The Thai phrases you use most often…
Moving to a county with a new foreign language to tackle, I depend on two sure-fire phrases. The first phrase I learn is ‘I don’t understand’. And the second phrase is ‘this does not work’. I also practice my blank stare.
Why these three? Ok, I know from past experience that 1) something is going to break on my first day in any new country; and 2) I need someone else to do all the heavy language lifting; and 3) since I’m using their language, even if it’s ‘I don’t understand’, then they are not going to believe me and will start talking really fast until they take pause to admire my really brilliant blank stare.
So if you follow my instructions, eventually everything will be well in your foreign world too.
Hah! Well, let me know how that works out for you, ok?
The recent post about Andrew Biggs, Andrew Biggs on Twitter and Facebook, got me thinking about the phrases people use most often in Thailand. What I mean is, beyond the typical สวัสดี /sà-wàt-dee kha/ and all. And since you already know my two phrases, what I did was ask around. I asked those in the know to please pay attention to the Thai phrases they found themselves saying the most, and then send them to me.
Those I asked are from varied backgrounds, so there is sure to be something here for you: Thai, expat, men, women, single, married, students, teachers, employed, retired, moms, pops, and those in their thirties all the way up to grannies and grandpas. Nice.
Note: To see the transliteration in the Thai phrases below, roll your curser over the Thai script. If the Thai script is too small for you to read, use command + if on a Mac, and control + if on a PC. If you have a new MacBook Pro or similar, just flick your fingers across your track pad. And if none of those work, google is your friend.
Benjawan Becker…
Here are phrases that I often use. A lot of them are from Speak Like a Thai Volume 1.
- เดี๋ยวก่อน
Hold on! - ทำอะไรอยู่
What are you up to? - แป๊บนึง
Just one moment. - ไปก่อนนะ
I have to go now. - เดี๋ยวมา
I’ll be right back. - บอกแล้วไง
I told you so. - สมน้ำหน้า
It serves you right. - เสียเวลาจริงๆ
What a waste of time! - ไม่รวยก็สวยได้
You may not be rich, but you can be beautiful. - ไม่สวยก็รวยได้
You may not be beautiful, but you can be rich.
- แล้วเจอกัน
See you later. - แค่นี้นะ
That’s all for now. - รอไม่ไหวแล้ว
I can’t wait any longer. - แล้วแต่คุณ
It’s up to you. - อดไม่ได้
I can’t help it. - บ้ารึเปล่า
Are you crazy? - ทำได้ไง
How did you do it? - ไม่ได้ยิน
I can’t hear you. - แน่ นะ
Are you certain? - เป็นไปได้ยังไง
How can it be? - เดี๋ยวก็รู้
We shall see.
Benjawan Becker,
Paiboon Publishing | Phrase from: Speak Like a Thai Volume 1
On WLT: Interview: Benjawan Poomsan Becker | Learn Thai with Benjawan Poomsan Becker
Kaewmala…
Besides “Oscar, fetch the ball”, I’ve discovered that my top phrase is “ha ha ha ha” (my hubby makes me laugh). Here’s the third most uttered phrase by me (or if not in actuality, I fancy it is :)
ประมาณนั้น
Something like that.
(It’s a very “Bangkok” vernacular)
Kaewmala,
Thai Woman Talks – Language, Politics & Love | Thaisextalk.com
On WLT: Thai Sex Talk for St Valentine’s Day
Amy Praphantanathorn…
My angle on this project is child-centered Thai phrases, so I’ve included phrases said quite often to my son Aidan. Yes, these are simple little phrases, but they are honestly used around my house!
- รอเดี๋ยว
Slow down! - ห้ามตีลังกา
No doing somersaults. - จะทำอะไร
What are you going to do? - พ่อทำให้เอง
Daddy will do it for you. - อย่า เพิ่งอย่าเพิ่ง
Just wait!
- หลับสบายไม๊
Did you sleep well? - ได้เวลาใส่เสื้อผ้า
Time to get dressed. - ไปแปรงฟัน
Go brush your teeth. - เร็วๆหน่อย
Hurry up! - แป๊บนึง
Wait up!
Amy_Praphantanathorn,
The Expat Woman’s Guide to Living in Thailand
On WLT: Learning Thai with Thai Husband and Child | The Expat Women’s Guide to Bangkok
Luke Cassady-Dorion…
เออ
This is a very informal way to reply affirmatively to a question. While it is something that your teachers will tell you never to say, they likely say it with friends.
Example:
Q: พรุ่งนี้ไปดูหนังมั้ย
Do you want to see a movie tomorrow?
A: เออ
Sure.
(the more polite answer is ไปครับ)
ดูก่อน
Literally translates as “see before” which makes absolutely no sense. Instead, translate this entire expression to mean something like “let’s see, let me check, I’ll let you know”. It is a way of replying to an invitation and saying that you don’t know yet, but will let the person know when you finally decide. It can also be used when you want to reply in the negative but don’t want to offend the other person by directly turning down the invitation. It is often used if you just don’t feel like committing to something.
Example:
Q: พรุ่งนี้ไปดูหนังมั้ย
Do you want to see a movie tomorrow?
A: ดูก่อน
Let me see how I feel tomorrow…
เป็นคนที่…
Literally translates to mean “am person that” or “I am a person that” or something along those lines. Usage is relatively clear, it is just that we don’t have an expression like this in English. This expression is used pretty frequently to stress a detail about themselves.
Example:
Q: พรุ่งนี้ไปดูหนังมั้ย
Do you want to see a movie tomorrow?
