In Thailand, there’s a saying we apply to our daily interactions with others: ไปมาลาไหว้ (bpai-maa-laa-wâi). In English, this means: “You should say hello and goodbye when you meet and part from each other.”
By using these popular Thai goodbye phrases, you’ll sound more like a native speaker and will more easily form long-lasting relationships with natives. As you study them, you’ll also gain more cultural insight about Thailand and her people!
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Keep in mind that the second word, ลาก่อน (laa-gàawn), is rarely used in day-to-day life.
Instead, the most common way to say goodbye in Thai is สวัสดี(sà-wàt-dii), which means “goodness,” “beauty,” “prosperity,” and “safety.” Due to its positive meanings, Thai people use this word for both greetings and farewells.
If you happen to be in Thailand (or meet Thai people elsewhere), and want to impress them, you can always end your conversation with สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii) and do an action called ไหว้ (wâi).
2. Specific Ways to Say Goodbye in the Thai Language
Apart from saying สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii), there are a couple of other phrases you can use to say goodbye.
1 – บ๊าย บาย
Thai pronunciation: báai-baai English translation: “Bye”
Explanation:
This Thai word for goodbye actually comes from English. Thai people often use this in casual situations, usually among friends or family. However, keep in mind that Thai people don’t ไหว้ (wâi) when saying this; instead, they just wave goodbye.
Example:
หนูไปหาเพื่อนก่อนนะแม่ บ๊ายบาย
nǔu-bpai-hǎa-phûuean-gàawn-ná-mâae báai-baai “I am going to meet my friend now. Bye.” [Talking to your mother]
I am going to meet my friend now. Bye.
2 – แค่นี้นะ
Thai pronunciation: khâae-níi-ná English translation: “Bye”
Example:
เดี๋ยวพรุ่งนี้เจอกัน แค่นี้นะ
dǐiao-phrûng-níi-jooe-gan khâae-níi-ná “See you tomorrow. Bye.”
3. Phrases to Accompany Your Goodbye
There are various phrases that Thai people say together with สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii). Some of these phrases are similar to their English counterparts, which should give you a healthy head-start!
1 – ขอตัวก่อน
Thai pronunciation: khǎaw-dtuua-gàawn English translation: “I have to go.”
Explanation:
You can use this phrase in formal situations, such as in business meetings or when you speak to elders. You should say this phrase before saying สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii).
Example:
หลังจากนี้ ผมมีนัดลูกค้าอีกท่านไว้ ต้องขอตัวก่อนครับ สวัสดีครับ
lǎng-jàak-níi phǒm-mii-nát-lûuk-kháa-ìik-thâan-wái dtâawng-khǎaw-dtuua-gàawn-khráp sà-wàt-dii- khráp “I have an appointment with another customer after this. I have to go now. Goodbye.”
I have an appointment with another customer after this. I have to go now. Goodbye.
2 – ขอตัวกลับก่อน / กลับแล้ว
Thai pronunciation: khǎaw-dtuua-glàp-gàawn / glàp-láaeo English translation: “I’m heading home.”
Explanation:
This phrase is suitable for specific situations, namely when you’re about to leave for home. You should say it before สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii) or บ๊าย บาย (báai-baai). The difference between the two phrases is that ขอตัวกลับก่อน (khǎaw-dtuua-glàp-gàawn) is used in formal situations, while กลับแล้ว (glàp-láaeo) is used in casual situations.
Example 1:
วันนี้ฉันรู้สึกไม่ค่อยดี ต้องขอตัวกลับก่อน สวัสดีค่ะ
wan-níi-chǎn-rúu-sùk-mâi-khâauy-dii dtâawng-khǎaw-dtuua-glàp-gâawn sà-wàt-dii-khà “I’m not feeling well today. I’m heading home. Goodbye.”
Example 2:
กลับแล้วนะ จะรีบไปดูละคร บ๊าย บาย
glàp-láaeo-ná jà-rîip-bpai-duu-lá-khaawn báai-baai “I’m heading home now, as I want to get back in time for the TV drama. Bye.”
3 – ขอตัวไปก่อน / ไปแล้ว
Thai pronunciation: khǎaw-dtuua-bpai-gàawn / bpai-láaeo English translation: “I have to go.”
Explanation:
Despite having the same meaning as ขอตัวก่อน (khǎaw-dtuua-gàawn), these phrases are used in different situations. You should say them before สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii) when you’re leaving to go somewhere (but not to your place). The difference between the two phrases is that ขอตัวไปก่อน (khǎaw-dtuua-bpai-gàawn) is used in formal situations, while ไปแล้ว (bpai-láaeo) is used in casual situations.
Example 1:
ครูคะ หนูขอตัวไปก่อนนะคะ สวัสดีค่ะ
khruu-khá nǔu-khǎaw-dtuua-bpai-gâawn-ná-khá sà-wàt-dii-khà “I have to go. Goodbye.” [Talking to your teacher]
Example 2:
ไปแล้วนะ เดี๋ยวออกสายแล้วรถติด บ๊าย บาย
bpai-láaeo-ná dǐiao-àawk-sǎai-láaeo-rót-dtìt báai-baai “I have to go now or else the traffic will be really bad. Bye.”
4 – แล้วเจอกัน
Thai pronunciation: láaeo-jooe-gan English translation: “See you.”
Explanation:
You say this phrase before saying สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii) or บ๊าย บาย (báai-baai).
Example:
ต้องไปแล้วนะ แล้วเจอกันพรุ่งนี้ บ๊าย บาย
dtâawng-bpai-láaeo-ná láaeo-jooe-gan-phrûng-níi báai-baai “I have to go now. See you tomorrow. Bye.”
5 – แล้วจะมาใหม่
Thai pronunciation: láaeo-jà-maa-mài English translation: “I will come back again.”
Explanation:
You say this phrase before saying สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii) or บ๊าย บาย (báai-baai).
Example:
ยายขา หนูกลับแล้วนะคะ แล้วจะมาเยี่ยมใหม่ค่ะ สวัสดีค่ะ
yaai-khǎa nǔu-glap-láaeo-ná-khá láaeo-jà-maa-yîiam-mâi sà-wàt-dii-khà “I am going home now, but I will come back to visit you again. Goodbye.” [Talking to your grandmother]
6 – ขอลาไปก่อน / ขอลาไปแต่เพียงเท่านี้
Thai pronunciation: khǎaw-laa-bpai-gàawn / khǎaw-laa-bpai-dtàae-phiiang-thâo-níi English translation: “This is the end of the show.” (Not literal translation)
Explanation:
This phrase is used only in TV shows or news channels before the words สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii).
Example 1:
ช่วงนี้ฝนตก ท่านผู้ชมระวังรักษาสุขภาพด้วย ต้องขอลาไปแต่เพียงเท่านี้ สวัสดีครับ
chûuang-níi-fǒn-dtòk thâan-phûu-chom-rá-wang-rák-sǎa-sùk-khà-phâap-dûuai dtâawng-khǎaw-laa- bpai-dtàae-phiiang-thâo-níi sà-wàt-dii-khráp “It has been raining a lot recently, so please take care of your health. This is the end of the show. Goodbye.”
Example 2:
ขอขอบคุณแขกรับเชิญทุกท่าน ขอลาไปก่อน สวัสดีค่ะ
khǎaw-khàawp-khun-khàaek-ráp-chooen-thúk-thâan khǎaw-laa-bpai-gàawn sà-wàt-dii-khà “Thank you to all the guests today. This is the end of the show. Goodbye.”
Thank you to all the guests today. This is the end of the show. Goodbye.
7 – เดินทางปลอดภัย / เดินทางดี ๆ นะ
Thai pronunciation: dooen-thaang-bplàawt-phai / dooen-thaang-dii-dii-ná English translation: “Have a safe trip.”
Explanation:
Thai people often wish or bless other parties to have a safe trip when saying goodbye. The difference between the two phrases is that เดินทางปลอดภัย (dooen-thaang-bplàawt-phai) is used in formal situations, while เดินทางดี ๆ นะ (dooen-thaang-dii-dii-ná) is used in casual situations.
Example 1:
ดึกแล้ว เดินทางดี ๆ นะ บ๊าย บาย
dùek-láaeo dooen-thaang-dii-dii-ná báai-baai “It is late at night now, so I hope you have a safe trip. Bye.”
Example 2:
ขอบคุณที่ใช้บริการ ขอให้ทุกท่านเดินทางปลอดภัย สวัสดีค่ะ
khàawp-khun-thîi-chái-baaw-rí-gaan khǎaw-hâi-thúk-thâan-dooen-thanng-bplàawt-phai sà-wàt-dii- khà “Thank you for using our service. We hope you have a safe trip. Goodbye.”
8 – ขอบคุณสำหรับ…
Thai pronunciation: khàawp-khun-sǎm-ràp-wan-níi English translation: “Thanks for ___.”
Explanation:
Thai people say this phrase to show that they’re thankful for something the other party did or offered to do.
Example:
ขอบคุณสำหรับอาหารเย็นวันนี้ อร่อยมากค่ะ ตอนนี้ต้องขอตัวกลับก่อน สวัสดีค่ะ
khàawp-khun-sǎm-ràp-aa-hǎan-yen-wan-níi a-ràauy-mâak-khà dtaawn-níi-dtâawng-khǎaw-dtuua- glàp-gàawn sà-wàt-dii-khà “Thanks for the dinner today. It was delicious. Now, I have to go back home. Goodbye.”
9 – ดูแลตัวเองดี ๆ นะ
Thai pronunciation: duu-laae-dtuua-eeng-dii-dii-ná English translation: “Take good care of yourself.”
Explanation:
This is what Thai people say to show that they care about the other party.
Example:
พรุ่งนี้เดินทางไปญี่ปุ่นคนเดียว ดูแลตัวเองดี ๆ นะ บ๊าย บาย
phrûng-níi-dooen-thaang-bpai-yîi-bphùn-khon-diiao duu-laae-dtuua-eeng-dii-dii-ná báai-baai “Tomorrow, you have to go to Japan alone, so take good care of yourself. Bye.”
10 – ดูแลสุขภาพด้วย / รักษาสุขภาพด้วย
Thai pronunciation: duu-laae-sùk-khà-phâap-dûuai / rák-sǎa-sùk-khà-phâap-dûuai English translation: “Take good care of your health.”
Explanation:
Thai people use these two phrases with people they care about. There’s no difference between these two phrases, and they’re completely interchangeable.
Example 1:
ตอนนี้ไข้หวัดกำลังระบาด คุณตาดูแลสุขภาพด้วยนะคะ สวัสดีค่ะ
dtaawn-níi-khâi-whàt-gam-lang-rá-bàat khun-dtaa-duu-laae-sùk-khà-phâap-dûuai-ná-khá sà-wàt-dii- khà “This is the flu season, so you have to take good care of your health. Goodbye.” [Talking to your grandfather]
Example 2:
หน้าฝนแล้ว รักษาสุขภาพด้วย สวัสดีค่ะ
nâa-fǒn-láaeo rák-sǎa-sùk-khà-phâap-dûuai sà-wàt-dii-khà “It is the rainy season now, so take care of your health. Goodbye.”
11 – โชคดีนะ
Thai pronunciation: chôok-dii-ná English translation: “Good luck.”
Explanation:
This is another phrase to show you care.
Example:
ขอให้โชคดีในการสอบนะ บ๊าย บาย
khǎaw-hâi-chôok-dii-nai-gaan-sàawp-ná báai-baai “Good luck on your test. Bye.”
12 – หายเร็ว ๆ นะ
Thai pronunciation: hǎai-reo-reo-ná English translation: “Get well soon.”
Explanation:
Thai people usually say this phrase after visiting someone they know in the hospital.
Example:
ขอให้คุณน้าหายเร็ว ๆ นะคะ หนูขอตัวก่อน สวัสดีค่ะ
khǎaw-hâi-khun-náa-hǎai-reo-reo-ná-khá nǔu-khǎaw-dtuua-gàawn sà-wat-dii-khà “I hope you get well soon. I have to go now. Goodbye.”
4. Actions Thai People Do When Saying Goodbye
There are a few specific actions Thai people do when saying goodbye to someone. Here are the most popular ones:
1 – ไหว้ (wâi)
As mentioned earlier, a common action that Thai people normally do when saying goodbye is ไหว้ (wâi). This action can be done when saying hello or goodbye in a formal environment. If you’re going to live in Thailand, it’s good to learn how to ไหว้ (wâi), as you’ll want to use it pretty often.
สวัสดี [sà-wàt-dii]
2 – Hug
Thai people who are close to each other may also hug before saying goodbye.
3 – Wave
In informal situations, such as among friends, Thai people also wave while saying บ๊าย บาย (báai-baai).
See you tomorrow.
5. Conclusion
Now you know how to say goodbye in Thai! After reading this article, you should never be at a loss for words when it’s time to part ways.
How do you say goodbye in your country? Is there much difference? Let us know in the comments below.
And as usual, if you’re not sure where to go next on ThaiPod101.com, we have some suggestions:
If you’re interested in learning the Thai language but haven’t started yet, you may be wondering: “Is Thai difficult to learn?” We’re here to tell you that learning Thai may not be as hard as you think it is!
There are certain things that make the Thai language hard to learn, and for these, you’ll need to spend some time studying and practicing. But there are also many other aspects that are pretty simple and straightforward! You may feel a little doubtful about this, as the Thai alphabet, grammar, pronunciation, and so on, are new to you. But you’ll get familiar with these things in no time once you start learning with ThaiPod101.com.
There are many foreigners who can speak and understand Thai so well, after just a few years, that even native speakers are surprised. So with some time, practice, and the right tools, anyone can learn to speak Thai. Yes, that includes you!
In the following sections, we’ll cover the easiest aspect of Thai first, and then the hardest! Let’s go.
What Makes Thai Easy?
Many language-learners dread the grammar aspect of their studies, and for good reasons! As such, you’ve probably been wondering: “Is Thai grammar hard?”
Good news: It’s not difficult at all! It’s probably the easiest part of learning Thai.
This is because there are no tenses or conjugations in Thai, so there’s a lot less to understand and remember. You don’t have to learn how to change verb forms or swap around the sentence structure from one situation to another. For example:
ฉันกำลังกินอาหารไทย
chǎn-gam-lang-gin-aa-hǎan-thai “I am having Thai food.”
Adding กำลัง (gam-lang), which is like “ing” in English, shows that you’re in the process of doing the action.
Past simple tense:
เมื่อวานฉันกินอาหารไทย
mûuea-waan-chǎn-gin-aa-hǎan-thai “Yesterday, I had Thai food.”
Adding เมื่อวาน (mûuea-waan), which means “yesterday” in Thai, shows that the action happened in the past.
Future simple tense:
วันพรุ่งนี้ฉันจะกินอาหารไทย
wan-phrûng-níi-chǎn-jà-gin-aa-hǎan-thai “Tomorrow, I will have Thai food.”
Adding วันพรุ่งนี้ (wan-phrûng-níi), which means “tomorrow” in Thai, shows that this is a plan for the future. Adding จะ (jà) shows that you will do it.
You can see that there’s not much difference between the four sentences above. That just goes to show how difficult it is to learn Thai language grammar. (Not at all, right? ^^)
For foreigners who have just started learning Thai, it can be hard to differentiate between the words ป้า (phâa), ปลา (phla), and ป่า (phàa).
