BASIC THAI WORDS AND PHRASES
It will be very helpful and fun to learn a few Thai
greetings and sentences for staying in Thailand. Here are some good Thai words
and phrases to learn that will be useful for you. These have been gathered from
many books and websites. On the web, there are many sites that will even have
sound files to listen to if you are extra keen. Learning a foreign language is
never easy. Most Thai language books I have looked at are very confusing, and
the correct pronunciation of simple Thai words can still be quite a challenge,
but it can’t hurt to try.
Most people in Thailand don't speak much English, except in
Bangkok and some big cities. By knowing how to say some simple Thai phrases,
you can make friends with the local people, make your trip easier without
having to depend on an interpreter and perhaps help yourself bargain for stuff
more successfully.
The language of Thailand uses long & short tones, high
tones & low tones to describe a word. A word in Thai such as Ma has more
than 3 meanings, depending on the tone it’s spoken with. Example Ma means
Horse, Dog & Come.
The words & phrases I have listed below have been
written as you would pronounce it in English /Australian language. I have not
used any variations of high/low tones as this will only confuse you. Just say
the word as if it was English language & you will be understood by most
Thai people. If Thai people seem to be confused about what you say, don't be discouraged.
Just try to speak more slowly and they will get it eventually.
If you try to speak Thai to Thai people and they laugh,
please don't be offended. Thais love to laugh. They are not laughing at you but
with you. In fact, they really admire foreigners who try to speak their
language. In Thai culture, most of the time laughing is a way to show
admiration, not disrespect.
GREETINGS/PLEASANTRIES
The word "sa wa dee" is like "Ciao" in
Italian. We use it to say both hello and goodbye.
Hello (male speaker)
sa wa dee cup
Hello (female speaker)
sa wa dee ka
For example: the word "thank you" is spelt
"kharp" in most Thai language books. For an English speaking male,
this word
sounds the same as "cup".
Thank you (male speaker)
cob coon cup
Thank you (female speaker)
cob coon ka
Thank you very much
cob coon mark
Thank you cup/ka, can be said at the end of any sentence, it
is a sign of respect to whom you are speaking with and is regarded as being
extra polite.
I (male speaker)
pom
I (female speaker)
chan
N.B. Where you see pom or chan in this document, please note
these are interchangeable depending on what gender you are.
Where you see the letters “ai” it is pronounced as if it is
the “y”
in my or “ie” in die, lie, pie.
GREETINGS
How are you? - sa by
dee my
I am fine thanks - pom sa by dee cup/ka
I am good thanks, how are you? - pom sa by dee cup/ka, coon saby dee my
What's your name? - coon chew arai
My name is …- pom/chan chew …cup
Nice to meet you - yin dee tee dai rue jark
I come from Australia - maa jack patet Australia
I like Thailand - chan
chop patet Thai
I like Thai people - chan chop kon Thai
I can't speak Thai - chan poot pasa Thai my dai
Do you understand? - cow jai my
I don't understand my - cow jai
Can anyone speak English? - mee krai poot pasa angkrit dai bang
Yes there is- mee
No there isn't- my mee
May I take a photograph? - tai ruup dai my
Toilet/Restroom hong narm
Where is the toilet(rest room)? - hong narm u tee nai
Sorry/excuse me - kor tort
No worries - my pen rai
Never mind - my pen rai
See you again - leaw pop gun
Come with me - pai duway
Good - dee
Very good - dee mark
Bad - my dee
A lot/very - mark
