rai!

(f)maak-(h)keun! = more
(h)noi-lohng! = less

How do people in small cities differ from those in big cities?
kohn! nai! meu-ung (h)lek! (h)lek! dtaang! (l)jaak kohn! nai! meu-ung (l)yai! (l)yai! (l)yahng-rai!

kohn! = people
nai! = in
meu-ung (wide-mouth sound) = city
dtaang! = differ / different
(l)jaak = from

How much? = (f)tao!-(l)rai!

How much does it cost?
man mii-rah-kah (f)tao!-(l)rai!

How much does this pen cost?
(l)bpahk-gah (f)lem! (r)ni! mii-rah-kah (f)tao!-(l)rai!

How much is that altogether?
(h)tahng! (l)moht! rah-kah (f)tao!-(l)rai!

(h)tahng! (l)moht! = altogether (everything)

How much can you pay?
khun! (l)jai (f)dai! (f)tao!-(l)rai!

(l)jai = pay
(f)dai! = can

How many? = (f)tao!-(l)rai! or (l)gee

How many books do you read in one month?
khun! (l)ahn nahng!-(r)siew (l)gee (f)lem! nai (l)neung deu-un

The answer to this question would be:
n (f)lem! where n = the number of books read

How many hours do you sleep at night?
khun! nawn-(l)lahp! glahng-keun (l)gee (f)chu-ah mohng

How many pencils do you have?
khun! mii din!-(r)sor (l)gee (f)lem!

din!-(r)sor = pencil/s
(f)lem! = the classifier for pencil

How long? = nahn (f)tao!-(l)rai! [time] or yaew (f)tao!-(l)rai! [distance]

How long does it take to go downtown from here?
(l)jaak (f)tee-(f)nee (l)pai! nai! meu-ung (f)chai! we-la nahn (f)tao!-(l)rai!

(l)jaak = from
(f)tee-(f)nee = here
nai! meu-ung = downtown [meu-ung has that wide-mouth sound]
(f)chai! we-la = to take time

How long is the Chao Phrya river?
(f)maa-(h)naam! chao phrya yaew (f)tao!-(l)rai!

How far? = glai! (f)tao!-(l)rai!

How far is the bus station?
sa-(r)tah-nee (h)roht!-(l)bpra!-jam-tahng glai! (f)tao!-(l)rai!

How far is it from Bangkok to Chiang Mai?
(l)jaak groong!-(f)thep (r)teung chiang mai glai! (f)tao!-(l)rai!

to = (r)teung but can also use (l)bpai!

How often? = (l)boy-(r)kae-(r)nai

How often do you go there?
khun! bpai (f)tii-(f)nahn! (l)boy-(r)kae-(r)nai

(f)tii-(f)nahn! = there

Who? = krai!

Who is at the door?
krai! (l)yoo (f)tii bpra!-dtoo

(l)yoo = is
(f)tii = at
bpra!-dtoo = door

Who wants to go to the movies?
krai! yaak (l)pai! doo (r)nahng!

Who are you waiting for?
khun! koy krai!

Who are you talking to?
khun! (f)poot (l)gabp! krai! When? = (f)meu-uh (l)rai! [wide-mouth sound]

When did he come to Bangkok?
(r)kow! ma groong!-(f)thep (f)meu-uh (l)rai!

When is the next bus to Phuket?
(h)roht!-(l)bpra!-jam-tahng (l)kan! (l)tadt!-bpai! ja pai phuket (f)meu-uh (l)rai!

(l)tadt!-bpai! = next
(l)kan! = the classifier for bus