So, is it hard to learn to speak Thai? It certainly can be, but it’s still very achievable!
Learning how to pronounce the Thai alphabet and tones correctly will help a lot, as it will create a strong foundation for your future studies. And by listening to plenty of Thai content, you’ll become more familiar with Thai pronunciation, making this portion of your studies a bit simpler.
2. I Want to Learn Thai. Where Should I Start?
When you start learning Thai, you should start with the most basic units, which are the พยัญชนะ (phá-yan-chá-ná) or “consonants,” and สระ (sà-rà) or “vowels.” Learning how to pronounce and write the Thai alphabet will enable you to read and write Thai with little problem, and make your conversations a lot smoother.
If you’ve been studying and practicing with the Thai alphabet for a while, and still struggle with reading, writing, or pronunciation, you may need to practice some more. Mastering the Thai alphabet right from the start will make the rest of your language-learning journey so much easier.
At the same time, you should also start practicing basic conversational phrases and learn easy Thai words. Learning new words along with the conversational phrases will make the words easier to remember. Not to mention how useful basic phrases can be in daily life!
3. Advice for a New Thai Learner
Learning a new language is not an easy thing to do. Here are a few tips for you.
1 – Listen to lots of Thai content
Whether it’s a Thai song, TV series, news station, or drama film, listen to your target language as much as possible. Even if you don’t understand anything you’re hearing, you’ll start to become more familiar with Thai pronunciation and tones. And it’s even better with subtitles! This will allow you to more easily learn vocabulary and sentence structures while enjoying yourself!
2 – Find something you like about Thai
Learning any language takes time, and this is especially true for a language very different from your own, like Thai. You can’t master Thai in just a few days!
That said, it’s easier to do something for a long time if that thing interests you. You should find something you like about Thai so that you can develop a passion for learning the language.
For example, if you like a certain Thai actor, you’ll enjoy watching that actor in a movie or TV drama—and you’ll be able to learn Thai at the same time! You’ll also want to understand what he said in an interview or behind the scenes, which will motivate you to learn the language.
It doesn’t have to be a person, though. There are many other Thai-related topics that may interest you: TV shows, culture, food, desserts, or even ghost stories. You just need to look for it, because we guarantee you’ll find something!
3 – Be patient
Rome wasn’t built in a day.
As mentioned earlier, you can’t master any new language in only a few days, so you have to be patient when learning Thai.
You may find it a bit tough and not very enjoyable at first because everything is new and there’s a lot to take in. There are a lot of letters to remember, several pronunciation rules you need to memorize, and the tones are driving you crazy. But that’s just because you’re not familiar with the Thai language yet. As you start to understand Thai, you’ll feel very satisfied with yourself and your language skills.
There’s a saying in Thai: ความพยายามอยู่ที่ไหน ความสำเร็จอยู่ที่นั้น (khwaam-phá-yaa-yaam- yùu-thîi-nǎikhwaam-sǎm-rèt-yùu-thîi-nân). It means that if you keep trying, you’ll be successful. In other words: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” So next time you feel like giving up, just remember these words.
4 – Choose the right learning tools
Have you ever seen chefs in five-star restaurants using dull knives? No, they use high-quality knives and keep them sharp. Their cooking may not depend on the knife they use, but having a good sharp one will make the job a lot easier!
The same is true for learning Thai. If you’ve been learning Thai for a while, and still find it very difficult, you may be using the wrong tool.
Good books used to be enough, but nowadays, everything you need to learn Thai is at your fingertips when you use ThaiPod101.com. ThaiPod101.com is like a knowledgeable teacher, a friend who gets you interested in Thai culture, and an encouraging mentor all wrapped up into one person. So don’t hesitate to visit and learn more about us!
4. Why is ThaiPod101.com Great for Learning Thai?
ThaiPod101.com is a fast, fun, and easy way to learn Thai. Below, we’ll give you just a few reasons to give us a try:
We also have audio lessons so that you can hear how Thai people speak, improve your listening skills, and practice your pronunciation. And don’t forget our handy vocabulary lists, categorized by topic. Examples include Talking About YouTube and Useful Words and Phrases for Going to the Movies. You’ll also find a grammar bank on our website (which contains almost 400 grammar topics you can learn) and printable PDF lesson notes for you to review after lessons.
And by upgrading to a Premium PLUS account, you’ll be able to communicate one-on-one with your own personal teacher. Your teacher will be more than happy to help with your Thai learning and provide you with the tools and encouragement you need to succeed.
With these abundant materials, ThaiPod101.com is the best and easiest way to learn Thai!
2 – Learn Thai 24/7
You don’t need to meet your teacher face-to-face to learn Thai. With internet access and a mobile phone, tablet, or PC, you can access all of our Thai lessons through ThaiPod101.com—anytime, wherever you are.
3 – Flexible learning plans for individuals
ThaiPod101.com provides the most flexible Thai class you can join. If you don’t know where to start, we can provide you with guidance and suggestions, tailored to your current level and your goals. But you can also plan your lessons based on your interests, strengths, and weaknesses. In addition, you can always repeat a lesson if you forgot something or didn’t quite understand the topic. Learn at your own pace, your way!
4 – Pronunciation practice
Learning Thai pronunciation is the hardest part of learning the language. As such, you may be concerned that learning Thai online will take away from your ability to practice pronunciation. Don’t worry! ThaiPod101.com has a pronunciation and accent review function for you to practice with. You can keep practicing until you get it right.
5 – Assignments, quizzes, and tests
Don’t leave yet! Even though assignments, quizzes, and tests are typically boring and unwelcome, you can’t deny that completing assignments and quizzes improves our understanding and shows us where we need to do better. And don’t worry: there’s not much pressure when completing them, like there would be in a traditional classroom.
6 – Daily learning encouragement
If you’re a student, we know that you probably have tons of homework to do, tests to prepare for, and recreational activities to attend to stay sane. If you’re a full-time worker, finding time to learn a new language can be an issue when there are work responsibilities and other things you need to do. We understand and will encourage you to learn Thai little by little with us. There are even short lessons you can complete daily—we’ll even remind you to do them. 😉
7 – Cultural knowledge
ThaiPod101.com also provides information about Thai culture: how Thai people live, act, and think in daily life. These lessons are interesting for both Thai learners and foreigners who are living in Thailand.
5. Conclusion
At this point, we hope that if someone asks you whether the Thai language is easy or hard, you’ll let them know it’s not that bad.
It will take some time, but anyone can learn Thai.
The best way to get started is to visit ThaiPod101.com and explore our many lessons and learning tools. We recommend starting with our Thai Alphabet Made Easy lessons.
Before you go, let us know in the comments if you feel ready to start learning Thai! If not, we’d love to hear your questions or concerns as well.
In Thai, there’s a saying, ผิดเป็นครู (phìt-bpen-khruu), which means “learning from your mistakes.”
Still, making mistakes can sometimes be embarrassing, so it’s better if you can avoid them in the first place. Hence, this comprehensive guide on typical Thai language mistakes from ThaiPod101.com.
You’ll learn about mistakes in Thai grammar, vocabulary, word choice, and the appropriate use of Thai phrases. By the end of this article, you should be able to decrease the number of common Thai-English mistakes you make, or avoid them altogether!
A frequent mistake in Thai language-learning is that of confusing similar-sounding consonants. In Thai, there are many consonants that have similar sounds, and pronouncing them incorrectly can completely change the meaning of a word. Below are some examples.
1 – ข (kh) and ค (kh)
Despite having the same romanization, these two consonants have different sounds. ข (kh) sounds deeper than ค (kh), and if you use the wrong sound, this could happen:
Correct pronunciation meaning: “The cymbal is a Thai musical instrument.”
Incorrect pronunciation meaning: “Running away is a Thai musical instrument.”
Here’s another tip for avoiding typical Thai mistakes like this one: If there’s romanization, pay attention to the tone of the word. You may notice that, despite both words having the same tone mark, the tones are not the same.
3 – ถ (th) and ท (th)
The last pair of consonants is ถ (th) and ท (th). Here’s what a mistake in Thai might look like if you confuse them:
Correct pronunciation meaning: “Stir it thoroughly.”
Incorrect pronunciation meaning: “Stir it nut.”
Explanation:
ทั่ว (thûua) means “thoroughly” in Thai.
ถั่ว (thùua) means “nut” in Thai.
Hopefully the examples and tips above will help you avoid these common mistakes English-speakers make in Thai!
2. Short and Long Vowel Sounds
Another common pronunciation mistake is to pronounce Thai vowels too short or too long. As there are many pairs of short and long vowels in Thai, it’s important that you pay close attention here. Pronouncing a word too short or too long can change its meaning.
1 – ุ (u) and ู (tuu)
Pronouncing ุ (u) and ู (tuu) incorrectly can lead to this weird situation:
Correct pronunciation meaning: “Today is Monday.”
Incorrect pronunciation meaning: “Today is Dish day.”
Explanation:
จันทร์ (jan) means “moon,” or if it’s after วัน (wan), it means “Monday” in Thai.
จาน (jaan) means “dish” in Thai.
3. A Note on Tone Marks
Despite having the same name, you can’t use tone marks to define the tone of words. This is a common mistake in spoken Thai. There are many factors, other than tone marks, that affect the tone of a word. For example, initial consonants and vowel sounds.
Example 1: ขา (khǎa), which means “leg” in Thai, has a rising tone despite having no tone mark.
Example 2: ซ้ำ (sám), which means “repeat,” in Thai, has a high tone despite having a falling tone mark.
Example 3: ฆ่า (khâa), which means “kill” in Thai, has a falling tone despite having a low tone mark.
4. The Correct Tone for คะ (khá) and ค่ะ (khâ)
In Thai, to be polite, females add คะ (khá) and ค่ะ (khà) to the end of sentences. However, many people use these incorrectly. This is the most common mistake in Thai, for both native Thai people and foreigners. Below are examples of how to use คะ (khá) and ค่ะ (khà) correctly.
1 – คะ (khá)
คะ (khá) is used in two conditions:
After questions
After sentences that end with นะ (ná)
Example 1:
กระดาษอยู่ที่ไหนคะ
grà-dàat-yùu-thîi-nǎi-khá “Where is the paper?”
Example 2:
อย่าทำแบบนี้อีกนะคะ
yàa-tham-bàaep-níi-ìik-ná-khá “Don’t do this again.”
2 – ค่ะ (khâ)
ค่ะ (khâ) is used after affirmative and negative sentences.
ฉันจะไปทะเลตอนสงกรานต์ค่ะ
chǎn-jà-bpai-thá-lee-dtaawn-sǒng-graan-khâ “I will go to the sea during Songkran.”
5. False Friends
For those who can speak English, don’t be so happy to see or hear English words in Thai. The meanings may be very different!
1 – Fit
ฟิต (fít) is “too tight” in Thai, while in English, it means “not too tight or too loose.”
กางเกงตัวนี้ใส่แล้วฟิตมาก
gaang-geeng-dtuua-níi-sài-láaeo-fít-mâak “These pants are too tight for me.”
2 – Over
โอเวอร์ (oo-vôoe) is “exaggerate” in Thai, while in English, it means “end.”
เรื่องที่เธอเล่ามันโอเวอร์มาก
rûueang-thîi-thooe-lâo-man-oo-vôoe-mâak “The story you told is exaggerated.”
6. ตัวผู้ (dtuua-phûu) is for Male Animals
Another Thai word mistake you should know has to do with ตัวผู้ (dtuua-phûu). This word is used for male animals in Thai.
When you start learning the language, you may learn that เมีย (miia) is “wife” in informal Thai and ผัว (phǔua) is “husband.” However, when it comes to animals, Thai people put ตัวเมีย (dtuua-miia) after the animal’s name to specify that the animal is female. You may see this, and think that you should use ตัวผัว (dtuua-phǔua) to specify that the animal is male, but this is incorrect! Instead, you should put ตัวผู้ (dtuua-phûu).
Example:
สิงโตตัวผู้ (sǐng-dtoo-dtuua-phûu) is “male lion” in Thai.
สิงโตตัวเมีย (sǐng-dtoo-dtuua-miia) is “female lion” in Thai.
7. Word Order: Nouns and Adjectives
Now, let’s talk about common Thai grammar mistakes that foreigners often make.
In English, adjectives are put in front of nouns; in Thai, it’s the other way around.
Example 1:
ดอกไม้สีขาวมีกลิ่นหอม
dâawk-mái-sǐi-khǎao-mii-glìn-hǎawm “The white flowers smell nice.”
Example 2:
แม่ชอบผลไม้เปรี้ยว ๆ มากกว่าผลไม้หวาน ๆ mâae-châawp-phǒn-lá-mái-bprîiao-bprîiao-mâak-gwàa-phǒn-lá-mái-wǎan-wǎan “Mom likes sour fruit more than sweet fruit.”
8. Politeness Level
Politeness level is the source of many common Thai-English mistakes. In Thai, there are many words that mean the same thing but have different levels of politeness, which you may know already if you’ve studied Thai pronouns. Thus, it’s important to use the right words in the right situations. Using the wrong words can be both inappropriate and funny.
Example 1:
คุณครูกินข้าวเที่ยงรึยังคะ
khun-khruu-gin-khâao-thîiang-rúe-yang-khá “Have you had lunch yet?” (Talking to a teacher)
Explanation:
The situation here is that a student is talking to a teacher. Thus, the student should ask the teacher this question in a polite manner. The student has already put คะ (khá) after the question, which is good. However, instead of using กิน (gin), it would have been better to use รับประทาน (ráp-bprà-thaan). And instead of using ข้าวเที่ยง (khâao-thîiang), the student should have used อาหารกลางวัน (aa-hǎan-glaang-wan).
Appropriate Thai sentence:
คุณครูรับประทานอาหารกลางวันรึยังคะ
khun-khruu-thaan-aa-hǎan-glaang-wan-rúe-yang-khá “Have you had lunch yet?” (Talking to a teacher)
Example 2:
เธอมีบุตรกี่คน
thooe-mii-bùt-gìi-khon “How many sons and daughters do you have?”
Explanation:
Here, two friends are having a conversation. The speaker must be close to the other party, as there’s no ครับ (khráp) or คะ (khá) at the end of the sentence. In this case, using บุตร (bùt), which means “son” or “daughter,” is too polite. Instead, the speaker should have used ลูก (lûuk), which has the same meaning but sounds better.
Appropriate Thai sentence:
เธอมีลูกกี่คน
thooe-mii-lûuk-gìi-khon “How many sons and daughters do you have?”
9. Special Words for Monks
In Thai language, we have special words for monks which include pronouns and verbs. This is a part of คำราชาศัพท์ (kham-raa-chaa-sàp). Don’t be confused if you hear some words you are not familiar with when the topic involves monks in Thai. Also, it is a good idea to learn basic words related to monks so that you won’t make common Thai mistakes.
Example 1:
พระกำลังสวดมนต์อยู่
phrá-gam-lang-sùuat-mon-yùu “The monks are praying.”
Explanation:
สวดมนต์ (sùuat-mon) is “pray” in Thai, but it should be used with normal people. For monks, instead of using สวดมนต์ (sùuat-mon), Thai people use ทำวัตร (tham-wát).
