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This is a simple guide for the benefit of
visitors and to help those intending to
learn Thai to get started. We’ve left the
proper learning to the experts, which can be
found listed in the resources section. But
the following basic words, along with our
introductory tutorial in the grammar and
sentence structure sections, should help you
to communicate at a basic level. We’ve also
made this section print friendly so you can
take a copy with you as you travel.
Introductions
|
hello |
sawadee
(krup/ka) |
|
how are you |
sabai dee
mai (rising tone) |
|
i’m fine |
sa-bai
dee |
|
thank you |
kharb
khun |
|
bye bye |
sawadee |
|
see you
again |
pob gan
mai (rising tone) |
|
excuse me /
sorry |
khar
toort |
|
I, me |
phom
(male) dee chan (female) or
simply chan |
|
you |
khun |
|
he, she,
they |
kao |
|
us, we |
rao |
|
what is your
name |
khun chuu
a-rai |
|
yes/no |
chai/mai
chai |
|
you’re
welcome |
yin dee |
|
welcome to… |
yin dee
tawn rap |
|
never mind |
mai pen
rai |
Mai pen rai is universally used to mean,
‘its ok’, ‘oh well’, ‘you’re excused’,
‘forget
about it’ and more.
Thais are very civil and polite by habit
and will always add krup (male) or
ka (female)
to the end of the sentence
when addressing others unless they are very
familiar with
them. Often they will also, as
a matter of course, add na in front
of this to soften any
commands. It’s
important to get into this habit from the
start.
Actions
|
want
(something) |
aow |
|
want
(action) |
yaak |
|
go |
pai |
|
come |
maa |
|
take |
aow pai
(lit; want & go) |
|
would like |
kor |
|
bring |
aow maa |
|
buy |
sue
(low tone) |
|
visit |
pai tiow |
|
eat |
gin / kin |
|
drink |
derm |
|
sleep |
nawn |
|
walk |
dern
(pai) as in trekking |
|
find |
phob |
|
repair |
som |
|
take a look |
long duu |
|
speak |
phuut |
|
chat |
kui |
|
drive/ride |
kap / kii |
|
pay |
jaai |
|
receive |
rap |
|
can / cannot |
dai / mai
dai |
|
like /
prefer |
chawp |
Every day items
|
money |
ngern |
|
baggage/bags |
gra-pao |
|
clothes |
suea |
|
mobile phone |
meu tor |
|
taxi |
tak-see |
|
bus |
rot but |
|
train |
rot fai |
|
airplane |
kruang
bin |
|
car |
rot yon |
|
gasoline |
naam man |
|
motorcycle |
(rot)
mor-tor-sai |
|
boat |
ruav |
|
books |
nang-sua |
|
map |
preen-tee |
|
things |
khawng |
|
soap |
sa-buu |
|
towel |
pra-chet-tua |
|
pen |
pak-ga |
|
spectacles |
wen-ta |
Numbers
|
one |
nueng |
|
two |
sawng |
|
three |
saam |
|
four |
see |
|
five |
haa
(falling tone) |
|
six |
hock |
|
seven |
jet |
|
eight |
peart |
|
nine |
gow
(short and low) |
|
ten |
sib |
|
eleven |
sib-et |
|
twelve |
sib-sawng
(and so on) |
|
twenty |
yee-sib |
|
twenty one |
yee-sib-et (and so on) |
|
thirty |
saam-sib |
|
hundred |
rooi |
|
thousand |
pan |
|
ten thousand |
mueng |
|
hundred
thousand |
sen |
|
million |
laan |
Days and time
|
Monday |
wan jan |
|
Tuesday |
wan
ankhaan |
|
Wednesday |
wan phut |
|
Thursday |
wan
paruhat |
|
Friday |
wan suk |
|
Saturday |
wan saow |
|
Sunday |
wan
ah-tit |
|
weekend |
sao-ahtit |
|
month |
due-en |
|
year |
pii |
|
hour |
chua mong |
|
minute |
na-tee |
|
morning |
dawn chao |
|
afternoon |
dawn bai |
|
evening |
dawn yen |
|
night |
dawn tum |
Expressing time: this is somewhat
tricky in Thai as they have traditionally
broken the 24-hour clock into four sections.
As a beginner, it’s too confusing to follow
and your best bet is to stick to a 24-hour
clock (e.g. 1pm would be sib-saam chua mong
or 13 hours).
