Speak Thai Volume 1 Grammar

Thai - Hello

Isaan Thai - I drink beer

 Thai - What is your name?

 Isaan Thai - We like you

 Thai - I want a beer Chang

 Isaan Thai - I miss you

 Thai - Can we meet again?

 Isaan Thai - I'll phone you tomorrow

 Thai - Good luck

Isaan Thai - How are you?

Thai - I'm just looking

Isaan Thai - Where do you come from?

Thai - Please switch on the fan

 Isaan Thai - You're welcome

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Speak Thai Volume 1 Grammar

Speak Thai Volume 1 covers all the fundamental grammar, language and word understanding you need to know to speak Thai successfully. Aspects of grammar are introduced in either distinct segments or are explained as and when they crop up in words and phrases. Whilst the list below may look daunting, rest assured, these aspects of grammar and word use are covered in a simple, interesting and easy to understand way.

PRONUNCIATION CHAPTER

1. How to pronounce the five Thai tones
2. Pronouncing Thai vowels
3. The importance of pronouncing short and long vowel length correctly
4. Pronouncing Thai consonants
5. Special focus on pronouncing difficult Thai consonants: ng, dt, bp, r
6. Pronouncing Thai consonants ‘p’, ‘t’ and ‘k’ that appear at the end of words correctly
7. Being aware of colloquial pronunciation of words beginning to r consonants
8. Being aware of  ‘r’ and ‘l’ consonants sound being dropped in consonant cluster words
9. Being aware of ‘kw’ consonants sound changing to ‘f’ sound
10. Being aware of tone irregularities between how a word is written in Thai script and the tone they are actually spoken
    

GREETINGS

1. Structure of language: Word order is subject - verb - object
2. Structure of language: Adjectives follow object / noun they relate to
3. Structure of language: Verb doesn’t change its form for I. you, he / she, we, they
4. Structure of language: Singular and plural nouns and adjectives don’t change their form
5. Structure of language: Verb remains the same for tenses
6. Structure of language: Connecting words like the, is, are, and, to, a, am etc. are omitted
7. Personal pronouns: I / me (male), I / me (female), you, he / she, we / us, They, It
8. Personal pronouns: Use of ‘ter’ to express he / she
9. Personal pronouns: Use of ‘puak’ with pronouns
10. Personal pronouns: Use / non use of word for ‘it’
11. Personal pronouns: Omitting pronouns when context is clear
12. Personal pronouns: Noun + pronoun + verb sentence forms: using peoples names
13. Personal pronouns: Noun + pronoun + verb sentence forms: using animal and object names
14. Polite particles: Polite particles: ‘krap’ / ‘ka’
15. Polite particles: Using ‘krap’ / ‘ka’ to show politeness
16. Polite particles: Using ‘krap’ / ‘ka’ to indicate you are showing attention and agreement
17. Polite particles: Using ‘krap’ / ‘ka’ to indicate yes
18. Polite particles: ‘krap pom’
19. Saying hello: Formal and informal ‘sa-wad-dee krap / ka’ greeting
20. Use of word ‘len’ with verbs to indicate an action is being done for fun
21. Use of word ‘nah’ / ‘nah kaow’ to indicate field / rice field / farm
22. Verb compounds: Using of 2 verbs together without any linking words
23. ‘Bpy ... mah’: Meaning and usage
24. How Thai words are formed: Literal word meanings for compound words
25. Origin and use of ‘nang’ (leather) in words
26. Colloquial way of saying hospital
27. Use of English words in Thai: End consonant ‘l’ becomes an ‘n’
28. Explanation of Thai word for shopping
29. Making conversation: ways to be proactive
30. Making conversation: Use of ‘laeo kun la’
31. Explanation of ‘you, you’ greeting
32. Suggested response to ‘you, you’ greeting
33. The ‘gin kaow’ greeting
34. Reduplication: practice of repeating certain verbs
35. ‘My’: Use of question marker word ‘my’ at end of sentence
36. ‘My’: Use of ‘my’ at beginning of sentence
37. ‘My aroy’: Explanation of strength of criticism this implies
38. Use of ‘welcome’ in greeting
39. Explanation of ‘how are you?’ greeting and appropriate form of response
40. The ‘fa-rang, fa-rang’ greeting: meaning and suggested response
41. ‘Lah gorn’ goodbye: word meaning ‘gorn’
42. Use of polite particle ‘na’ in conjunction with ‘krap’ / ‘ka’
43. ‘Chohk dee’: Meaning and use as a goodbye greeting
44. Meeting words ‘pop’, ‘jer’, ‘bra-chum’: what to use and when
45. Use of hello word ‘sa-wad-dee’ for goodbye 

