Learning Thai with Bart: Lesson28 – Thinglish Words

I have “stolen” this lesson from the excellent Learn Thai Podcast.

This is about words that you already know. If you know them in English, you will know them in Thai, because Thai people use the English word, but with the Thai accent. Hence “Thinglish”.

Unlike Learn Thai Podcast, I allow myself to comment some of these words.

ball    bawn (the “l” is pronounced “n” in Thai. “Check Bill”, which is also a Thinglish word by the way, is pronounced “Check Bin”).

bank    baeng

bar    baa (“r” is difficult for Thai people, obviously)

battery    baet-ter-rii (They insist on the last syllable: “riiiii”)

beer    bia (see “bar”)

bonus    bo-nat (this is a mystery to me: Thai people have much trouble with the “s” and the “t” at the end of a word. Although this is the same pronounciation as at the beginning of the word: “Thailand” and “Sukhumvit”, for instance, are words that don’t give them any trouble)

bungalow    bang-ka-lo

cable    khe-bern

cake    khek

capsule    khaep-suun

cartoon    kaa-tuun (I like this one )

cheque    chek

christmas    krit-maat

cocaine    kho-khen (sounds like “ai” are a problem)

cocktail    khawk-theo (again)

computer    khawm-phiw-ter

concert    khawn-sert

copy    kawp-pii

coupon     khuu-pawng

fashion    fae-chan

football    fut-bawn

free    frii (No Thai word for “free”. This is a western concept )

golf     kawp

guitar    kii-taa

ice cream    ai-sa-kriim

jackpot    jaek-phawt

jam    yaem

jeans    yiin

kilo    ki-lo

lipstick    lip-sa-tik (the problem with the double consonant like “st”: Thai people need to pronounce both letters separately)

macaroni    ma-ka-ro-nii

microphone    mai-khro-fon

microwave    mai-khro-wep

motorcycle   maw-ter-sai

night club    nai khlap (many word are cut before the end: night becomes nai)

office    awp-fit

percent    per-sen

project    pro-jek

remote    rii-mot

sauce    sawt

share    chae

stamp    sa-taem (again the problem with the 2 consonants: “st”)

taxi    thaek-sii

tennis    then-nit

typhoon    tai-fun

vote    wot (the famous “v” = “w”, like in “Sukhumvit” that they pronounce “Sukhumweet”)

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More Thai lessons here.

Learning Thai with Bart: Lesson27 – Hours

Here is a new lesson, this one in partnership with one of our readers, Chaisana (who obviously speaks Thai better than I do )

Hours

Gee Mong = What time is it? (How many hours).

From 1am till 5am, Thai use Tee + the number of hours. I heard that Tee was about the way people used to announce time in the countryside: with a noise that sounded like Tee and that was repeated as much as the number of hours.

1am = Tee Neung.
2am= Tee Song
3am = Tee Saam
4am = Tee See
5am = Tee Haa or Haa Mong Chao

6am = Hok Mong Chao. “Chao” means “Morning”
7am = Djet Mong Chao
8am = Phet Mong Chao
9am = Kao Mong Chao
10am = Sip Mong Chao
11am = Sip èt Mong Chao

12pm = Tien Wan (for noon).

1pm = Bai Mong
2pm = Bai Song Mong
3pm = Bai saam Mong
4pm = Bai see Mong

5pm = Haa Mong Yén (Yen = evening)
6pm = Hok Mong Yén

The evening hours were announced with a drum which made a “Thum!” sound. That’s what they told me.

7pm = Neung Thum (one drum)
8pm = Song Thum (two drums)
9pm = Saam Thum (etc.)
10pm = See Thum
11pm = Haa Thum
12am = Tien Keung (For midnight. Did they stop with the drum then???)

And now, get your watch!

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More Thai lessons here.

Learning Thai with Bart: Lesson25 – Colors

Name the different colors in Thai language:

Color = Sii

Red = Sii Daeng (pronounced deng)
Yellow = Sii Leuang (pronounced louang)
Pink = Sii Chompu (very close to shampoo)
Green = Sii Khiaw (well…)
Orange = Sii Som (orange (the fruit) = Som)
Blue (light) = Sii Faa
Blue (dark) = Sii Naamngoen
White = Sii Khaao
Black = Sii Dam

There are more of course, but if you already know these ones that is a good start.

