I recently started learning Thai. Still, when you live in a foreign country and do not understand a word, you feel like a deaf and dumb idiot.
On many websites and forums, it is often discussed that learning Thai is almost impossible. Either you taught it from childhood, or you won’t master it anymore. This is because this language has 5 keys, that is, the same word has 5 completely, completely different meanings. And it seems almost impossible for our ear to assimilate and at least distinguish so many pronunciations. However, many teach, and after a year they begin to understand well what the Thais say. Alas, it is much more difficult to speak clearly. In order to be understood, it is initially necessary to learn the word along with its tonality.
what is there to learn?
I decided that I would not go to the courses just yet. It is still difficult to imagine that I will learn the alphabet from scribbles. The text in Thai is written from left to right without spaces between words, punctuation marks and capital letters. It has 44 letters for consonants (although there are 28 consonants themselves), 24 signs for vowels and diphthongs, and 4 signs for changing tone (each of which, in addition, has its own meaning, depending on the class of the consonant). Consonants are written horizontally from left to right, while vowels are written above, below, to the left, or to the right of the corresponding consonant. In general, a nightmare.
I had another idea - to learn the language, as children learn. After all, a child does not first learn letters and how words are written? He hears phrases in everyday speech, associates words with objects, actions, sensations. The child learns by talking. This is how I went this way. When I decided to take a massage course, already in the first hour I realized that just lying down was terribly boring. And she began to ask the masseuse different phrases and words. General knowledge of English was enough for something (moreover, she has it better than mine), she poked fingers at some objects, but she explained something as best she could, with hands, gestures, as far as my imagination was enough. It turned out that I asked a phrase, and then lay and calmly digested it during the massage. Here it turns out an individual “occupation”, a sentence or a word can be repeated many times until it works, and then repeat as much as you want to yourself. If you forget, ask again. Even if you spend 10-15 minutes memorizing and repeating, which is not a little, because at home you can never allocate so much time for memorizing one word or sentence, then for hour - hour 15 massage times, you can remember 4-5 phrases at least !!! Moreover, I really liked the Thai language. Unlike ours, where one word can contain ten letters, here the words are mostly literally from one syllable, rarely two. Although sometimes there are those that are pronounced as whole sentences. But in this case, we are simply looking for simpler synonyms. Moreover, it is very easy for me to remember them, because some associations arise with each. For example, I want something like “thin”. I immediately remember - "everyone wants to be thin", thin - I want to. And I understand - "cat". Who is the most understanding? Cat! KOTai understands everything...) I don't... mei ru. Mail ru immediately comes to mind)
I do not start my studies with the phrases "Mom washed the frame" or the alphabet. I don’t learn the stories “My Motherland”, I try to ask those words and phrases that I will need in the store, on the street, when meeting, or if I get lost.
Of course, I don't know how correct my pronunciation is. And I suspect that a lot of what I say is completely wrong. But I can practice right there, in the nearest shop, and see if they understand me or not.
What is most pleasant, I already distinguish some words in a conversation (or I think I do))) and even managed to say a couple of phrases to an unfamiliar Thai and they understood me. It seems to me that it doesn’t work out, as we do in Russia with English, when everyone has been learning for years, but they can’t speak, that’s how it should be taught - in life, on the street, with neighbors, but just poking at an unfamiliar fruit or thing and asking the name of any nearby Thai. And by the way, as soon as I started learning the language, they began to treat me completely differently. Because the Thais are very good to those who do not seek to bring their broom into someone else's hut, creating national autonomy in the regions, but respect their culture, and, choosing Thailand as their place of life, learn the language of the locals.
Love the country, and it will love you back!
By the way, Thai is spoken by more than 25 million people, so it might come in handy! However, there are four recognized dialects in Thailand, Northern, Northeastern, Central and Southern, although Central is the most common.
Coming to Thailand, try to master at least the basic phrases, this will win over the locals. Feel free to ask them to correct you, do not be afraid of ridicule, rather, you will receive a more respectful attitude in return. When referring to Thais, always add the prefix Cap or Kaa, it does not depend on the gender of the person you are addressing, but on yours. That is, a man should always say kraap, and a woman should always say kah. This prefix indicates your upbringing and respect for the interlocutor.
When addressing a Thai, learn their names. However, most likely full name they will not tell you, they are afraid of something like the evil eye. So women are likely to be called "Si", "Su" and so on. Before the name, if you treat a person with respect, both men and women are treated with the prefix khun.