MEETING PEOPLE

1. Thai - the compound word language: How Thai words are formed
2. Thai - the compound word language: Examples of verb + verb, verb + noun, noun + noun
3. Question words: The role of questions in your Thai conversations
4. Question words: Question marker (my?), what?, where?, when?, why?, which?, who?, how?, how much? / how many?, How long? (time)
5. Responding positively to questions asked using ‘my?’: Repeating the verb
6. Responding negatively to questions asked using ‘my?’: Saying ‘my’ before the verb
7. Using high and low tone ‘na’ polite particles
8. Explanation of word ‘yoo’ and use / non use with ‘tee’
9. Idiosyncratic use of ‘bpy ary?’ and ‘bpy tam ary?’ to ask ‘where?’
10. Use of ‘tam-my?’ (why?) at beginning and end of sentences
11. Idiosyncratic use of ‘a-ry’ to mean ‘which?’
12. Use of present, past, and future tense markers in sentences: ‘gamlang’ / ‘yoo’, ‘laeo’, ‘ja’
13. Use of surnames in Thailand
14. Use of polite title ‘kun’
15. Use of forename with title ‘kun’, ‘mr.’, ‘mrs.’
16. Thai ‘nicknames: their importance and meaning
17. Examples of common Thai nicknames and meaning
18. To be: use of ‘bpen’ and ‘yoo’
19. Using ‘bpen kon’ to indicate nationality
20. When to use ‘bpra-teht’ or ‘meuang’ to indicate country
21. Explanation of cultural pleasantry of asking how old you are: age in Thai society
22. Thai numbers: Use of ‘sip’
23. Thai numbers: Use of ‘et’ to indicate ‘one’
24. Age: Use of ‘kuap’ and ‘bpee’ when asking a persons age
25. Age: Use of ‘laeo’
26. Use of ‘nak’, ‘kon’ and ‘chahng’ with occupational titles
27. ‘Chy my?’: Asking to confirm something you believe to be correct
28. ‘Krap’ / ‘ka’: Importance of use when speaking Thai
    

EATING

1. Request words: ‘kor’, ‘ow’, ‘chuay’, ‘dy my?’, ‘chern’
2. Use of particle ‘noy’ with ‘kor’ for added politeness: ‘kor … noy’
3. ‘Chuay’: Meaning when ‘duay’ is added
4. ‘Chern’: Meaning of word ‘chern’ when used with a verb and when used on its own
5. Use of word ‘kor-tort krap / ‘kor-tort ka’
6. Polite particles: ‘noy’,       ‘na’, ‘la’(high and low tone)
7. Using ‘na’ with commands
8. Using ‘na’ with statements
9. Using ‘na’ with requests, friendly warnings and when telling people things directly
10. Using ‘la’ with ‘krap’ / ‘ka’
11. Explanation of word meanings of ‘neua’
12. Explanation of word meanings for ‘noo’
13. Drink: ‘deum’ / ‘nam deum’ meaning and usage
14. ‘Laeo reu yang?’: Explanation of question form and how to respond
15. ‘Laeo reu yang?’: How shortened in everyday speech
16. ‘Dy my?’: Response forms to ‘dy my?’ questions
17. ‘Bpen my?’: Responding to ‘bpen my?’ questions
18. ‘My dy’: How meaning changes when used after verb and before verb
19. ‘My dy’: Examples of use to mean can’t, and use to mean ‘didn’t
20. Expected responses to the ‘Is it tasty?’ question
21. Use of word ‘nit noy’ to indicate a little bit
22. Use of word ‘eek’ as more or again
23. Using the phrase ‘im laeo’ to reject offer of food
24. Use of ‘gern bpy’, ‘mahk’, ‘nit noy’, ‘my mahk’, ‘my’, to indicate a degree of a characteristic
25. Words you can use to soften a negative response
26. Use of ‘tow-ry’ at the end of a sentence
27. Superlatives: Using ‘tee sut’
28. Intensifying a thank you
29. Use of reduplication in a thank you
    