Appropriate Thai sentence:
พระกำลังทำวัตรอยู่
phrá-gam-lang-tham-wát-yùu “The monks are praying.”
Example 2:
พระไม่กินอาหารเย็น
phrá-mâi-gin-aa-hǎan-yen “The monk didn’t have dinner.”
Explanation:
กิน (gin) is “eat” in Thai, but it should be used with normal people. For monks, instead of using กิน (gin), Thai people use ฉัน (chǎn).
Appropriate Thai sentence:
พระไม่ฉันอาหารเย็น
phrá-mâi-chǎn-aa-hǎan-yen “The monk didn’t have dinner.”
10. Being Too Afraid to Speak
The biggest mistake in learning Thai is being too afraid to speak with natives.
Don’t be afraid to speak, even if Thai people don’t seem to understand what you’re saying. Thai pronunciation is hard and Thai people know this. Actually, most Thai people find it cute when they hear foreigners trying to speak Thai, and they’ll try their best to understand.
11. Conclusion
After finishing this lesson, we hope you can avoid making these common Thai mistakes. Have you ever made one of these Thai mistakes before? What did you feel? Let us know in the comments!
Do you already know what you’re going to study next in your Thai learning? If you’re not sure, here are some suggestions:
As a new Thai language-learner, do you find it hard to make conversation with native speakers? Because speaking Thai as often as possible is a great way to acquire the language, knowing the most common questions and answers in Thai conversations will be very helpful for you.
In this lesson, you’ll learn about asking questions in Thai and how you can answer them yourself. Knowing these common Thai questions and answers will give you the confidence you need to practice speaking more often!
However, before we start our list of the top ten questions in Thai, there are a few things you need to know first.
When going over the topic of Thai questions, many learners wonder “Are there question marks in Thai?” The answer is yes, there are question marks in the Thai language.
In Thai, question marks are called ปรัศนี (bpràt-sà-nii) and เครื่องหมายคำถาม (khrùueng-mǎai-kham-thǎam). In normal conversations, people usually use เครื่องหมายคำถาม (khrùueng-mǎai-kham-thǎam). ปรัศนี (bpràt-sà-nii) is rarely used in daily conversation; it’s only used in academic contexts.
That said, there’s no rule about asking questions in Thai grammar that requires you to put a question mark after your question. Thai people really only put question marks after a question to show that they’re really in doubt and want to know the answer.
2 – Pronouns Used in Thai Questions and Answers
When you ask or answer questions in Thai, you can use both names and pronouns, so you’ll find it easier if you know some Thai pronouns. Below are some examples of pronouns often used in Thai questions and answers.
Thai pronouns for “you“:
คุณ (khun) is used in formal or business situations. It can be used with both males and females.
นาย (naai) is used in casual situations. It can be used with males only.
เธอ (thooe) is used in casual situations. It can be used with females only.
Thai pronouns for “I“:
ฉัน (chǎn) is used when the speaker is female.
ผม (phǒm) is used when the speaker is male.
You’ll find throughout this lesson that Thai people often omit the subject from the sentence, so don’t be surprised if you don’t hear any name or pronoun when speaking with natives.
3 – Making Questions and Answers Formal
To make a sentence formal in Thai, put the word ครับ (khráp) or ค่ะ (khâ) at the end of a sentence when speaking. ครับ (khráp) is used when the speaker is male, while ค่ะ (khâ) is used when the speaker is female.
Keep in mind that there’s a special rule when it comes to questions: for females, instead of using ค่ะ (khâ), you put คะ (khá) after questions.
Now, let’s start learning ten common Thai phrases and questions.
2. Our Thai Questions and Answers List
1. What’s your name?
The first question you should learn is how to ask for someone’s name. This is an easy question to ask in Thai, and it’s a great way to start a conversation with someone you don’t know.
1 – Thai question
Question pattern:
pronoun for “you” / noun + ชื่ออะไร
pronoun for “you” / noun + chûue-à-rai “What is your name?”
2 – Thai answers
Answer pattern 1:
pronoun for “I” + ชื่อ + ___
pronoun for “I” + chûue + ___
“My name is ___.”
Answer pattern 2:
ชื่อ + ___
chûue + ___
“My name is ___.”
Answer pattern 3:
Just say your name.
Additional Note:
Patterns 2 and 3 are short versions of pattern 1, which is the full answer. Of the three patterns, pattern 1 is the most formal, followed by pattern 2, with pattern 3 being the most casual.
3 – Examples
Example 1
Thai question:
ลูกค้าชื่ออะไรคะ
lûuk-khaa-chûue-à-rai-khá “What is the customer’s name?” (You are talking to the customer.)
Thai answer:
ผมชื่อป้องศักดิ์ครับ
phǒm-chûue-bpâawng-sàk-khráp “My name is Pongsak.”
Example 2
Thai question:
เธอชื่ออะไร
thooe-chûue-à-rai “What is your name?”
Thai answer:
กิ๊ฟ
gíp “Gip.”
2. Where are you from?
To learn more about someone, one of the best Thai language questions to ask is “Where are you from?” There are a few ways to ask this question, shown below.
1 – Thai questions
Question pattern 1:
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + มาจากที่ไหน
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + maa-jàak-thîi-nǎi “Where are you from?”
Question pattern 2:
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + เป็นคนจังหวัดอะไร
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + bpen-khon-jang-wàt-à-rai “Which province are you from?”
Question pattern 3:
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + เป็นคนประเทศอะไร
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + bpen-khon-bprà-thêet-à-rai “Which country are you from?”
Additional Note:
When Thai people are asked where they come from, they often answer with the name of the province they grew up in. Thus, you can use pattern 2 specifically with a Thai person. Pattern 3, as you can guess, is used with foreigners.
2 – Thai answers
Answer pattern 1:
pronoun for “I” + มาจาก + ___
pronoun for “I” + maa-jàak + ___
“I come from ___.”
Answer pattern 2:
มาจาก + ___
maa-jàak + ___
“I come from ___.”
Answer pattern 3:
Just say the name of your hometown or country.
Additional Note:
Patterns 1 through 3 can be used to answer all of the questions above. Patterns 2 and 3 are the short versions of pattern 1, which is the full answer. Pattern 1 is the most formal, followed by pattern 2, with pattern 3 being the most casual.
Answer pattern 4:
pronoun for “I” + เป็นคน + name of province or country
pronoun for “I” + bpen-khon + ___
“I come from ___.”
Answer pattern 5:
คน + name of province or country
khon + ___
“I am ___.”
Additional Note:
Patterns 4 and 5 are used to answer question patterns 2 and 3 only. As you can see, pattern 5 is the short version of pattern 4.
3 – Examples
Example 1
Thai question:
เดวิดมาจากที่ไหน
dee-vìt-maa-jàak-thîi-nǎi “Where are you from?” (You are talking to David.)
Thai answer:
มาจากออสเตเรียครับ
maa-jàak-áawt-dtee-riia “I come from Australia.”
Example 2
Thai question:
นักเรียนเป็นคนจังหวัดอะไร
nák-riian-bpen-khon-jang-wàt-à-rai “Which province are you from?” (You are talking to a student.)
Thai answer:
คนลพบุรีค่ะ
khon lóp-bù-rii khà “I come from Lopburi.”
3. Do you speak ___?
This is one of the best Thai questions for foreigners. Knowing the language skills of other parties makes it easier to communicate, in case you can speak the same language. ^^
1 – Thai question
Question pattern:
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + พูดภาษา___ได้มั้ย
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + phûut-phaa-sǎa-___-dâi-mái “Do you speak ___?”
2 – Thai answers
Answer pattern 1:
ได้
dâi “Yes.”
Answer pattern 2:
ได้นิดหน่อย
dâi-nit-nàauy “Yes, a little bit.”
Thai answer:
ได้ หนูเคยไปเรียนที่อเมริกา 3 ปี
dai nǔu-khooei-bpai-riian-thii-a-mee-ri-gaa-saam-bpii “Yes, I do. I have studied in the United States for three years.”
4. How long have you been studying ___?
To continue the conversation, you can ask this question in Thai.
1 – Thai questions
Question pattern 1:
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + เรียนภาษา___มานานเท่าไหร่แล้ว
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + riian-phaa-sǎa-___-maa-naan-thâo-rài-láaeo “How long have you been studying ___?”
Question pattern 2:
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + เรียนภาษา___มากี่ปีแล้ว
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + riian-phaa-sǎa-___-maa-gìi-bpii-láaeo “How many years have you been studying ___?”
2 – Thai answers
Answer pattern 1:
pronoun for “I” + เรียนมา ___ ปี / เดือน
pronoun for “I” + riian-maa-___-bpii / duuean “I have studied for ___ years / months.”
Answer pattern 2:
เรียนมา ___ ปี / เดือน
riian-maa-___-bpii / duuean “I have studied for ___ years / months.”
Answer pattern 3:
pronoun for “I” + เรียนมาตั้งแต่อายุ ___ ปีแล้ว
pronoun for “I” + riian-maa-dtâng-dtàae-aa-yú-___-bpii-lâaeo “I have studied since I was ___ years old.”
Answer pattern 4:
เรียนมาตั้งแต่อายุ ___ ขวบ / ปีแล้ว
Riian-maa-dtâng-dtàae-aa-yú-___-khùuap / bpii-lâaeo “I have studied since I was ___ years old.”
Pattern 2 is the short version of pattern 1, and pattern 4 is the short version of pattern 3. The subject of the sentence is omitted as Thai people assume you already know who you’re talking about.
ขวบ (khùuap) and ปี (bpii) are both numeric classifiers of age. ขวบ (khùuap) is used for ages under thirteen years old, while ปี (bpii) is used for ages thirteen years old and above.
Thai answer:
เรียนมา 2 ปีแล้ว
riian-maa-sǎawng-bpii-láaeo-khà “I have studied Thai for two years now.”
Example 2
Thai question:
คุณเรียนภาษาอังกฤษมานานเท่าไหร่แล้วครับ
khun-riian-phaa-sǎa-ang-grìt-maa-naan-thâo-rài-láaeo-khráp “How long have you studied English?”
Thai answer:
ฉันเรียนภาษาอังกฤษมาตั้งแต่อายุ 3 ขวบค่ะ
chǎn-riian-phaa-sǎa-ang-grìt-maa-dtâng-dtàae-aa-yú-sǎam-khûuap-khà “I have studied English since I was three years old.”
5. Have you been to ___?
This is another conversational Thai question you should know, and you’re likely to hear it from travel enthusiasts!
1 – Thai question
Question pattern:
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + เคยไปประเทศ___มั้ย
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + khooei-bpai-bprà-thêet-___-mái “Have you been to ___?”
2 – Thai answers
Answer pattern 1:
เคย
khooei “Yes, I have.”
Answer pattern 2:
ไม่เคย
mâi-khooei “No, I haven’t.”
3 – Examples
Example 1
Thai question:
คุณป้าเคยไปประเทศญี่ปุ่นมั้ยคะ
khun-bpâa-khooei-bpai-bprà-thêet-yîi-bpùn-mái-khá “Have you been to Japan?” (You are talking to your aunt.)
Thai answer:
เคยจ๊ะ ปีที่แล้วป้าไปเที่ยวที่โตเกียวมา
khooei-já pbii-thîi-láaeo-bpâa-bpai-thîiao-thîi-dtoo-giiao-maa “Yes, I have. I traveled to Tokyo last year.”
Thai answer:
ไม่เคย แต่อยากไปมากนะ
mâi-khooei dtàae-yàak-bpai-mâak-ná “No, I haven’t. But I really want to go there.”
6. What do you do for work?
If you’re asking questions in Thai to get to know more about someone, asking about their occupation is a must. Good news: This conversational question in Thai is very easy.
1 – Thai question
Question pattern:
pronoun for “you” / name + ทำอาชีพอะไร
pronoun for “you” / name + tham-aa-chîip-à-rai “What do you do for work?”
2 – Thai answer
Answer pattern:
pronoun for “I” + เป็น ___
pronoun for “I” + bpen ___
“I am a(n) ___.”
3 – Examples
Example 1
Thai question:
คุณธัญญ์ทำอาชีพอะไรคะ
khun-than-tham-aa-chîip-à-rai-khá “What does Than do for work?” (You are talking to Than.)
Thai answer:
ผมเป็นวิศวกรครับ
khun-than-tham-aa-chîip-à-rai-khá “I am an engineer.”
Example 2
Thai question:
นายทำอาชีพอะไร
naai-tham-aa-chîip-à-rai “What do you do for work?”
Thai answer:
ผมเป็นครู
phǒm-bpen-khruu “I am a teacher.”
7. Do you like ___ food?
Asking someone about their food preferences is a fantastic way to get to know someone, and to find common ground.
1 – Thai question
Question pattern:
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + ชอบอาหาร___มั้ย
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + châawp-aa-hǎan-___-mái “Do you like ___ food?”
2 – Thai answers
Answer pattern 1:
ชอบ
châawp “Yes, I do.”
Answer pattern 2:
ไม่ชอบ
mâi-châawp “No, I don’t.”
Additional note:
Pattern 2 is the short version of pattern 1. The subject of the sentence is omitted as Thai people assume you already know who you’re talking about.
3 – Examples
Example 1
Thai question:
นักเรียนทำอะไรอยู่คะ
nák-riian-tham-à-rai-yùu-kha “What are you doing?” (You are talking to a student.)
Thai answer:
หนูกำลังทำการบ้านอยู่ค่ะ
nǔu-gam-lang-tham-gaan-bâan-yùu-khà “I am doing homework now.”
Example 2
Thai question:
แม่ทำอะไรอยู่
mâae-tham-à-rai-yùu “Mom, what are you doing?”
You’ve just finished learning the basics about how to ask questions in Thai. If you can remember all of these common questions and answers, you have all you need to practice your Thai speaking and listening skills through conversations with Thai people. We hope this article has been very helpful for you!
Now that you’ve finished this lesson, you may be curious about related topics such as question words in Thai, which you can learn on ThaiPod101.com as well. Of course, there are other interesting lessons for you to study, such as Thai Girl’s Dream Job and Thai Jokes. Don’t forget to visit ThaiPod101.com and check out new lessons as they become available.
Before you go, practice writing some of these Thai questions and answers in the comments section, and answer the questions about yourself. We look forward to hearing from you!
When you’re learning something, a test is considered a part of the learning process. Taking a test shows your current skills and improvements you’ve made in that topic; at the same time, it reveals areas that still need improvement. For Thai learners, taking a Thai competency test is a good idea.
The most popular Thai language proficiency test is the CU-TFL. Thus, in this lesson, we’ll give you practical information about this Thai language competency test, including details about each part and when, where, and how to register to take the test. Of course, we’ll also provide you with some tips on how to pass this Thai exam.
If you want to work in Thailand, you’re in luck! Aside from some professional jobs, most of the jobs available for foreigners don’t require many Thai language skills. Jobs for foreigners in Thailand are normally in environments where workers can speak English. Still, you have a life outside of work, which inevitably requires you to have basic knowledge of the Thai language. As mentioned above, testing your Thai skills enables you to see how much you know so you can continue improving.
The most common Thai language exam for foreigners is the CU-TFL, which stands for “The Chulalongkorn University Proficiency Test of Thai as a Foreign Language.” It’s the most popular Thai language assessment test. For your information, Chulalongkorn University is one of the top three universities in Thailand. In a way, the university’s high status makes the test more reputable.