If my understanding is correct, Thai people always use the word “Color” with the color itself.

Example:
Nii Sii Arai = What color is this?
Nii Sii Daeng = This is red (color)

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More Thai lessons here.

Learning Thai with Bart: Lesson24 – Directions (for Taxi)

If there is one occasion when speaking Thai is useful, more than useful, vital, this is when you are dealing with a Taxi driver. Here are a few words and sentences to find your way out.

- Pai = Go
- Soi = Street
- Pai Nai (Pai Thiinai) = Where are you going?
- Pai Sukhumvit soi 21 = I go to Sukhumvit soi 21
- Liaw Khwaa = Turn Right (pronounced Leo Kwaa)
- Liaw Sai = Turn Left (pronounced Leo Saii)
- Trong Pai = Go Straight, Straight Ahead
- Glap Rot = U-turn
- Thiinii = Here
- Thiinan = There
- Paak Soi = At the beginning of the soi
- Glaang Soi = At the middle of the soi
- Sut Soi = At the end of the soi

Try it!

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More Thai lessons here.

Learning Thai with Bart: Lesson23 – Phone Number

How to ask someone’s phone number?

Thohrasap = phone
Ber = number (pronounced B”er” like in “After”)
Arai = what

- Ber Thohrasap Khun, ber arai khap = What is your phone number? (phone number you, number what?)

- Ber Thohrasap Phom, ber 08 89 84 94 43 = my phone number is: 08… (phone number me, number: 08…).

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More Thai lessons here.

Learning Thai with Bart: Lesson21 – Recap of the first 20 lessons

Sawadee Khap. The Christmas break has been longer than expected and I had no time yet to start the lessons again. Today is the day! Let’s start with a recap of everything we learned during the first 20 lessons.

Here is what we have learned so far:

- No official transliteration between English and Thai: Words are written differently based on who write them phonetically,
- Use of Khap and Kha based on your gender,
- The word Khun to say “you” or “Mister/Madam”,
- The word Mai for questions and negations,
- How to say “hello” and “how are you?“,
- The word Dai to say “can” or “can’t”,
- Use of the verb “to be” (Pen),
- “Thank you” (Khop Khun) and “no problem/you’re welcome” (Mai pen rai),
- All the numbers (here and here),
- How to say “sorry”: Krawthoht,
- How to say Yes and No,
- To have: Mii,
- The days of the week,
- The word Arai to say “What?”,
- The word Tinai to say “Where?”,
- How to say I or Me,
- The word Aroi to say “I like” (food) or “I don’t like”,
- Do you speak (Phut) English/Thai/French?,

Welcome back to school!!!

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More Thai lessons here.

Learning Thai with Bart: Lesson 20 – Do you speak English?

This is useful to make sure that someone can understand you before you start to talk

“Speak” is “Phut” in Thai (pronounced Poot). But the grammar is different from the English one: one does not say “Do you Speak English?” but something like “Speak Language English, can you?”.

“Language” is “Phaasaa” in Thai. “Nitnoi” means “a bit, a little”.

Khun Phut Phaasaa Angrit Dai Mai? (“You Speak Language English Can?”)

Dai Khap (I can)
Mai Dai Khap (I can’t)
Phom Phut Phaasaa Angrit Dai Nitnoi (I can speak a bit of English)

Khun Phut Phaasaa Thai Dai Mai? (“Can you speak Thai?”)
Khun Phut Phaasaa Farangset Dai Mai? (“Can you speak French?”)
Khun Phut Phaasaa German Dai Mai? (“Can you speak German?”)

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More Thai lessons here.

Learning Thai with Bart: Lesson18 – I, Me: Phom or Dichan?

“I” or “me” is different whether you are a guy or a girl.

If you are a girl, “I” or “me” is “dichan” (pronounced Dee Chan). If you are a boy, “I” or “me” is “Phom” (pronounced Pom).

Vocabulary:

Angrit = English
Farangset = French
Khon = person

Examples:

- Dichan chue Jenny = My name is Jenny
- Phom chue Bart = My name is Bart

- Dichan pen Khon Angrit = I am English (girl speaking)
- Phom pen Khon Farangset = I am French (boy speaking)

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More Thai lessons here.