Basic words and phrases in Thai, found on sites for learning Thai:
Hello - SAVAT DI KHRAP (KHA)
Goodbye- LA: KO:N KHRAP(KHA)
Thank you - KHO:P KHUNG KHRAP(KHA) Thanks a lot khop khun maak
How are you? How are you? - KHUN SABA:Y DI: MAI KHRAP(KHA)
How much is it? - RA:KHA: THAURAI KHRAP(KHA)
I don't want- POOM (CHAN) MAY AU KHRAP (KHA)
Sorry- CHO: THO:D KHRAP(KHA)
I don't understand- PHOM (CHAN) MAY KHAU THAY KHRAP(KHA)
Good luck- CHO:K DI: KHRAP(KHA)
mai dee - bad, bad
dee maak - very good
bai cha cha - drive slowly
bai rew rew - drive fast
trong bai - straight
liew sai - to the left
liew kwaar - to the right
pood thai mai dai - I don't speak Thai
…yoo thi nai? - where is..?
prung nee - tomorrow
wan nee - today
Do I need to know the Thai language for a comfortable stay in Thailand? It is quite difficult to answer this question and in general the topic of the language is quite interesting. Thousands of different foreigners have been living in Thailand for years, some of them even work in Thai companies, some do their own business, but only a few of them can boast of their knowledge and say something more complex than just: “hi, how are you?”, “how much?”, “you are beautiful!” etc. What is the point and is the Thai language really so important for a comfortable stay in Thailand? Let's figure it out together.
Taken from: campus.campus-star.com
Why 99.99% of expats don't speak Thai?
Difficulties, or even fear of learning the Thai language are caused by some points, firstly, this language is tone-based, an unusual writing system and grammar, a completely different syntax (sentence building), and just a genetic fear of Asian languages, as before something absolutely incomprehensible . These reasons, in my opinion, are the biggest obstacle to learning the Thai language. Although, as the experience of teaching in Thai language schools in Bangkok shows, tonality in the language is not such a difficult obstacle, because almost all the students with whom I studied, with rare exceptions, quickly got used to tonality, and age was not a problem either. Secondly, in tourist places such as Pattaya, Phuket, Koh Samui, where most expats live, almost all the service personnel who work with foreigners can clearly communicate in English, and sometimes even in Russian. In Bangkok, the situation with the English language among local residents is also quite favorable, if these areas are somehow in contact with foreigners, and students know English better and better every year. Thirdly, even if it was not tourist place, and in those rare cases when it was necessary to somehow communicate with the local population: buy a motorcycle, rent a room, and much more, it was always possible to explain “on the fingers” or it was always possible to find a person nearby who could help us decide language problem. For example, if I needed to get somewhere in Bangkok by public transport, then I could ask the students at the bus stop, and there was always someone who would speak English. Also, for the past few years, almost everyone has smartphones, and there is a Google translator. Even electronic translator does not translate Asian languages very well, but for general understanding it is quite good, so this added a few more points to not learning the language. If a foreigner works in a Thai office, then most likely he is a very high-class specialist, since the Thai bosses decided to hire him, because applying for a job of a foreigner requires some effort, then this office is doing something serious and international, therefore, almost all Thais are there I will speak English. As you can see, for an ordinary simple life of an expat, even if working in Thailand, knowledge of the Thai language is not required, and even if you add an ordinary human laziness, then we see why people, living in Thailand for many years, cannot speak Thai. But, if you still want to live in Thailand in an interesting way and use the chance that has fallen to you to the fullest, then you need to learn the Thai language. At the very beginning of training, it turns out that it will be very useful to be able to read signs on the streets, bus routes, announcements, menus in cafes and restaurants, and, for sure, you can still remember other situations. Although, I would argue about signs and announcements, because in many places an entrance ticket for locals costs more than a few, and sometimes ten or more times cheaper than for foreigners, and after reading this sign, you start to feel sad. In addition to the above, I can write a little of my experience. In Russia, the Thai language is studied very little. At the “east faculty” in St. Petersburg, there may be less than five people from the whole stream who study this interesting language. If you master Thai, and even do this in Thailand, then another useful property, which will always help you out and feed you. I had to accompany groups of Thais in St. Petersburg several times, and even earned something from this, because there are very few people who speak Thai in Russia! So, push yourself, comrades, and learn this wonderful language. Learning Thai in Russia and CIS countries
I don't know how things are with the study of the Thai language in Europe, in Australia, or in the Americas, but in the CIS countries things are bad, almost nothing. In Russia, this is a little better. There are several universities where there are special departments: ISAA, MGIMO, St. Petersburg State University, Nizhny Novgorod University, and probably also FEFU. But there will be a very long education, after all, these are universities, and in addition to the language, many other subjects will have to be taught. Therefore, at universities there are simply language courses in Moscow, St. Nizhny Novgorod (Center for Thai Language and Culture
Conclusions. If you are going to study Thai in Russia, then at universities it will be very deep and long, this option is for those who want to get in touch with Thailand seriously. In language courses at the university, you can learn a language well, because the same teachers are from the university, but it’s still not very intensive, and you have to live in those cities where Thai teachers eat. With private Russian teachers - how lucky if you can find a good one. Options with language courses and with private teachers (Thai and non-Thai) for those who want to improve their language more intensively, for example, to move to Thailand, and for this you first need an initial language base, and also who just like to learn the language. From the experience of my acquaintances, I can say that even while studying Thai in Russia in courses, some people made significant progress. Thai schools in Bangkok
Thai language schools are divided into two main types: those that really intensively teach the Thai language and those that, hiding behind the sign "Thai Language School", simply issue visas to students, and allegedly teach Thai language once or twice a week for an hour or two. where they really learn
1) RTL School 2) UTL School 3) Courses at Thammasat and Ramkhamheng Universities in Bangkok. These universities offer Thai language courses. Yes, there are professional teachers who speak English, and there is a good system, but these are academic courses, and speaking results will have to wait a very long time there. So I don't really recommend it. 4) Chiang Mai University. The only place outside of Bangkok where Thai is taught well. But, again, this is a university, that is, long and too deep. So, if you learn Thai, or any other foreign language, then only in Bangkok. The only exception is Chiang Mai, but these are university courses, so it will be too long and not as effective. Elsewhere in Thailand good schools Thai language not found!