The test is taken at The Sirindhorn Thai Language Institute. Applicants must contact the institute to schedule the test date (at least two weeks in advance) before filling out the online application. Then, the applicant will receive the bill payment slip, and must make a payment at least three days prior to the test date. The CU-TFL test has four sections: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. This test classifies the examinee into one of five groups: distinguished, superior, advanced, intermediate, and novice.
In the following sections, we’ll provide you with a complete guide on this Thai language proficiency exam.
Part 2: 2-3 announcements and medium-length articles
Part 3: 2-3 news excerpts, event descriptions, and documentaries
Part 4: 1-2 medium-length conversations about opinion expression or an interview of two people
Part 5: 1 long conversation about opinion expression or an interview of three people
Skills and competencies needed:
Be able to understand short conversations, announcements, interviews, or advertisements
Be able to comprehend and summarize a story
Be able to analyze a story
Instructions:
You’ll get three sets of paper: the test, a sheet to mark your answers, and paper for note-taking.
Before the test begins, you’ll hear the explanation, instructions, and be given a sample question.
Once the test begins, you’ll hear a conversation or story, followed by questions and four choices. You’ll hear the story/conversation, questions, and choices only once.
To do well on any Thai language exam, you need to practice a lot! Below, we’ve outlined a few ways you can do this effectively.
1 – Read signs, announcements, news excerpts, and articles in Thai.
If you live in Thailand, pay attention to the signs, announcements, snippets of news, and articles around you. These are a part of everyday life in Thailand, so they’ll definitely be included on the test. We suggest that whenever you see a sign, you learn what it means and think about where else you might find it. This will significantly help you in the reading and listening sections.
2 – Watch a variety of shows and dramas in Thai.
To improve your listening and speaking skills, you need to be able to understand how Thais speak in daily life. One of the best ways to do so is to watch a variety of Thai shows and dramas. This is a fun activity that allows you to watch media that fits your interests!
You’ll be able to hear the accent of native Thai speakers and become more familiar with Thai sentence structure. This will, in turn, help you improve your own speaking skills.
You’ll also get to know more about Thai society and culture, which will indirectly help you understand more about Thai people, leading to a better test score. Nowadays, you can watch a variety of shows and dramas online on YouTube, on live TV, on Thai Netflix, and more.
3 – Study the basic Thai social norms, and learn about the society and culture.
To do well on your Thai competency test, you need to understand some of the Thai social norms, as well as the society and culture. You can learn about these topics in various ways, such as watching shows (like we mentioned above), talking to Thai people, and reading related books.
4 -Talk to Thai people about various topics.
As mentioned above, talking to Thai people can help you learn about Thai social norms, society, and culture. But the benefits don’t end there! Talking to Thai people will help you learn how to express your opinions more fluently; this will give you a huge advantage when it comes time for the speaking portion of the test. Also, the more you make conversation, the better your speaking and listening skills will become.
5 – Practice writing about different topics in Thai.
To do well in the writing section, you have to practice a lot. On the test, you’ll be asked to write one article that expresses your opinion on a given topic, so you need to practice writing about various topics. In addition, you’ll need to learn related vocabulary and sentence structures to write a good essay.
6 – Do a lot of test exercises.
Last but not least, you need to do a lot of test exercises. Like with every other test, practicing helps you do better. By doing a CU-TFL test sample, you’ll become more familiar with the questions, work on allocating your time better, and finish the real test more efficiently. You can buy a CU-TFL book to do Thai language practice tests, or download the test example from the manual.
4. Conclusion
We hope that after reading this complete guide to the CU-TFL Thai language proficiency test, you have a better idea of how to pass it with flying colors. Please let us know your thoughts about the CU-TFL in the comments, and let us know if you have any questions.
And don’t forget to check out other interesting lessons on ThaiPod101.com. We have tons of lessons on the Thai language, culture, and traditions that you should take a look at! We recommend our lessons about the New Year resolutions of Thai people and talking about family in Thai.
When you learn any language, knowing its basic sentence patterns helps you get a grip of the language as a whole, and allows you to communicate more effectively. So if you’re a Thai learner and don’t know how to form sentences in Thai yet, knowing certain Thai sentence structures and patterns is like a shortcut to creating your own sentences.
In this lesson, we’ll teach you common Thai sentence patterns that you can use in daily life. While there are various types of sentence patterns in the Thai language, we’ll focus on just ten patterns with examples. Also keep in mind that we won’t be focusing on the tenses today.
The first simple Thai sentence pattern you should know is “A is B,” which is used for linking two nouns. Below are some examples of this Thai sentence structure.
Sentence structure:
A + เป็น (bpen) + B
A + คือ (khuue) + B
Explanation:
เป็น (bpen), อยู่ (yùu), and คือ (khuue) are used for the verb “to be” in Thai. While they all refer to the same verb, เป็น (bpen), อยู่ (yùu), and คือ (khuue) have different meanings, are used in different situations, and can’t substitute one another.
เป็น (bpen) is used to explain what A is. The information used to explain A can include things such as a person’s job or marital status.
อยู่ (yùu) is used to explain where A is. So in this case, B is the place.
คือ (khuue) is used to explain what A is. The information used to explain A is either a fact/status that doesn’t change, or information that other parties don’t know.
Because เป็น (bpen) and คือ (khuue) seem pretty similar, it can be difficult to decide which one to use in a given scenario. Even Thai people find this hard; they can use it correctly, but can’t explain why. Let’s look at some Thai example sentences to help you understand better.
Example 1:
แม่เป็นครู
mâae-bpen-khruu “Mom is a teacher.”
Mom is a teacher.
Example 2:
แก้วเป็นสาวโสด
gâaew-bpen-sǎao-sòot “Kaew is a single lady.”
Example 3:
ฤทธิเป็นคนที่ไม่เก่งเลขเลย
rít-bpen-khon-thîi-mâi-gèng-lêek-looei “Rit is a person who is not good at math.”
Example 4:
ตอนนี้รัตน์อยู่ที่นี่
dtaawn-níi-rát-yùu-thîi-nîi “Rat is here now.”
Example 5:
กระเป๋าอยู่บนโต๊ะทานอาหาร
grà-bpǎo-yùu-bon-dtó-thaan-aa-hǎan “The bag is on the dining table.”
Example 6:
หมีแพนด้าอยู่ในสวนสัตว์ที่เชียงใหม่
mǐi-phaaen-dâa-yùu-nai-sǔuan-sàt-thîi-chiiang-mài “Pandas are in the zoo at Chaingmai.”
Example 7:
ที่นี่คือโรงพยาบาลที่ใหญ่ที่สุดในจังหวัด
thîi-nîi-khuue-roong-phá-yaa-baan-thîi-yài-thîi-sùt-nai-jang-wàt “Here is the largest hospital in the province.”
Here is the largest hospital in the province.
Example 8:
ลัดดาคือเพื่อนที่ดีที่สุดของฉัน
lát-daa-khuue-phûuean-thîi-dii-thîi-sùt-khǎawng-chǎn “Ladda is my best friend.”
Example 9:
ผลไม้ที่พ่อชอบกินที่สุดคือแตงโม
phǒn-lá-mái-thîi-phâaw-châawp-gin-thîi-sùt-khuue-dtaaeng-moo “Dad’s favorite fruit is watermelon.”
2. Describing Nouns: A is [Adjective]
Another Thai sentence construction you should know is “A is [Adjective].” This is a very easy Thai sentence pattern, used to describe nouns with adjectives. Let’s take a look.
Sentence structure:
Noun + Adjective
Explanation:
If you want to describe a noun, all you have to do is put the adjective after that noun.
Example 1:
กานดาสูงและผอม
gaan-daa-sǔung-láe-phǎawm “Ganda is tall and slim.”
Example 2:
เก้าอี้ไม้ตัวนั้นราคาแพงมาก
gâo-îi-mái-dtuua-nán-raa-khaa-phaaeng-mâak “That wooden chair is very expensive.”
Example 3:
มะระสีเขียวและมีรสขม
má-rá-mii-sǐi-khǐiao-láe-mii-rót-khǒm “Bitter melon is green and bitter.”
Additional note:
มะระ (má-rá) is “bitter melon” in Thai. It’s one of the fruits that Thai people like to eat.
3. [Subject] Wants / Needs
Some of the most useful Thai phrases are those for expressing “want” and “need.” There are a few different Thai sentence patterns you should remember for this.
ต้องการ (dtâawng-gaan), อยาก (yàak), and อยากได้ (yàak-dâi) mean both “want” and “need” in Thai, and can substitute one another.
However, ต้องการ (dtâawng-gaan) sounds more formal than อยาก (yàak) and อยากได้ (yàak-dâi). Thai people often use ต้องการ (dtâawng-gaan) in formal situations, and อยาก (yàak) and อยากได้ (yàak-dâi) in casual conversations.
To express your wants and needs, you can use any of the structures above. Here are a few Thai sentence examples for you.
Example 1:
คุณครูต้องการคอมพิวเตอร์เครื่องใหม่
khun-khruu-dtâawng-gaan-khaawm-phíu-dtôoe-khrûueng-mài “The teachers want a new computer.”
Example 2:
โรงพยาบาลต้องการจ้างนางพยาบาลเพิ่ม
roong-phá-yaa-baan-dtâawng-gaan-jâang-naang-phá-yaa-baan-phôoem “The hospital wants to hire more nurses.”
Example 3:
เธอต้องการอะไรเพิ่มมั๊ย
thooe-dtâawng-gaan-à-rai-phôoem-mái “Do you want anything more?”
Example 4:
น้ำตาลอยากไปเที่ยวหัวหิน
nám-dtaan-yàak-bpai-thîiao-hǔua-hǐn “Namtan wants to go to Huahin.”
Example 5:
แม่อยากลองทำเค้กสูตรใหม่
mâae-yàak-laawng-tham-khéek-sùut-mài “Mom wants to try a new cake recipe.”
Mom wants to try a new cake recipe.
Example 6:
มินท์อยากแต่งงานก่อนอายุ 30 ปี
mín-yàak-dtàaeng-ngaan-gàawn-aa-yú-sǎam-sìp “Mint wants to get married before she is 30 years old.”
Example 7:
ฉันอยากได้รองเท้าคู่ใหม่
chǎn-yàak-dâi-raawng-tháo-khûu-mài “I want a new pair of shoes.”
Example 8:
รพีไม่อยากได้งานเพิ่ม
rá-phii-mâi-yàak-dâi-ngaan-phôoem “Rapee doesn’t want more jobs.”
Example 9:
มีใครอยากได้ชาเพิ่มมั๊ย
mii-khrai-yàak-dâi-chaa-phôoem-mái “Anyone want more tea?”
4. [Subject] has to [Verb]
Another basic Thai sentence pattern you should know is “I have …”. You can use this Thai sentence pattern to express what you have to do.
Sentence structure:
Subject + ต้อง (dtâawng) + Verb
Explanation:
This type of sentence in Thai is pretty easy and straightforward. You just put the subject, followed by ต้อง (dtâawng), which means “must” or “have to” in Thai, and then the verb.
Example 1:
เธอต้องออกจากบ้านเดี๋ยวนี้ ไม่งั้นจะสาย
thooe-dtâawng-àawk-jàak-bâan-dǐiao-níi mâi-ngán-jà-sǎai “You have to leave now or else you will be late.”
Example 2:
ยายต้องกินยาก่อนนอนทุกวัน
yaai-dtâawng-gin-yaa-gàawn-naawn-thúuk-wan “Grandma has to take medicine before bed every day.”
Example 3:
วรรณาต้องไปเชียงรายพรุ่งนี้
wan-naa-dtâawng-bpai-chiiang-raai-phrûng-níi “Wanna has to go to Chiangrai tomorrow.”
5. [Subject] Likes [Noun/Verb]
Another common Thai language sentence structure is that for expressing likes and preferences. It’s one of the most basic Thai sentence patterns you can use to talk about your favorite things and activities.
Sentence structure:
Subject + ชอบ (châawp) + Noun / Verb
Explanation:
ชอบ (châawp) is “like” in Thai. To use this sentence pattern, you put the subject, followed by ชอบ (châawp), and then the noun or verb.
Example 1:
แม่ชอบกินแก้วมังกร
mâae-châawp-gin-gâaeo-mang-gaawn “Mom likes to eat dragon fruits.”
Example 2:
นภาชอบสีชมพู ná-phaa-châawp-sǐi-chom-phuu “Napa likes pink.”
Napa likes pink.
Example 3:
ตุ้มไม่ชอบดูหนังผี
dtûm-mâi-châawp-duu-nǎng-phǐi “Tum doesn’t like scary movies.”
6. Please…
The next basic Thai sentence structure we’ll show you is used to politely ask someone to do something. There are two Thai sentence patterns you need to know.
Thai people use กรุณา (gà-rú-naa) and ช่วย (chûuai) when they want to ask others to do something. กรุณา (gà-rú-naa) and ช่วย (chûuai) are pretty much the same, except กรุณา (gà-rú-naa) is used in formal situations while ช่วย (chûuai) is more often used in casual conversations.
Example 1:
กรุณาถอดรองเท้าก่อนเข้าห้อง
gà-rú-naa-thàawt-raawng-tháo-gàawn-khâo-hâawng “Please take off your shoes before entering the room.”
Example 2:
กรุณาอย่าส่งเสียงดัง
gà-rú-naa-yàa-sòng-sǐiang-dang “Please don’t make loud noises.”
Example 3:
กรุณาให้ความร่วมมือกับเจ้าหน้าที่
gà-rú-naa-hâi-khwaam-rûuam-muue-gàp-jâo-nâa-thîi “Please cooperate with our staff.”
Example 4:
ช่วยฉันทำความสะอาดห้องหน่อย
chûuai-chǎn-tham-khaawm-sà-àat-hâawng-nàauy “Please help me clean the room.”
Example 5:
ช่วยเงียบหน่อย
chûuai-ngîiap-nàauy “Please be quiet.”
Please be quiet.
Example 6:
ช่วยเดินเร็ว ๆ หน่อย
chûuai-dooen-reo-reo-nòi “Please walk faster.”
7. May I? / Can I?
This sentence pattern in Thai is used to ask for permission. However, this is considered an imperfect sentence because Thai people leave the word “may” or “can” out.
Sentence structure:
ขอ (khǎaw) + Verb + ได้มั้ย (dâi-mái)
Explanation:
This Thai sentence pattern is quite different from its English counterpart. This is because there is no ฉัน (chǎn), which is “I” in Thai, in the sentence.
You start the sentence with ขอ (khǎaw), which means “ask.” Next, you put the verb, followed by ได้มั้ย (dâi-mái), which is used to make a permission question in Thai.
Example 1:
ขอเข้าไปได้มั้ย
khǎaw-khâo-bpai-dâi-mái “May I come in?”
Example 2:
ขอยืมหนังสือเล่มนั้นได้มั้ย
khǎaw-yuuem-nǎng-sǔue-lêm-nán-dâi-mái “Can I borrow that book?”
Can I borrow that book?
Example 3:
ขอไปดูหนังกับเพื่อนวันเสาร์นี้ได้มั้ย
khǎaw-bpai-duu-nǎng-gàp-phûuen-wan-sǎo-níi-dâi-mái “Can I go see the movie with my friend this Saturday?”