DRINKING

1. Want words and how to use them: ‘yahk’ / ‘yahk ja’
2. Want words and how to use them: ‘ow’
3. Want words and how to use them: ‘dtorng gahn’
4. To like: ‘chorp’
5. To bring: ‘ow…mah’
6. To take: ‘ow .. .bpy’
7. Words that can be used for to mean ‘for’: ‘hy’, ‘sam-rap’
8. Word meanings for ‘low kaow’ and ‘see sip’
9. Explanation of word ‘mee’: To have or there is
10. Use of ‘reu’ (or) without question marker
11. Words that can mean with: ‘sy’, ‘gap’, ‘duay gan’
12. Word meaning and use of ‘hew’ and ‘hew nam’
13. How to respond to open and closed question forms
14. Words used to offer a toast
15. Use of bottle and bag classifier words when ordering beer and ice
16. Meaning of ‘hy’ as ‘for me’ when pronoun is omitted when asking for assistance
17. The concept of ‘sa-nuk’ and expressing that something is fun
18. Thai values of politeness (su-pahp) and consideration for others (grehng jy)
19. Use of ‘soop bu-ree’ and ‘soop’ in relation to smoking
    

TALKING ABOUT LANGUAGE, FAMILY AND PEOPLE

1. Question tags: ‘chy my?’
2. Question tags: ‘laeo ler yang?’
3. Question tags: ‘reu bplow?’
4. Question tags: ‘rer?’
5. Question tags: ‘rer?’ spoken as ‘ler?’
6. Question tags: Using combinations of question tags and questions together – ‘my chy, rer?’ / ‘a-ry rer?’
7. Language: Using ‘ork’ (out) with verb to indicate an action has not been brought to a conclusion
8. Language: Use of compliments in Thai society – ‘poot Ty geng’
9. Language: Suitable responses to being told that you ‘poot Ty geng’
10. Language: Use of ‘dtae’ (but)
11. Language: Use of ‘rork’ to contradict a statement or opinion
12. Language: Use of ‘kor hy’ (request for me) in requests
13. Language: Interjections and their use
14. Family: Use of ‘sah-mee’ and ‘pua’ when referring to husband
15. Family: Use of ‘pan-ra-yah’ and ‘mia’ when referring to wife
16. Family: Use of ‘look’ and ‘dek’ when referring to children
17. Family: Use of grandmother term as title of respect for older people
18. Family: Use of family kinship terms in place of pronouns: ‘pee’, ‘norng’
19. Family: Use of kinship terms when being introduced to other to indicate status in family hierarchy
20. Family: Meaning of word ‘faen’
21. Family: ‘Mia noy’ (little wife) and her place in Thai society
22. Family: Explanation of word for step mother (mae liang)
23. Family: ‘Korng’: meaning, use and omitting
24. Family: Use of ‘dtae’ to add perspective
25. Family: Reminder of use of ‘kuap’ and ‘bpee’ when asking age
26. Family: Use of classifier ‘kon’ when asking about siblings
27. Family: Explanation of use of sniff kiss to express endearment
28. People: Use of ‘bpen’ and ‘kon’ when attributing a personality characteristic to someone
29. People: Explanation of word ‘bpum bpooi’
30. People: Use of ‘nah gliat’ (ugly) to describe both physical looks and objectionable actions
31. Grammar: The use of pre-fixes to modify word meanings
32. Grammar: Use of pre-fix ‘nah’
33. Grammar: Use of pre-fix ‘gahn’
34. Grammar: Use of pre-fix ‘kwahm’
35. Grammar: Use of pre-fix ‘kee’
36. Vocabulary building: Opposite words
    

TRANSLITERATION GUIDE

1. Phonetic transliteration: Low class consonants
2. Phonetic transliteration: Mid class consonants
3. Phonetic transliteration: High class consonants
4. Phonetic transliteration: Short vowels
5. Phonetic transliteration: Long vowels

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