A: ไปคะฉันเป็นคนที่ชอบดูหนังมาาาาาาาาก
Yes! I love watching movies.
More:
ขอโทษที่เมามากคืนก่อนผมเป็นคนที่คอเมาง่าย
Sorry I got drunk the other night, I tend to get drunk easily.
ไอเป็นคนที่ชอบใส่สีแสดงสดใส
I (using the informal English loanword) like wearing bright colors.
Luke Cassady-Dorion,
Goldenland Polygot | www.luke.org
On WLT: Interview: Luke Cassady-Dorion: Photographer and Linguist | Grokking the Thai Writing System Part 1: Consonants
Scott Earle…
อี๊อี๊
An equivalent of ‘Ewwww’.
คิดได้ยังไง
“How could you think that?”
บ้าหรอ
“Are you insane?”
บ่เป็นหยัง
Isaan/Lao equivalent of ไม่เป็นไร /mâi bpen rai/.
อิอิ
Cheeky laughter, “hehe”.
กรี๊ด
A sound representing astonishment/excitement/hysteria.
เอ๊าะ
Of a girl – young-looking. e.g. หน้าเอ๊าะ /nâa ór/ or simply เอ๊าะ ๆ /ór ór/.
เขิน
Embarrassed, e.g. from a compliment.
โ หย
Really really hungry.
แซ่บ
This is Thai and Lao. It means really delicious. Also can mean really delicious and extremely spicy. You see this in the names of a few shops (such as ‘yum sap’, the chain that sells very spicy Isaan food), and I am sure you’ve heard it before. If you want your som-tam really spicy you can say ‘phet’ until you’re blue in the face, but with the farang face you’re only ever getting it ‘quite spicy’. If you ask for it ‘saep-saep’ you’ll get it proper-spicy.
ไม่ไหว
Literally “not able”. “I’ve had enough, I can’t take any more”. Also, ไม่ไหวแล้ว is heard often.
I guess that means I need to find 9 more? Sigh.
Scott Earle
Scott’s website and blog
AjarnPasa…
As every good language learner knows the best way to learn is to practise in authentic, real life situations. Striking up a conversation out of nothing can be a bit tricky if you don’t know the cultural platitudes or small talk.
The few following phrases come in very handy, being the Thai equivalents of ‘How are you?’ or ‘What’s up?’, and the kind of small talk one engages in with new acquaintances. They are the natural way to precipitate the slide into deeper conversation, and of course that’s where the good stuff is.
While of course not all of these are appropriate with all people, I find myself using one or two of them at least when I meet a new person.
- กินข้าวหรือยัง
Have you eaten or not yet? - ไปไหน
Where are you going? - เป็นไงบ้าง
How’s things? - มีลูกหรือยัง
Do you have any children, or not yet? - แต่งงานหรือยัง
Are you married, or not yet?
- อายุเท่าไร
How old are you? - มาจาจังหวัดไหน
Which province do you come from? - บ้านอยู่ไหน
Where is your home? - อยู่แถวไหน
Which area do you live in? - ทำงานอะไร
What’s your work?
___________________
I have found that the other side of making the most of good, instructive conversation is to try where possible to convince your conversation partner that your Thai is better than it actually is. This way you are pushed out of your comfort zone and into your learning zone. To do this I throw in as many colloquialisms as I can naturally muster, as well as a few Thai back channel responses (Thai equivalents of the English ‘umms’ and ‘ahhs’), and those oh so abundant untranslatable particles.
ไม่เป็นไร
The colloquialism to end all colloquialisms!
อือ
like ‘Uhuh’
โอ้โห
Exclamatory interjection e.g. โอ้โห David Beckham วิ่งเร็วมาก: Wow! David Beckham runs fast.
ละ
a particle used to form questions (among others) e.g. แล้วคุณละ: And how about you?
นะ
a particle to soften a statement (maybe like asking “…OK?” after a making a command) e.g. อย่านะ: Don’t … just yet, OK?
สิ
a particle to add emphasis e.g. ไปสิ: Go!
เถอะ
a particle to add mild emphasis e.g. ไปกันเภิอะ : Let’s go!
ไง
a particle used to imply that the preceding statement is self evident e.g. นี่ไง: This one!
จ้า
a particle used instead of ครับ or คะ which is softer and less formal.
จ๋า
a particle used to sound affectionate when calling someone’s name.
N.B. All of these particles take on multiple meanings depending on context. I’ve mentioned just one for each. They all take lots of trial and error and careful listening to others’ use to get right.
AjarnPasa,
Tweet Yourself Thai | Twitter @AjarnPasa
Me (sort of)…
Below are more sentences from Andrew Biggs on Twitter. I chose these because (not) sleeping is always on my mind. And if you read through Andrew’s tweets, the subject of sleep is often in his thoughts as well.
- ฉันเหนื่อยสุดๆ
I’m exhausted. - จะนอนแล้ว
[I’m] going to sleep - นอนหลับฝันดี
Sweet dreams - ขอ ให้หายเร็วๆค่ะ
Get well soon.
- เพิ่งตื่น
I just woke up. - เมื่อคืนฉันหลับสนิท
Last night I slept like a log. - ฉันนอนหลับปกติดีขึ้น
I am sleeping better. - วันนี้ฉันตื่นสาย
Today I woke up late.
___________________
Btw, the general purpose Thai phrase for ‘this doesn’t work’ is นี่ใช้ไม่ได้. The Thai phrase for ‘I don’t understand’ is ไม่เข้าใจ. Both are invaluable phrases one cannot live without in any country (even your own). Now about that blank stare… heh.
Enjoy…