8. What is…?
Another useful Thai sentence pattern you should learn is “What is…?” You can use this sentence pattern in Thai to ask for information about something.
Sentence structure:
… + คือ (khuue) + อะไร (à-rai)
Explanation:
As mentioned earlier, คือ (khuue) is one of the words for the verb “to be” in Thai. Also note that อะไร (à-rai) is “what.”
You may notice that Thai people use คือ (khuue), not เป็น (bpen), in this sentence structure. This is because you’re asking for information you don’t know.
Example 1:
นี่คืออะไร nîi-khuue-à-rai “What is this?”
Example 2:
อาหารที่เราสั่งครั้งที่แล้วคืออะไร aa-hǎan-thîi-rao-sàng-khráng-thîi-láaeo-khuue-à-rai “What is the food we ordered last time?”
Example 3:
เครื่องดื่มที่คุณชอบคืออะไร khrûueng-dùuem-thîi-khun-châawp-khuue-à-rai “What is your favorite drink?”
9. When is…?
Now that you’ve learned the “What is …?” sentence structure, it makes sense to learn the “When is…?” structure as well. With this structure, you can make Thai phrases for asking about the time.
Sentence structure:
… + เมื่อไหร่ (mûuea-rài)
Explanation:
เมื่อไหร่ (mûuea-rài) is “when” in Thai. You put the event that you want to know the time of, followed by เมื่อไหร่ (mûue-rài).
Example 1:
ประชุมเมื่อไหร่ bprà-chum-mûuea-rài “When is the meeting?”
Example 2:
เธอจะเริ่มทำงานเมื่อไหร่ thooe-jà-rôoem-tham-ngan-mûuea-rài “When will you start working?”
Example 3:
ตาลจะมาถึงเมื่อไหร่ dtaan-jà-ma-thǔeng-mûuea-rài “When will Tarn arrive?”
10. Where is…?
You can now ask for more information and about the time. In this section, we’ll also teach you how to ask about location. This is one of those basic Thai phrases you’ll use all the time!
Sentence structure:
Place + อยู่ที่ไหน (yùu-thîi-nǎi)
Place + ไปทางไหน (bpai-thaang-nǎi)
Explanation:
Both of the structures above are pretty similar to each other, and are used to ask about location. The first one is the Thai translation sentence pattern of “Where is …?” The other is closer to: “How to go to …?”
Example 2:
บ้านของเธออยู่ที่ไหน bâan-khǎawng-thooe-yùu-thîi-nǎi “Where is your house?”
Example 3:
ภูเขาที่สูงที่สุดในไทยอยู่ที่ไหน phuu-khǎo-thîi-sǔung-thîi-sùt-nai-thai-yùu-thîi-nǎi “Where is the highest mountain in Thailand?”
Example 4:
จุดชมวิวไปทางไหน jùt-chom-wiu-bpai-thaang-nǎi “How to go to the viewpoint?”
Example 5:
สถานีตำรวจที่ใกล้ที่สุดไปทางไหน sà-thǎa-nii-dtam-rùuat-thîi-glâi-thîi-sùt-bpai-thaang-nǎi “How to go to the nearest police station?”
Example 6:
ประชาสัมพันธ์ไปทางไหน bprà-chaa-sǎm-phan-bpai-thaang-nǎi “How to go to the information center?”
11. Conclusion
The lesson has finally come to an end, and you’ve already learned ten useful Thai sentence patterns for everyday use! We hope they’re not too hard for you, but remember that it may take a while to memorize all of them. Using a variety of Thai sentence patterns in daily conversations will help you get familiar with them; eventually, you’ll be able to use them with great fluency.
Are there any specific topics you want to learn about in future articles? Leave us a comment to let us know! If you have no clue what you want to learn next, we have a list of fun lessons for you at ThaiPod101.com, so don’t forget to check it out.
If you want to know more about sentence structure in Thai, our word order article is a great place to expand your knowledge. However, if that’s too serious a lesson for you, what about listening to a conversation about Thai tea and a date? Our lesson about ordering food at restaurants is also an interesting choice.
Like in English, both adverbs and adjectives in Thai are quite important. Thai adjectives and adverbs are used to convey a more detailed message in speech and writing. They can also help you sound like a true native speaker. We’ve already published an article about Thai adjectives, so now it’s time to learn about adverbs in Thai.
In this lesson, you’ll learn about adverbs in Thai grammar, including proper adverb usage in Thai and a list of the most common Thai adverbs. Let’s begin our lesson.
Before we get ahead of ourselves, it’s important to know a little bit about Thai language adverbs. To start with the very basics, คำวิเศษณ์ (kham-ví-sèet) means “adverb” in Thai. However, คำวิเศษณ์ (kham-ví-sèet) is not exactly the same as adverbs in English. It’s just the Thai grammatical term that’s the most similar to adverbs in English.
คำวิเศษณ์ (kham-ví-sèet) refers to words that are used to modify nouns, pronouns, verbs, as well as adverbs. If compared to English, คำวิเศษณ์ (kham-ví-sèet) is like a combination of adverbs and adjectives in Thai. Still, learning both adverbs and adjectives may confuse you, so this lesson will focus solely on adverbs.
Now that you know the definition of an adverb in Thai, the next thing you should know is how to use adverbs in Thai sentences. There’s no clear structure of where you should put adverbs, meaning that the placement of adverbs in each group is different. But don’t worry, we’ll explain word order for each adverb, one by one, in the following sections.
One last note: If you’re looking for a way to identify adverbs in sentences, there’s some bad news. Unlike in English, there’s no clear way to distinguish adverbs from other words. So this lesson focuses mainly on vocabulary, as opposed to a set of rules for Thai adverbs.
In the following section, we’ll teach you Thai language adverbs that you should know, categorized into different groups for easy understanding.
“The weather forecast states that it will be sunny tomorrow.”
Example 2:
พรุ่งนี้ เธอจะไปไหนเหรอ
phrûng-níi thooe-jà-bpai-nhǎi-rhǒoe
“Where will you go tomorrow?”
Additional note: วันพรุ่งนี้ (wan-phrûng-níi) and พรุ่งนี้ (phrûng-níi) have the same meaning and can substitute one another perfectly. Actually, พรุ่งนี้ (phrûng-níi) is a shortened version of วันพรุ่งนี้ (wan-phrûng-níi), so วันพรุ่งนี้ (wan-phrûng-níi) is a little bit more formal.
3 – The day after tomorrow
Thai adverb: วันมะรืน (wan-má-ruuen)
Placement in sentence: It is often in the beginning or the end of sentences.
Example: ผลสอบจะออกวันมะรืนนี้
phǒn-sàawp-jà-àawk-wan-má-ruuen-níi
The test result will be announced the day after tomorrow.
4 – Yesterday
Thai adverb: เมื่อวาน (mûuea-waan)
Placement in sentence: It’s often at the beginning or the end of a sentence.
Placement in sentence: It’s often at the beginning or the end of a sentence.
Example 1:
ตอนเช้า ในสวนอากาศดีมาก
dtaawn-cháao nai-sǔuan-aa-gàat-dii-mâak
“The weather in the garden is very good in the morning.”
Example 2:
พ่ออ่านหนังสือพิมพ์ช่วงเช้า
phâaw-àan-nǎng-sǔue-phim-chûuang-cháo
“Dad reads the newspaper in the morning.”
Additional note: ตอนเช้า (dtaawn-cháo) is slightly different from ช่วงเช้า (chûuang-cháo). ตอนเช้า (dtaawn-cháo) refers to a specific time in the morning, while ช่วงเช้า (chûuang-cháo) refers to the morning period.
“The traffic in front of my house is very bad in the late morning.”
Additional note: ตอนสาย (dtaawn-sǎai) is slightly different from ช่วงสาย (chûuang-sǎai). ตอนสาย (dtaawn-sǎai) refers to a specific time in the late morning, while ช่วงสาย (chûuang-sǎai) refers to the late morning period.
Placement in sentence: It’s often at the beginning or the end of a sentence.
Example 1:
ท้องฉันร้องตอนเที่ยง
tháawng-chǎn-ráawng-dtaawn-thîiang
“My stomach rumbles at noon.”
Example 2:
ช่วงเที่ยง โรงอาหารคนแน่นมาก
chûuang-thîiang roong-aa-hǎan-khon-nâaen-mâak
“The canteen is very crowded at noon.”
Additional note: ตอนเที่ยง (dtaawn-thîiang) is slightly different from ช่วงเที่ยง (chûuang-thîiang). ตอนเที่ยง (dtaawn-thîiang) refers to a specific time from noon to one, while ช่วงเที่ยง (chûuang-thîiang) refers to the entire period of time between noon and one.
“After having lunch, I want to take a nap in the afternoon.”
Example 2:
ช่วงบ่าย นลินมีประชุม
chûuang-bàai-ná-lin-mii-bprà-chum
“Nalin has a meeting in the afternoon.”
Additional note: ตอนบ่าย (dtaawn-bàai) is slightly different from ช่วงบ่าย (chûuang-bàai). ตอนบ่าย (dtaawn-bàai) refers to a specific time in the afternoon, while ช่วงบ่าย (chûuang-bàai) refers to the afternoon period.
“I often go jogging with my friend in the evening.”
Additional note: ตอนเย็น (dtaawn-yen) is slightly different from ช่วงเย็น (chûuang-yen). ตอนเย็น (dtaawn-yen) refers to a specific time in the evening, while ช่วงเย็น (chûuang-yen) refers to the evening period.
13 – During the day
Thai adverb: ตอนกลางวัน (dtaawn-glaang-wan)
Placement in sentence: It’s often at the beginning or the end of a sentence.
Placement in sentence: แทบจะไม่เคย (thâaep-jà-mâi) and ไม่ค่อยได้ (mâi-khâauy-dâi) are put between the subject and the verb. นาน ๆ ครั้ง (naan-naan-khráng) is put either at the beginning or at the end of a sentence.
Additional note: แทบจะไม่ (thâaep-jà-mâi), นาน ๆ ครั้ง (naan-naan-khráng), and ไม่ค่อยได้ (mâi-khâauy-dâi) are pretty much the same and can substitute one another.
3 – Sometimes
Thai adverb: บางครั้ง (baang-khráng)
Placement in sentence: It’s put either at the beginning or at the end of a sentence.
Placement in sentence: บ่อย ๆ (bàauy–bàauy) is put at the end of a sentence, while บ่อยครั้ง (bàauy-khráng) can be put either at the beginning or at the end of a sentence.
Additional note: Despite having the same meaning, บ่อย ๆ (bàauy–bàauy) and บ่อยครั้ง (bàauy-khráng) are slightly different. บ่อย ๆ (bàauy–bàauy) can be used in both spoken and written language, while บ่อยครั้ง (bàauy-khráng) is often used in written language but rarely in spoken language.
Placement in sentence: ตามปกติ (dtaam-bpòk-gà-thì) can be put either at the beginning or at the end of a sentence, while โดยปกติ (dooi-bpòk-gà-thì) is put at the beginning.
Additional note: The meanings of ตามปกติ (dtaam-bpòk-gà-thì) and โดยปกติ (dooi-bpòk-gà-thì) are pretty much the same. However, โดยปกติ (dooi-bpòk-gà-thì) sounds a little more formal than ตามปกติ (dtaam-bpòk-gà-thì).
6 – Always
Thai adverb: เสมอ (sà-mǒoe)
Placement in sentence: It’s put at the end of a sentence.
Example:
ฉ้นคิดถึงเธอเสมอ
chǎn-khít-thǔeng-thooe-sà-mǒoe
“I always think of you.”
Additional note: Apart from meaning “always,” เสมอ (sà-mǒoe) can also mean “draw” or “tie.”
7 – All the time
Thai adverb: ตลอดเวลา (dtà-làawt-wee-laa)
Placement in sentence: It’s put either at the beginning or at the end of a sentence.
Placement in sentence: It’s put at the end of a sentence.
Example 1:
เขาอ่านหนังสือ 1 เล่มทุกสัปดาห์
khǎo-àan-nǎng-sǔue-nùeng-lêm-thúk-sàp-daa
“He reads a book weekly.”
Example 2:
สิงห์เตะบอลทุกอาทิตย์
sǐng-dtè-baawn-thúk-aa-thít
“Singh plays football weekly.”
Additional note: ทุกสัปดาห์ (thúk-sàp-daa) and ทุกอาทิตย์ (thúk-aa-thít) have the same meaning and can substitute one another. However, since สัปดาห์ (sàp-daa) is more formal than อาทิตย์ (aa-thít), you can also guess that ทุกสัปดาห์ (thúk-sàp-daa) is more formal than ทุกอาทิตย์ (thúk-aa-thít) as well.
11 – Monthly
Thai adverb: ทุกเดือน (thúk-duuean)
Placement in sentence: It’s put at the end of a sentence.
Additional note: ทุกไตรมาส (thúk-dtrai-mâat) and ทุก 3 เดือน (thúk-sǎam-duuean) have the same meaning and can substitute one another. However, ทุกไตรมาส (thúk-dtrai-mâat) is more formal than ทุก 3 เดือน (thúk-sǎam-duuean). ทุกไตรมาส (thúk-dtrai-mâat) is often used in news or formal reports.
13 – Annually
Thai adverb: ทุกปี (thúk-bpii)
Placement in sentence: It’s put at the end of a sentence.
Placement in sentence: It’s often put at the end of a sentence, or after อยู่ (yùu), which is the verb “to be” in Thai.
Example 1:
ฉันจะรอเธออยู่ตรงนี้
chǎn-jà-raaw-thooe-yùu-dtrong-níi
“I will wait for you here.”
Example 2:
เธอมาทำอะไรที่นี่
thooe-maa-tham-à-rai-thîi-nîi
“What are you doing here?”
Additional note: ที่นี่ (thîi-nîi) and ตรงนี้ (dtrong-níi) have very similar meanings and can substitute one another. However, ตรงนี้ (dtrong-níi) refers to a small area around the speaker, while ที่นี่ (thîi-nîi) refers to a wider area around the speaker.
Placement in sentence: It’s often put at the end of a sentence, or after อยู่ (yùu), which is the verb “to be” in Thai.
Example 1:
อีก 5 นาทีน้ำจะไปถึงที่นั่น
ìik-hâa-naa-thii-nám-jà-bpai-thǔeng-thîi-nân
“Nam will be there in 5 minutes.”
Example 2:
กระเป๋าของเธออยู่ตรงนั้น
grà-bpǎo-khǎawng-thooe-yùu-dtrong-nán
“Your bag is there.”
Additional note: ที่นั่น (thîi-nân) and ตรงนั้น (dtrong-nán) have very similar meanings and can substitute one another. However, ที่นั่น (thîi-nân) refers to a small area around the person you’re talking to, while ที่นี่ (thîi-nîi) refers to a wider area around the person you’re talking to.
“When I travel to Krabi, I like the weather over there.”
Example 2:
อย่าไปตรงนู้น คนเยอะมากเกินไป
yàa-bpai-dtrong-núun khon-yóe-mâak-gooen-bpai
“Don’t go over there. It is too crowded.”
Additional note: ที่นู่น (thîi-nûun) and ตรงนู้น (dtrong-núun) have very similar meanings and can substitute one another. However, ที่นู่น (thîi-nûun) refers to a small area of the place you’re talking about, while ที่นี่ (thîi-nîi) refers to a wider area of the place you’re talking about.
