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Lets speak Thai
This is a
tonal monosyllabic language. The same word can be said in five different
ways - normal or middle tone, low, rising and falling. Like English it is
read from left to right, but that is where the similarities end. Some
English sounds like "th" and "Z" don't appear at all,
while some Thai sounds are not commonly used in English either.
There are no
plural in Thai, nor are there tenses as such. A word or two is usually added
to determine the past, present or future. If you run into difficulties,
remember to speak slowly and clearly, stick to the simple present tense and
don't use slang.
In Thai
there is a "polite" word attached to the end of anything you say.
For men it is "Krup" for women it is "Kha". The words
have little if any direct translation but a Thai will think very highly of
you if you use it.
|
Basic
Phrases |
| Thankyou |
kop
khun (krup/kha) |
| Excuse
me |
khor
thod |
| Hello |
sawat-dee
(krup/kha) |
| Goodbye |
la
kon |
| Do
you understand |
kao
jai mai |
| Don't
understand |
mai
kao jai |
| please
speak slowly |
phoot
cha-cha |
| Can't
speak Thai |
phoot
Thai mai dai |
| How
much |
tao
rai (krup/kah) |
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