Questions
|
what |
a-rai |
|
how (action |
yaang rai |
|
where |
(thee)
nai (sometimes ‘nai’ is used on its
own) |
|
is (is not) |
mai
(rising tone) |
|
when |
mua-rai
or gee mong (at what time) |
|
can (cannot) |
dai mai
(rising tone) |
|
how much |
tao rai |
|
have
(action) |
rue yaang
(as in ‘have you finished’) |
|
how many |
gee
(comes before the subject, as an
exception to the rule) |
|
are (to be) |
rue plow
(as in ‘are you Thai’) |
Hospitality
|
hotel |
rong rerm |
|
guest house |
baan phak |
|
restaurant |
raan
ah-harn |
|
toilet/bathroom |
hawng
naam |
|
hot water |
naam rawn |
|
room |
hawng |
|
bed |
thii nawn |
|
massage |
nuat |
|
air con |
air con |
|
fan |
phad lom |
|
storey |
chan |
|
swimming
pool |
sa-wai-inaam |
|
knife, fork,
spoon |
met,
sawm, chorn |
|
bill |
check bin |
|
telephone |
tor-ra-sap |
|
tv |
tor-ra-tat |
|
cable |
cay-bon |
Eating and drinking
|
food |
ah-harn |
|
seafood |
pla talae |
|
drinking
water |
naam plao |
|
beer |
bier |
|
ice |
nam ken |
|
liquor |
lao |
|
fruit juice |
naam
pon-lamai |
|
fruit |
pon-lamai |
|
lunch |
ah-harn
klang wan |
|
breakfast |
ah-harn
chao |
|
dinner |
ah-harn
yen |
|
rice |
kaow(falling
tone) |
|
fried rice |
kaow pad |
|
chicken |
gai |
|
pork (all
kinds) |
muu |
|
beef |
neu-ah |
|
shrimp /
prawns |
gung |
|
tofu |
tao hoo |
|
vegetables |
phak |
|
noodles |
kwai-teow |
|
bread |
ka-nom
pan |
|
bakes /
snacks |
ka-nom |
|
sugar |
naam-taan |
|
sweet |
wan |
|
salt(y) |
kem |
|
spicy /
chilli |
pet /
prik |
|
msg |
pon suu
rot |
|
wheat |
kao saa
lii |
If you don’t want an ingredient included
simply add mai ow (lit; not want) before any
of these (e.g. Mai own pon suu rot).
Places
|
city / town |
meu-ang |
|
village |
(moo)
baan |
|
house |
baan |
|
beach |
haad |
|
island |
koh |
|
bay |
aow |
|
mountains |
phuu-kao |
|
river |
mae naam |
|
market |
talad |
|
park |
suan-luang |
|
national
park |
suan
sa-ta-na |
|
waterfall |
naam tok |
|
museum |
pee piti
pan |
|
bank |
ta-na-karn |
|
bus station |
sa-tar-ni
rot but |
|
train
station |
sa-tar-ni
rot fai |
|
airport |
sa-nam-bin |
|
police
station |
sa-tar-ni
tam ruat |
|
post office |
pra-sa-nii |
| |
Adjectives
|
fast |
reo |
|
big |
yaai |
|
fat |
uan |
|
early |
chao |
|
cheap |
tuuk |
|
long |
yaow |
|
difficult |
yaak
|
|
full |
tem |
|
hot |
rawn |
|
loud |
siang
dang |
|
near |
glai-ee
(falling) |
|
black |
sii dam |
|
red |
sii dang |
|
yellow |
sii luang |
|
gold |
sii tong |
|
a lot |
yerk/maak |
|
long time |
naan |
|
slow |
cha |
|
small |
lek |
|
thin |
phawm |
|
late |
saai |
|
expensive |
paeng |
|
short |
tia |
|
easy |
ngaai
(falling tone) |
|
empty |
mot |
|
cold |
yen (naow
– weather) |
|
quiet |
niyap |
|
far |
glai
(low tone) |
|
white |
sii khaow
(rising tone) |
|
blue (light
/ dark) |
sii faa /
sii nam ngerng |
|
green |
siik
Kieow |
|
grey |
sii tao |
|
little |
nit noi |
Emergency
|
help! |
chuay
duay |
|
not well |
mai sabai |
|
stomach ache |
puat tong |
|
tooth ache |
puat fun |
|
hospital |
Rong
payabaan |
|
doctor |
maw |
|
thief /
stolen |
kamoy-ee |
|
medicine |
yaa |
|
nuay |
tired |
|
must have |
dong mee |
|
danger |
aan-ta-rai |
|
hurt / pain |
jep /
puat |
|
head ache |
phuat hua |
|
eyes sore |
puat taa |
|
police
station |
sa-tar-ni
tum ruat |
|
dentist |
maw fan |
|
accident |
oo-bot-tee-het |
|
lawyer |
nat
got-mai |
|
afraid |
klua |
Essential phrases
|
I don’t
understand |
mai kao
jai |
|
Do you
understand? |
kao jai
mai (rising tone on last word) |
|
I want to go
to … |
yaak pai… |
|
Do you have
a room? |
mee hawng
wang mai (rising tone on last word) |
|
What time
will you leave? |
ja pai
gee mong |
|
What time
will it open? |
bert gee
mong |
|
What time
does it close? |
bit gee
mong |
|
Which way? |
tang nai |
|
Turn left /
right |
leo saai
/ kwaa |
|
Go straight
/ stop! |
trong pai
/ yuut! |
|
I don’t want
any thanks |
mai ow
krap / ka! |
|
Go away |
pai sii!! |
|
Can you fix
this? |
som nee
dai mai (falling and rising tone on
dai mai) |
|
How much is
this? |
nee tao
rai |
|
Can you make
it cheaper? |
lot dai
mai (falling and rising tone on
dai mai) |
|
I don’t like
(this) … |
mai chawp
(nee)… |
|
Can we meet
again? |
pob gan
dai mai (rising tone on mai) |
|
I love you |
Pom /
chan rak kun |
|
I miss you |
kit tung
khun |
|
very much |
maak |
|
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