4 – Everywhere
Thai adverb: ทุกที่ (thúk-thîi)
Placement in sentence: It has no certain placement in a sentence.
“Who is the owner of the box in front of the room?”
Example 2:
ต้นไม้ที่อยู่ด้านหน้าพนิตชื่ออะไร
dtôn-mái-thîi-yùu-dâan-nâa-phá-nít-chûue-à-rai
“What is the name of the tree in front of Panit?”
Additional note: ข้างหน้า (khâang-lǎng) and ด้านหน้า (dâan-lǎng) have very similar meanings and can substitute one another.
13 – Abroad
Thai adverb: ต่างประเทศ (dtàang-bprà-thêet)
Placement in sentence: It’s often put after อยู่ (yùu), which is the verb “to be” in Thai.
Example:
ตอนนี้มานิตเรียนอยู่ต่างประเทศ
dtaawn-níi-maa-nít-riian-yùu-dtàang-bprà-thêet
“Manit is studying abroad now.”
Additional note: Literally, ต่างประเทศ (dtàang-bprà-thêet) means “different country” in Thai. ต่าง (dtàang) means “different” and ประเทศ (bprà-thêet) means “country.”
5. Thai Adverbs of Manner
1 – Slowly
Thai adverb: ช้า (cháa)
Placement in sentence: It’s often put after the verb.
Example:
เขาเดินช้า เพราะ เจ็บขา
khǎo-dooen-cháa phráw-jèb-khǎa
“He walks slowly because his leg hurts.”
2 – Quickly
Thai adverb: เร็ว (reo)
Placement in sentence: It’s often put after the verb.
Example:
ลลิตาหั่นผักได้เร็วมาก
lá-lí-dtaa-hàn-phàk-dâi-reo-mâak
“Lalita can chop vegetables very quickly.”
Lalita can chop vegetables very quickly.
3 – Intentionally
Thai adverb: ตั้งใจ (dtâng-jai)
Placement in sentence: It’s often put before the verb.
Example:
แม่ตั้งใจทำน้ำแกงให้ฉัน
mâae-dtâng-jai-tham-nám-gaaeng-hâi-chǎn
“Mom makes this soup for me intentionally.”
4 – Neatly
Thai adverb: เรียบร้อย (rîiap-ráauy)
Placement in sentence: It’s often put after the verb.
“He did the work perfunctorily, didn’t pay much attention.”
Example 2:
อย่าทำลวก ๆ นะ
yàa-tham-lûuak-lûuak-ná
“Don’t do this perfunctorily.”
Additional note: ทำให้เสร็จ ๆ ไป (tham-hâi-sèt-sèt-bpai) sounds more formal than ทำลวก ๆ (tham-lûuak-lûuak). ทำลวก ๆ (tham-lûuak-lûuak) is often used in spoken language.
Placement in sentence: It’s often put after the verb.
Example:
หนังสือเล่มนี้ถูกเขียนมาอย่างดี
nǎng-sǔue-lêm-níi-thùuk-khǐian-maa-yàang-dii
“This book is written well.”
22 – Angrily
Thai adverb: อย่างโกรธเคือง (yàang-gròot-khuueng)
Placement in sentence: It’s often put after the verb.
Example:
แม่มองน้องอย่างโกรธเคือง
mâae-maawng-náawng-yàang-gròot-khuueng
“Mom looked at my younger brother angrily.”
6. Thai Adverbs of Degree
1 – Very / So
Thai adverbs: มาก (mâak); โคตร (kôot)
Placement in sentence: มาก (mâak) is put after adjectives and adverbs, while โคตร (kôot) is put before adjectives and adverbs.
Example 1:
เขาวิ่งเร็วมาก
khǎo-wîng-reo-mâak
“He can run very fast.”
Example 2:
เธอทำอาหารโคตรเก่ง
thooe-tham-aa-hǎan-khôot-gèng
“She cooks very well.”
Additional note: มาก (mâak) and โคตร (khôot) have the same meaning and can substitute one another. However, โคตร (khôot) is viewed as a rude word, so don’t use it in formal conversations.
Placement in sentence: ค่อนข้าง (khâawn-khâang) is put before adjectives and adverbs, while พอสมควร (phaaw-sǒm-kuuan) is put after adjectives and adverbs.
Additional note: ค่อนข้าง (khâawn-khâang) and พอสมควร (phaaw-sǒm-khuuan) have the same meaning and can substitute one another. However, พอสมควร (phaaw-sǒm-khuuan) is slightly more formal than ค่อนข้าง (khâawn-khâang).
3 – Too
Thai adverb: เกินไป (gooen-bpai)
Placement in sentence: It’s often put after adjectives and adverbs.
Placement in sentence: มาก ๆ (mâak-mâak), โคตร ๆ (khôot-khôot), and สุด ๆ (sùt-sùt) are all put after adjectives and adverbs.
Example 1:
เธอทำได้ดีมาก ๆ
thooe-tham-dâi-dii-mâk-mâk
“You did this extremely well.”
Example 2:
รถคันนี้วิ่งได้เร็วโคตร ๆ
Rót-khan-níi-wîng-dâi-reo-khôot-khôot
“This car can go extremely fast.”
Example 3:
แอนร้องเพลงได้เก่งสุด ๆ
aan-ráawng-pleeng-dâi-gèng-sùt-sùt
“Aan can sing terribly well.”
Additional note: มาก ๆ (mâak-mâak), โคตร ๆ (khôot-khôot), and สุด ๆ (sùt-sùt) have the same meaning and can substitute one another. However, โคตร ๆ (khôot-khôot) is viewed as a rude word which can’t be used in formal conversations, and สุด ๆ (sùt-sùt) is a slang word used among adolescents.
5 – Not very
Thai adverb: ไม่ค่อย (mâi-kâauy)
Placement in sentence: It’s often put before adjectives and adverbs.
Example:
ณภัทรวิ่งไม่ค่อยเร็วเพราะตัวอ้วน
ná-pát-wîng-mâi-khâauy-reo-phráw-dtuua-ûuan
“Napat can’t run very fast because he is fat.”
7. Conclusion
How do you feel about adverbs in Thai after reading this article? Can you remember them all? We know that it takes a lot of work to finish this lesson. We suggest you use these Thai adverbs a lot as practice so you can remember them faster.
You asked, so we provided—easy-to-follow instructions on how to set up your electronic devices to write in Thai! We’ll also give you a few excellent tips on how to use this keyboard, as well as some online and app alternatives if you prefer not to set up a Thai keyboard.
Learning a new language is made so much easier when you’re able to read and write/type it. This way, you will:
Get the most out of any dictionary and Thai language apps on your devices
Expand your ability to find Thai websites and use the various search engines
Be able to communicate much better online with your Thai teachers and friends, and look super cool in the process!
2. Setting up Your Computer and Mobile Devices for Thai
It takes only a few steps to set up any of your devices to read and type in Thai. It’s super-easy on your mobile phone and tablet, and a simple process on your computer.
On your computer, you’ll first activate the onscreen keyboard to work with. You’ll only be using your mouse or touchpad/pointer for this keyboard. Then, you’ll need to change the language setting to Thai, so all text will appear in Thai. You could also opt to use online keyboards instead. Read on for the links!
On your mobile devices, it’s even easier—you only have to change the keyboard. We also provide a few alternatives in the form of online keyboards and downloadable apps.
3. How to Activate an Onscreen Keyboard on Your Computer
1- Mac
1. Go to System Preferences > Keyboard.
2. Check the option “Show Keyboard & Character Viewers in Menu Bar.”
3. You’ll see a new icon on the right side of the main bar; click on it and select “Show Keyboard Viewer.”
2- Windows
1. Go to Start > Settings > Easy Access > Keyboard.
2. Turn on the option for “Onscreen Keyboard.”
3- Online Keyboards
If you don’t want to activate your computer’s onscreen keyboard, you also have the option to use online keyboards. Here are some good options:
Instead of an online keyboard, you could also choose to download a Google extension to your browser for a language input tool. The Google Input Tools extension allows users to use input tools in Chrome web pages, for example.
4. How to Change the Language Settings to Thai on Your Computer
Now that you’re all set to work with an onscreen keyboard on your computer, it’s time to download the Thai language pack for your operating system of choice:
Windows 8 (and higher)
Windows 7
Mac (OS X and higher)
1- Windows 8 (and higher)
Go to “Settings” > “Change PC Settings” > “Time & Language” > “Region & Language.”
Click on “Add a Language” and select “Thai.” This will add it to your list of languages. It will appear as ไทย with the note “language pack available.”
Click on “ไทย” > “Options” > “Download.” It’ll take a few minutes to download and install the language pack.
As a keyboard layout, you’ll only need the one marked as “Thai – ไทย.” You can ignore other keyboard layouts.
2- Windows 7
1. Go to Start > Control Panel > Clock, Language, and Region.
2. On the “Region and Language” option, click on “Change Keyboards or Other Input Methods.”
3. On the “Keyboards and Languages” tab, click on “Change Keyboards” > “Add” > “Thai.”
4. Expand the option of “Thai” and then expand the option “Keyboard.” Select the keyboard layout marked as “Thai.” You can ignore other keyboard layouts. Click “OK” and then “Apply.”
3- Mac (OS X and higher)
If you can’t see the language listed, please make sure to select the right option from System Preferences > Language and Region
1. From the Apple Menu (top left corner of the screen) go to System Preferences > Keyboard.
2. Click the Input Sources tab and a list of available keyboards and input methods will appear.
3. Click on the plus button, select “Thai,” and add the “Thai” keyboard.
5. Activating the Thai Keyboard on Your Mobile Phone and Tablet
Texting and searching in Thai will greatly help you master the language! Adding a Thai keyboard on your mobile phone and/or tablet is super-easy.
You could also opt to download an app instead of adding a keyboard. Read on for our suggestions.
Below are the instructions for both iOS and Android mobile phones and tablets.
1- iOS
1. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard.
2. Tap “Keyboards” and then “Add New Keyboard.”
3. Select “Thai” from the list.
4. When typing, you can switch between languages by tapping and holding on the icon to reveal the keyboard language menu.
2- Android
1. Go to Settings > General Management > Language and Input > On-screen Keyboard (or “Virtual Keyboard” on some devices) > Samsung Keyboard.
2. Tap “Language and Types” or “ + Select Input Languages” depending on the device and then “MANAGE INPUT LANGUAGES” if available.
3. Select “ไทย” from the list.
4. When typing, you can switch between languages by swiping the space bar.
3- Applications for Mobile Phones
If you don’t want to add a keyboard on your mobile phone or tablet, these are a few good apps to consider:
Typing in Thai can be very challenging at first! Therefore, we added here a few useful tips to make it easier to use your Thai keyboard.
1- Computer
Thai keyboards are quite simple because Thai’s consonants, vowels, and tone marks are all included on the keyboard (with Shift and without Shift). To increase typing speed, it’s suggested to remember the location of each Thai letter on the keyboard.
There are two layouts of the Thai keyboard called “Ketmanee” and “Pattachote.” However, in 1988, TISI (Thai Industrial Standards Institute) announced that the Ketmanee layout is the standard layout for computers.
2- Mobile Phones
There are two types of keyboard layouts for mobile: the QWERTY keyboard and the 3×4 keyboard. People mostly use the QWERTY layout as it’s similar to a PC keyboard.
7. How to Practice Typing Thai
As you probably know by now, learning Thai is all about practice, practice, and more practice! Strengthen your Thai typing skills by writing comments on any of our lesson pages, and our teacher will answer. If you’re a ThaiPod101 Premium PLUS member, you can directly text our teacher via the My Teacher app—use your Thai keyboard to do this!
How many actions do you think you do in a day? That number reflects the importance of knowing a language’s verbs for effective communication.
In this article, you’ll learn 100 Thai verbs that every beginner needs to know. Further, we’ll teach you a little bit about the grammar and usage of these verbs through examples. We believe you’ll be very happy to hear that this is a simple and easy topic!
Is there subject-verb agreement in Thai? What about Thai verb conjugation? The answer to both is a resounding “No!” Thai people use the same form of verbs regardless of the subject.
Are there Thai verb tenses for present, future, and past? The answer is no. Thai people use the same verb forms regardless of the time.
So you can see now that this lesson will mainly focus on vocabulary. Basically all you need to worry about is memorizing our Thai verbs list! We’ll start this lesson with basic information about Thai verbs, followed by our list of the most useful Thai verbs for beginners. Then, you’ll also get to learn about auxiliary verbs in Thai, and other verbs that are important to know for easy communication.
คำกริยา (kham-gà-rí-yaa) is “verb” in Thai. Before we present to you our list of Thai verbs, we thought it would be nice to give you an explanation about verb types in the Thai language, as well as how to use verbs in a sentence.
1- Verb Types
There are four types of verbs in the Thai language, listed below. A detailed explanation of each type will be explained in the following sections.
As mentioned above, there’s no change in Thai verb form, so you don’t have to learn about Thai verb conjugation. Still, we’ll give you a basic idea of how verbs are used in Thai sentence structure.
Negative sentence: subject + ไม่ (mâi) which is “no” in Thai + verb + object (if any)
Question: Add a question word to the sentence; no change in verb.
In the following sections, we present to you the most essential Thai verbs with examples.
2. Intransitive Verbs
อกรรมกริยา (à-gam-gà-rí-yaa) is “intransitive verbs” in Thai. These are verbs that are able to make a sentence complete without the use of an object. Below is a list of Thai intransitive verbs that are often used in daily life.
“My grandpa is quite old. If he sits for a long time, his back hurts.”
5- Jump
กระโดด (gra-doot)
Example:
พี่ชายฉันขายาว เลยกระโดดได้ไกล
phîi-chaai-chǎn-khǎa-yaao looei-grà-dòot-dâi-glai
“My older brother can jump far because of his long legs.”
6- Fly
บิน (bin)
Example:
ทำไมนกตัวนั้นบินไม่ได้
tham-mai-nók-dtuua-nán-bin-mâi-dâi
“Why can’t that bird fly?”
7- Kneel
คุกเข่า (khúk-khào)
Example:
เขาคุกเข่าขอแฟนแต่งงาน
Khǎo-khúk-khào-khǎaw-faaen-dtàaeng-ngaan
“He kneeled, then asked his girlfriend to marry him.”
8- Wake up
ตื่นนอน (dtùuen-naawn); ตื่น (dtùuen)
Example 1:
วันนี้เธอตื่นนอนกี่โมง
wan-níi-thooe-dtùuen-naawn-gìi-moong
“What time did you wake up today?”
Example 2:
วันนี้ฉันตื่นสาย
wan-níi-chǎn-dtùuen-sǎai
“Today, I woke up late.”
Additional Note: ตื่นนอน (dtùuen-naawn) and ตื่น (dtùuen) have exactly the same meaning. However, ตื่นนอน (dtùuen-naawn) is a bit more formal than ตื่น (dtùuen).
“My grandpa exercises everyday, so he is healthy.”
3. Transitive Verbs
สกรรมกริยา (sà-gam-gà-rí-yaa) is “transitive verbs” in Thai. These are verbs that can’t complete a sentence with their meaning alone; the sentence will require an object to be complete. Below is a list of Thai transitive verbs that are often used in everyday life.
“Yesterday, my mother ate Thai food in the evening.”
Additional Note: These three words have exactly the same meaning. However, among these three words, รับประทาน (ráp-bprà-thaan) is the most formal one, followed by ทาน (thaan) and กิน (gin), respectively.
“You have to wait for the oil to be hot before frying chicken.”
48- Stir fry
ผัด (phàt)
Example:
ผัดผักอย่างไร
phàt-phàk-yàang-rai
“How do you stir fry vegetables?”
49- Heat up
อุ่น (ùn)
Example:
ช่วยอุ่นนมให้หน่อย
chûuai-ùn-nom-hâi-nàauy
“Could you please heat up the milk?”
50- Chop
สับ (sàp)
Example:
สับช็อคโกแลตให้เป็นชิ้นเล็ก ๆ
sàp-cháawk-goo-láaet-hâi-bpen-chín-lék-lék
“Chop the chocolate into small pieces.”
51- Slice
หั่น (hàn)
Example:
แม่หั่นหมูได้บางมาก
mâae-hàn-mǔu-dâi-baang-mâak
“Mom slices pork very thinly.”
52- Peel
ปอก (bpàawk)
Example:
ช่วยปอกเปลือกแอปเปิ้ลให้หน่อยได้มั๊ย
chûui-bpàawk-plùueak-áap-bpôoen-hâi-nàauy-dâi-mái
“Can you peel the apple for me?”
53- Wash (dishes)
ล้าง (láang)
Example:
วันนี้ใครจะล้างจาน
wan-níi-khrai-jà-láang-jaan
“Who will wash the dishes today?”
54- Wash (cloth)
ซัก (sák)
Example:
แม่ซักผ้าปูเตียงเมื่อวาน
mâae-sák-phâa-bpuu-dtiiang-mûuea-waan
“Mom washed the bed sheet yesterday.”
55- Hang
ตาก (dtáak)
Example:
พ่อกำลังตากผ้า
phâaw-gam-lang-dtàak-phâa
“Dad is hanging clothes to dry now.”
56- Iron
รีด (riit)
Example:
เธอรีดผ้าเก่งมั๊ย
thooe-rîit-phâa-gèng-mái
“Are you good at ironing?”
57- Look
ดู (duu)
Example:
ดูนี่สิ สวยจัง
duu-nîi-sì sǔuai-jang
“Look at this, so beautiful.”
58- Read
อ่าน (àan)
Example:
พ่ออ่านหนังสือเร็วมาก
phâaw-àan-nǎng-sǔue-reo-mâak
“Dad reads books very fast.”
59- Write
เขียน (khǐian)
Example:
ครูเขียนภาษาญี่ปุ่นเก่ง
khruu-khǐian-phaa-sǎa-yîi-bpùn-khèng
“My teacher is good at writing Japanese.”
60- Type
พิมพ์ (phim)
Example:
ใครเป็นคนพิมพ์รายงานนี้
khrai-bpen-khon-phim-raai-ngaan-níi
“Who typed this report?”
61- Listen
ฟัง (fang)
Example:
มุกดาชอบฟังเพลงแจ็ส
múk-daa-châawp-fang-pleeng-jáaet
“Mukda likes listening to jazz music.”
62- Hit
ตี (dtii)
Example:
ครูไม่ควรตีนักเรียน
khruu-mâi-khuuan-dtii-nák-riian
“Teachers shouldn’t hit students.”
63- Kick
เตะ (dtè)
Example:
เขาเตะลูกบอลแรงมาก
khǎo-dte-lûuk-baawn-raaeng-mâak
“He hit the ball very hard.”
64- Shave
โกน (goon)
Example:
พระต้องโกนผม
phrá-dtâawng-goon-phǒm
“Monks have to shave their head.”
65- Blow
เป่า (bpào)
Example:
ซุปร้อนมาก ต้องเป่าก่อนกิน
súp-ráawn-mâak dtâawng-bpào-gàawn-gin
“The soup is very hot, so blow it before eating.”
66- Do
ทำ (tham)
Example:
อย่าลืมทำการบ้าน
yhàa-luuem-tham-gaan-bâan
“Don’t forget to do homework.”
67- Wear (clothing)
ใส่ (sài)
Example:
พรุ่งนี้เธอจะใส่อะไร
phrûng-níi-jà-sài-à-rai
“What do you want to wear tomorrow?”
68- Take off
ถอด (thàawt)
Example:
อย่าลืมถอดผ้ากันเปื้อนออก
yhàa-luuem-thàawt-phâa-gan-bpûuean-àawk
“Don’t forget to take off your apron.”
69- Ride
ขี่ (khìi)
Example:
ฉันขี่จักรยานไม่เป็น
chǎn-khìi-jàk-gà-yaan-mâi-bpen
“I can’t ride bicycles.”
70- Learn
เรียน (riian)
Example:
พี่เรียนภาษาจีนทุกวันอาทิตย์
phîi-riian-phaa-sǎa-jiin-thúk-wan-aa-thít
“My older sister learns Chinese every Sunday.”
71- Play
เล่น (lên)
Example:
ไปเล่นเกมส์กันเถอะ
bpai-lên-geem-gan-thòe
“Let’s play games.”
72- Buy
ซื้อ (súue)
Example:
แม่ซื้อผักจากตลาดเยอะมาก
mâae-súue-phàk-jàak-dtà-làat-yóe-mâak
“Mom bought a lot of vegetables from the market.”
73- Sell
ขาย (khǎai)
Example:
ฉันเพิ่งขายรถคันเก่าทิ้งไป
chǎn-phôoeng-khǎai-rót-khan-gào-thíng-bpai
“I just sold my old car.”
74- Teach
สอน (sǎawn)
Example:
เธอสอนฉันทำบราวนี่ได้มั๊ย
thooe-sǎawn-chǎn-tham-braao-nîi-dâi-mái
“Can you teach me how to make brownies?”
75- Open
เปิด (bpòoet)
Example:
เปิดหน้าต่างให้หน่อย
bpòoet-nâa-dtàang-hâi-nàauy
“Please open the window.”
76- Close
ปิด (bpìt)
Example:
อย่าลืมปิดประตู
yhàa-luuem-bpìt-bprà-dtuu
“Don’t forget to close the door.”
77- Turn on
เปิด (bpòoet)
Example:
เงียบจังเลย เปิดทีวีหน่อยได้มั๊ย
ngîiap-jang-looei bpòot-thii-vii-nàauy-dâi-mái
“It is so quiet. Can you please turn on the TV?”
78- Turn off
ปิด (bpìt)
Example:
หนาวจัง ปิดแอร์ได้มั๊ย
nǎao-jang bpìt-aae-dâi-mái
“I’m cold. Can I turn off the air conditioner?”
79- Send
ส่ง (sòng)
Example:
ฉันจะส่งเอกสารให้ทางอีเมลนะ
chǎn-jà-sòng-èek-gà-sǎan-hâi-thaang-ii-meeo-ná
“I will send documents to you via email.”
80- Receive
รับ (ráp)
Example:
เธอได้รับอีเมลจากฉันรึเปล่า
thooe-dâi-ráp-ii-meeo-jàak-chǎn-rúe-bplào
“Did you receive my email?”
81- Produce
ผลิต (phà-lìt)
Example:
บริษัทนี้ผลิตรถยนต์
baaw-rí-sàt-níi-phà-lìt-rót-yon
“This company produces cars.”
82- Cut
ตัด (dtàt)
Example:
ตัดกระดาษให้หน่อยได้มั๊ย
dtàt-grà-dàat-hâi-nàauy-dâi-mái
“Can you cut that paper for me?”
83- Kill
ฆ่า (khâa)
Example:
ใครฆ่าเด็กคนนั้น
khrai-khâa-dèk-khon-nán
“Who killed that child?”
84- Build
สร้าง (sâang)
Example:
ใครสร้างบ้านหลังนี้
khrai-sâang-bâan-lǎang-níi
“Who built this house?”
85- Lean
พิง (phing)
Example:
กรุณาอย่ายืนพิงกระจก
gà-rú-naa-yhàa-yuuen-phing-grà-jòk
“Please do not lean on this glass.”
86- Fold
พับ (pháp)
Example:
พับเสื้อแบบนั้นยังไง
pháp-sûuea-bàaep-nán-yang-ngai
“How do you fold a shirt like that?”
87- Choose
เลือก (lûueak)
Example:
เธอจะเลือกอันไหน
thooe-jà-lûueak-an-nǎi
“Which one will you choose?”
4. The Verb “To Be”
วิกตรรถกริยา (ví-gà-dtàt-thà-gà-rí-yaa) is the verb “to be” in Thai. To be more specific, it refers to verbs that convey the concept that A is B. Below is a list of Thai “to be” verbs and other verbs that are considered วิกตรรถกริยา (ví-gà-dtàt-thà-gà-rí-yaa).
88-90 – To be
Similar to English, there are three verbs for “to be” in Thai: เป็น (bpen), อยู่ (yhùu), and คือ (kuue).
เป็น (bpen) is used to explain the state or status of the subject, or what the subject is.
อยู่ (yhùu) is used to tell the location of the subject.
คือ (khuue) is used to explain the state or status of the subject. This is information that the listeners didn’t know before.
“That rat is so big, its size is almost equal to that of a puppy.”
94- As if
ราวกับ (raao-gàp)
Example:
เธอสวยราวกับนางฟ้า
thooe-sǔuay-raao-gàp-naang-fáa
“She is so beautiful, as if being an angel.”
5. Helping Verbs
กริยานุเคราะห์ (gà-rí-yaa-nú-kráw) is “helping verbs” or “auxiliary verbs” in Thai. Using these is very easy! To put a helping verb in a sentence, you don’t have to change the form of the verb or anything. You just put the helping verb in the right place and that’s it. Below is a list of Thai auxiliary verbs you should know.
95- Will
Thai word: จะ (jà)
How to use: จะ (jà) + verb for affirmative sentence; จะ (jà) + ไม่ (mâi) + verb for negative sentence
Additional Note: เคย (khooei) can also mean “marine shrimp” in Thai.
99- X-ing
Thai word: กำลัง (gam-lang)
How to use: กำลัง (gam-lang) + verb for affirmative sentence
Explanation: When you put กำลัง (gam-lang) in front of verbs, it’s like you’re changing the sentence from present simple tense to present continuous tense.
Example:
คุณครูกำลังตรวจการบ้านอยู่
khun-khruu-gam-lang-dtrùuat-gaan-bâan-yhùu
“The teacher is now grading homework.”
Additional Notes:
Thai people don’t use this helping verb in negative sentences.
กำลัง (gam-lang) can also mean “power” in Thai.
100- Passive form of a verb
Thai word: ถูก (thùuk)
How to use: ถูก (thùuk) + verb for affirmative sentence; ไม่ (mâi) + ถูก (thùuk) + verb for negative sentence
“My younger sister isn’t punished despite not behaving.”
Additional Note: In addition to being a helping verb, ถูก (thùuk) can also mean “correct” and “cheap” in Thai.
101- Already + verb
Thai word: แล้ว (láaeo)
How to use: verb + แล้ว (láaeo) for affirmative sentence
Example:
แม่ทำยำเสร็จแล้ว
mâae-tham-yam-sèt-láaeo
“Mom already finished making spicy salad.”
Additional Note: Thai people don’t use this helping verb in negative sentences.
6. Conclusion
We’re happy to tell you that at this point, you’ve already learned all about basic Thai verbs. What do you think about learning Thai verbs? Was this an easy topic as we told you at the beginning of the lesson, or harder than you expected? Tell us what you think in the comments section!
If you’re in Thailand or becoming more familiar with the Thai language, you’ll be able to memorize and start using these Thai verbs pretty quickly. There are a lot of lessons at ThaiPod101.com to help you master this lesson even faster, such as our Thai verbs page with audio.
And of course, don’t forget to start another new fun Thai lesson at ThaiPod101.com after you finish this one. If you want more information on the parts of speech in Thai, our Thai Nouns, Thai Adjectives, or Thai Pronouns articles may be a good place to start.
Ann is learning Thai. Ann wants to be able to speak Thai fluently. So Ann reads Thai books everyday.
Does this sound weird? That’s because these sentences lack pronouns. Yes, you guessed it correctly, this lesson will teach you about pronouns in the Thai language and how to use them.
The pronoun is another basic component of grammar you have to learn if you want to master any language. Thus, if you’re learning Thai, you’ll need to know Thai pronouns in order to speak like a native.
Before we start learning Thai pronouns, you should know what a pronoun is in the Thai language first. คำสรรพนาม (kham-sàp-phá-naam) is “pronoun” in Thai. Grammatically, Thai has six types of pronouns. Some of these have English equivalents, while some are totally different. Of course, we’ll be covering all of these Thai language pronouns.
In this article, you’ll get to learn Thai pronouns inside and out. We’ll cover everything you should know about Thai pronouns in each category. These include:
Thai personal pronouns
Thai possessive pronouns
Thai demonstrative pronouns
Thai interrogative pronouns
Thai indefinite pronouns
Thai relative pronouns
We’ve prepared a list of these Thai pronouns with examples, and will also cover the Thai pronoun system.
Let’s start with Thai personal pronouns, which are called บุรุษสรรพนาม (bù-rùt sàp-phá-naam) in Thai. This part isn’t very hard as the words here are very similar to those in English. The only difference is that in Thai, there are levels of formality, meaning that each English pronoun may have many equivalents in Thai.
1- Basic information about Thai personal pronouns
Thai subject pronouns and Thai object pronouns are the same. You must remember all of these as they’re part of the possessive and reflexive pronouns.
Unlike in the English language, there are some subject and object pronouns for “I” and “you” that are gender-specific.
For Thai possessive pronouns, the way to remember is: “ของ (khǎawng) + subject/object pronouns.” The usage of this is: “noun + possessive pronoun.”
For Thai reflexive pronouns, the way to remember is: “ตัว (dtuua) + subject/object pronouns.” The usage of this is: “ด้วย (dûuai) + reflexive pronoun + เอง (eeng).”
The table below shows the personal pronouns in English and Thai.
* The pronouns in the table above are listed by level of formality. The first/top pronoun in each list is the most formal one, while the last/lowest one is the most informal.
** The pronouns in orange are feminine pronouns in Thai.
*** The pronouns in green are masculine pronouns in Thai.
2- I / Me / My / Myself
ข้าพเจ้า (khâa-phá-jâo)
ข้าพเจ้า (khâa-phá-jâo) is the most formal singular pronoun that means “I” in Thai. It can be used for both males and females. For speaking, Thai people only use this word in very formal situations, such as taking an oath in an important ceremony. However, you can find it a lot in writing, especially in autobiographies.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of ข้าพเจ้า (khâa-phá-jâo), you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of ข้าพเจ้า (khâa-phá-jâo), you get a reflexive pronoun.
Example 1:
เมื่อข้าพเจ้ายังเป็นเด็ก ข้าพเจ้าพูดอย่างเด็ก
mûuea khâa-phá-jâo yang bpen dèk khâa-phá-jâo phûut yàang dèk
ดิฉัน (dì-chǎn) is another formal pronoun in Thai. However, it’s not as formal as ข้าพเจ้า (khâa-phá-jâo), and is only used for females. Thai people use this pronoun in formal daily conversations, such as in business-related situations.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of ดิฉัน (dì-chǎn), you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of ดิฉัน (dì-chǎn), you get a reflexive pronoun.
ฉัน (chǎn) is probably the pronoun that females use the most. It can be used in casual and not very formal daily conversations.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of ฉัน (chǎn), you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of ฉัน (chǎn), you get a reflexive pronoun.
chǎn tham khà-nǒm wǎan dûuai dtuua khǎawng chǎn eeng
“I made this dessert by myself.”
ผม (phǒm)
ผม (phǒm) is a masculine pronoun, and it can be used in both formal situations and casual situations.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of ผม (phǒm), you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of ผม (phǒm), you get a reflexive pronoun.
Example 1:
ผมจะไปชะอำพรุ่งนี้
phǒm jà bpai chá-am phrûng-níi
“I will go to Chaam tomorrow.”
Example 2:
ทีวีของผมเพิ่งเสียไป
thii-wii khǎawng phǒm phôoeng sǐia bpai
“My TV just broke.”
Example 3:
ผมจะทำด้วยตัวผมเอง
phǒm jà tham dûuai dtuua phǒm eeng
“I will do it by myself.”
กู (guu)
กู (guu) is considered a rude pronoun to use, and you mustn’t use it in formal conversations. Close friends often use this pronoun when talking to each other. It can be used for both males and females.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of กู (guu), you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of กู (guu), you get a reflexive pronoun.
Example 1:
กูไม่ไป
guu mâi bpai
“I won’t go.”
Example 2:
นี่มันเรื่องของกู อย่ามายุ่ง
nîi man rûueang khǎawng guu yàa maa yûng
“This is my business. Don’t stick your nose in.”
Example 3:
รูปนั้นกูวาดด้วยตัวกูเอง สวยมั๊ย
rûup nán guu wâat dûuai dtuua guu eeng sǔuai mái
“I drew that picture by myself. Is it beautiful?”
3- You / Your / Yourself
ท่าน (thâan)
ท่าน (thâan) is used with people you respect. Thai people don’t use this pronoun very much in daily life.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of ท่าน (thâan),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of ท่าน (thâan), you get a reflexive pronoun.
คุณ (khun) is used often in daily life. Thai people use this pronoun in formal situations, especially those related to business.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of คุณ (khun),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of คุณ (khun), you get a reflexive pronoun.
เธอ (thooe) is used as a feminine pronoun only. It’s often used in casual conversations, or when older people are referring to a woman who’s younger than them.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of เธอ (thooe),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of เธอ (thooe), you get a reflexive pronoun.
thooe dtâawng tham gaan-baan dûuai dtuua thooe eeng ná
“You have to do homework by yourself.”
นาย (naai)
นาย (naai) is used as a masculine pronoun only. It’s often used in casual conversations, or when older people are referring to a man who’s younger than them.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of นาย (naai),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of นาย (naai), you get a reflexive pronoun.
มึง (mueng) is considered a rude pronoun to use, and you mustn’t use it in formal conversations. Close friends often use this pronoun when talking to each other. It can be used with both males and females.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of มึง (mueng),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of มึง (mueng), you get a reflexive pronoun.
เรา (rao) and พวกเรา (phûuak rao) are pronouns used to refer to a group of people. They can be used in both formal and informal situations. เรา (rao) and พวกเรา (phûuak rao) are pretty much the same and are completely interchangeable.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of เรา (rao) or พวกเรา (phûuak rao),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of เรา (rao) or พวกเรา (phûuak rao), you get a reflexive pronoun.
พวกกู (phûuak guu) is another pronoun that’s used to refer to a group of people. However, it’s considered to be impolite, and you mustn’t use this pronoun in formal situations.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of พวกกู (phûuak guu),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of พวกกู (phûuak guu), you get a reflexive pronoun.
พวกท่าน (phûuak thâan) is a pronoun that’s used to refer to a group of people whom you respect. Thai people normally use this pronoun in formal situations.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of พวกกู (phûuak thâan),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of พวกกู (phûuak thâan), you get a reflexive pronoun.
พวกเขา (phûuak khǎo) is a pronoun that can be used in situations that are casual or not very formal.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of พวกเขา (phûuak khǎo),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of พวกเขา (phûuak khǎo), you get a reflexive pronoun.
พวกมัน (phûuak man) is a pronoun that’s used to refer to animals and plants in Thai.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of พวกมัน (phûuak man),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of พวกมัน (phûuak man), you get a reflexive pronoun.
phûuak man hǎa aa-hǎan gin dûuai dtuua khǎawng man eeng mâi dâi
“They can’t find food by themselves.”
6- He / Him / His / Himself
เขา (khǎo)
เขา (khǎo) is a masculine Thai language pronoun. It can be used in both formal and informal situations.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of เขา (khǎo),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of เขา (khǎo), you get a reflexive pronoun.
Example 1:
เขาทำอาหารอร่อยมาก
khǎo tham aa-hǎan à-ràauy mâak
“He is very good at cooking.”
Example 2:
อาหารของเขามักมีสีสันสวยงาม
aa-hǎan khǎawng khǎo mák mii sǐi-sǎn sǔuai ngaam
“Their food is in that box.”
Example 3:
เขาสามารถทำอาหารด้วยตัวเขาเองภายใน 10 นาที
khǎo sǎa-mâat tham aa-hǎan dûuai dtuua eeng phaai nai sìp naa-thii
“He can cook by himself within ten minutes.”
7- She / Her / Herself
เธอ (thooe)
เธอ (thooe) is a common feminine pronoun, and it can be used in both formal and informal situations.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of เธอ (thooe),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of เธอ (thooe), you get a reflexive pronoun.
หล่อน (làawn) is another feminine pronoun in Thai. However, Thai people don’t use this word much nowadays; you’re more likely to hear this word in period dramas. Compared to เธอ (thooe), หล่อน (làawn) is more casual. Thus, this pronoun is used in informal situations.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of หล่อน (làawn),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of หล่อน (làawn), you get a reflexive pronoun.
“She raises her baby by herself with no help from others.”
8- It / Its / Itself
มัน (man)
มัน (man) is a pronoun that’s used to refer to animals or plants in Thai.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of มัน (man),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of มัน (man), you get a reflexive pronoun.
phráw man gàae mâak láaeo man looei tham à-rai dûuai dtuua man eeng mâi dâi
“Because it is very old, it can’t do much by itself.”
2. Thai Demonstrative Pronouns
Another type of pronoun in Thai is the demonstrative pronoun, which is called นิยมสรรพนาม (ní-yá-má-sàp-phá-naam). Demonstrative pronouns are especially helpful for those just starting to learn Thai. Understanding this aspect of Thai grammar will help you communicate effectively, even if you don’t know the names of certain objects.
1- This
Thai pronoun: นี่ (nîi)
Explanation: This pronoun is used to refer to a single noun that’s near the speaker.
Example:
นี่คือสินค้าตัวใหม่
nîi khuue sǐn-kháa dtuua mài
“This is a new product.”
2- That
Thai pronoun: นั่น (nân) / โน่น (nôon)
Explanation: นั่น (nan) is used to refer to a single noun that’s far from the speaker, but close to the listener. โน่น (nôon) is used to refer to a single noun that’s far from both the speaker and the listener.
Example 1:
นั่นคืออะไร
nân khuue à-rai
“What is that?”
Example 2:
โน่นคือเสื้อผ้าของแม่
nôon khuue sûuea-phâa khǎawng mâae
“That is Mother’s clothing.”
3- These
Thai pronoun: พวกนี้ (phûuak níi)
Explanation: This pronoun is used to refer to a plural noun that’s near the speaker.
Explanation: พวกนั้น (phûuak nán) is used to refer to a plural noun that’s far from the speaker, but close to the listener. พวกโน้น (phûuak nóon) is used to refer to a plural noun that’s far from both the speaker and the listener.
Explanation: ตรงนั้น (dtrong nán) is used to refer to an area that’s far from the speaker, but close to the listener. ตรงโน้น (dtrong nóon) is used to refer to an area that’s far from both the speaker and the listener.
Example 1:
ตรงนั้นเกิดอะไรขึ้น
dtrong nán gòoet à-rai khûen
“What is happening there?”
Example 2:
เธอกำลังซักผ้าอยู่ตรงโน้น
thooe gam-lang sák phâa yhùu dtrong nóon
“She is washing clothes over there.”
3. Thai Interrogative Pronouns
Thai interrogative pronouns, called ปฤจฉาสรรพนาม (phrùt-chǎa-sàp-phá-naam), are another pronoun type you have to learn about. These are also known as “question words” because they’re most often used when asking questions.
1- Who and Whom
Thai pronoun: ใคร (khrai)
Explanation: ใคร (khrai) is a pronoun that’s used to inquire about a person (or people). ใคร (khrai) can be both a subject and object pronoun.
Example:
ใครเป็นคนวาดรูปนี้
khrai bpen khon wâat rûup níi
“Who drew this picture?”
2- Whose
Thai pronoun: ของใคร (khǎawng khrai)
Explanation: ของใคร (khǎawng khrai) is a pronoun that inquires about the ownership of a certain noun.
Example:
กระเป๋าใบนี้เป็นของใคร
grà-bpǎo bai níi bpen khǎawng khrai
“Whose bag is this?”
3- What
Thai pronoun: อะไร (à-rai)
Explanation: อะไร (à-rai) is a pronoun that inquires about the name, definition, or description of an object.
Example:
นี่คืออะไร
nîi khuue à-rai
“What is this?”
4- Which
Thai pronoun: อันไหน (an nǎi) / คนไหน (khon nǎi)
Explanation: อันไหน (an nǎi) is a pronoun that’s used to ask another party to choose one object out of two or more available ones. คนไหน (khon nǎi) is a pronoun that’s used to ask another party to choose one person out of two or more people.
Example 1:
เธอจะเอาอันไหน
thooe jà ao an nǎi
“Which one do you want?”
Example 2:
คนไหนจะเป็นคนถูบ้าน เอหรือบี
khon nǎi jà bpen khon thǔu bâan ee rǔue bii
“Which person will mop the house? A or B?”
5- Where
Thai pronoun: ที่ไหน (thîi nǎi)
Explanation: ที่ไหน (thîi nǎi) is a pronoun that inquires about place or location.
Example:
บ้านของเธออยู่ที่ไหน
bâan khǎawng thooe yùu thîi nǎi
“Where is your house?”
6- When
Thai pronoun: เมื่อไหร่ (mûuea-rài)
Explanation: เมื่อไหร่ (mûuea-rài) is a pronoun that inquires about time.
Example:
เธอจะมาถึงเมื่อไหร่
thooe jà maa thǔeng mûuea-rài
“When will you arrive?”
7- Why
Thai pronoun: ทำไม (tham-mai)
Explanation: ทำไม (tham-mai) is a pronoun that’s used to inquire about a reason something happened.
“Why did you buy a new TV? Your old one is still fine.”
4. Thai Indefinite Pronouns
อนิยมสรรพนาม (à-ní-yá-má-sàp-phá-naam) is “indefinite pronoun” in Thai. You may notice that some of these pronouns are the same as Thai interrogative pronouns; however, the way to use them is different. These Thai indefinite pronouns are used in declarative sentences, not in questions.
1- Anyone and Anybody
Thai pronoun: ใคร (khrai)
Explanation: You can use this as both a subject and object pronoun. It’s used to refer to an unspecified person in a declarative sentence.
Example:
ใครก็ทำได้ ง่ายแค่นี้เอง
khrai gâaw tham dâi ngâai khâae níi eeng
“Anyone and anybody can do this, it is this easy.”
2- Anything
Thai pronoun: อะไร (à-rai)
Explanation: This pronoun is used to refer to an unspecified object in a declarative sentence.
Example:
ฉันกินอะไรก็ได้
chǎn gin à-rai gâaw dâi
“I can eat anything.”
3- Anywhere
Thai pronoun: ที่ไหน (thîi nǎi)
Explanation: It’s used to refer to an unspecified place in a declarative sentence.
ประพันธสรรพนาม (phra-phan-tha-sap-pha-naam) is “relative pronoun” in Thai. This type of pronoun is used to do two things in a sentence: 1) Replace the noun in the first sentence, and 2) Link two sentences together.
In English, relative pronouns are “which,” “where,” “who,” “whom,” and “whose,” depending on the noun. However, in the Thai language, ที่ (thîi) can be used for all types of nouns. Below are some examples:
ลูกน้องขยัน (lûuk-náawng khà-yǎn) = “Staff (members) are hardworking.”
Example 4:
น้องชอบนักร้องที่ฉันชอบเหมือนกัน
náawng châawp nák-ráawng thîi chǎn châawp mǔuean gan
“My sister likes a singer whom I also like.”
น้องชอบนักร้อง (náawng châawp nák-ráawng) = “My sister likes a singer.”
ฉันชอบนักร้อง (chǎn châawp nák-ráawng) = “I like a singer.”
Example 5:
เจ้านายเลือกผู้หญิงที่ลายมือสวยมาเป็นเลขา
jâo-naai lûueak phûu-yǐng thîi laai-muue sǔuai maa bpen lee-khǎa
“The boss chose a woman whose handwriting is good to be his secretary.”
เจ้านายเลือกผู้หญิงมาเป็นเลขา (jâao-naai lûueak phûu-yǐng maa bpen lee-khǎa) = “The boss chose a woman to be his secretary.”
ผู้หญิงลายมือสวย (phûu-yǐng laai-muue sǔuai) = “Woman has good handwriting.”
Actually, there are two other pronouns in this group, which are ซึ่ง (sûeng) and อัน (an). However, Thai people rarely use these words nowadays.
6. วิภาคสรรพนาม
วิภาคสรรพนาม (ví-phâak-sàp-phá-naam) is the last type of pronoun in Thai, and is actually unique to the Thai language. These pronouns are used to show that the individual components of one noun group do the same (or different) things as each other. This may sound a bit confusing now, but the explanations and examples below should clarify this for you.
1- ต่าง
Thai pronunciation: dtàang
How to use: This pronoun is used when people in the same group do different things. To use it, put ต่าง (dtàang) after the subject.
Example:
นักเรียนต่างทำงานในส่วนของตนเองอย่างขยัน
nák-riian dtàang tham ngaan nai sùuan khǎawng dton eeng yàang khà-yǎn
“Each of the students does their part of the work diligently.”
2- บ้าง
Thai pronunciation: bâang
How to use: This pronoun is used when people in the same group do a few different activities. To use it, put บ้าง (bâang) after the subject of the first sentence; for the following sentence, you use บ้าง (bâang) instead of the subject.
Congratulations on reaching the conclusion. That means you’ve already learned everything about Thai pronouns.
Did you find it hard, or are Thai pronouns similar to those in your language? What do you think about this lesson? Please leave a comment below to let us know!
You may find it difficult to remember everything in this Thai pronouns list. Still, since you’ve learned about these pronouns with their Thai pronunciation, you should go back and try to pronounce them throughout the lesson. Saying the words out loud often will help you remember them better. Anyway, we encourage you to keep practicing this lesson. Pronouns are a basic and important part of the Thai language, so you need to know them. Learning Thai pronouns can be hard, but don’t give up.
What should you learn next? Visit ThaiPod101.com to choose your next lesson. There are various lessons on interesting topics you can choose to explore. Since you’ve already learned about pronouns in this lesson, you may want to try 100 Adjectives and 100 Nouns.
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