In the process of learning the language, it turns out that from the very first meaningful phrases, Thailand opens up for you from new sides. People begin to treat you better and listen, a huge number of new acquaintances appear. After the very first phrases spoken in Thai, and if the Thais understand you, the gates and walls that were between you and Thailand “explode”, and you begin to truly live in Thailand, feel it everyday life to taste. With the language you really feel more confident. Knowledge of the Thai language sometimes opens up new acquaintances for you. You better begin to understand Thai culture, because the language is a reflection of the culture of the people, and you will add one more new language to your piggy bank. In addition to all this, for the duration of the study, you can get a student visa and solve the problem of being in the country.
www.rtlschool.com
This is by far the best school for learning Thai! Excellent methodology, teachers, well-established program. Everyone can study, because knowledge of English is not required at all. Read more about the methodology below.
In 2012, 2/3 of the teachers from UTL School split off and founded this school. The methodology and payment is no different from UTL. And these schools are located not so far from each other. But, in the new RTL, a little more freshness, because. the teachers are trying their best, because the school is new. Also, there are not many students in the class. Therefore, it is necessary to start learning the Thai language at this school, and for some more advanced modules you can go to UTL School.
There are morning, afternoon and evening classes. Perfectly prepared for the state. examinations, and also approved their certificate of knowledge of the Thai language.
The school will help you get a student visa, and they can even send visa documents to your country. That is, you transfer tuition money to them by international bank transfer (it was impossible to pay by card as of April 2018), the school sends you documents via DHL and you can easily get a visa in your country. And you come to Thailand already with a ready visa.
In all respects, the RTL school is now the best!
www.utl-school.com
The legendary school and the very first school in Bangkok, which really taught Thai well, excellent methodology, good teachers, well-established program. Everyone can study, because knowledge of English is not required at all. Read more about the methodology below.
But, unfortunately, the school "wasted" a little, because Koreans began to come in droves (factory managers, missionaries, etc.), and the school completely switched to them, thereby almost losing internationality. But this does not mean that the school began to teach very badly. The school is still very good and some good teachers stayed there, so I also recommend it.
Just at this time, a few years ago, most of the teachers broke away and founded the RTL school.
The training consists of monthly modules. You can start any month, see the calendar on the website. The schedule is ideal for working people because all modules start at the same time on the same day. If you do not have free time for several months in a row, then you can unlearn a month or two, then take a break, and start with the next module in a few months.
The cost is 8000 baht per month for daytime groups, and evening groups are already cheaper. Private lessons are about 500 baht per hour, but you must agree with the teacher in advance.
Visa: it is possible to get a NON-ED visa if the tuition is paid for several months. You need to check directly with the school, come yourself, or call. Emails may take too long to respond.
In order not to describe the methodology of the RTL and UTL school for a long time, I will simply give a story (with some abbreviations) Alexandra Mashintseva , the same story is completely suitable for RTL School. The text is taken from the forum allplanet.ru.
“Among the huge number of language schools in Thailand, the Thai language school UTL (Unity Thai Language School) occupies one of the leading places. Daily classes and constant communication in the Thai environment do not allow students to forget the learned material.<…>
The same text is fully applicable to RTL (Rak Thai Language School).
In the first courses or modules, as they are called here, groups of 8 people are formed. Most modules last for one calendar month, during which there are two short examinations. As a result of these control tests the student is given recommendations either to move on to the next module, or to stay “for the second year”, to repeat the poorly learned one.<…>
In the first four months of training, teachers put the correct phonetics of colloquial speech, students begin to speak normal Thai on general, everyday topics. Most citizens assume that UTL is just plain Language school, not much different from the courses foreign languages. <…>In fact, this is not only a Thai language school, but more like a school Thai life. The very first texts read tell about Thai traditions, mythology, prominent people in the history of Thailand, lay the foundations for Buddhism, the education system and answer many questions asked by foreigners who come to the kingdom. Six months later, students who are already familiar with colloquial and book vocabulary and the basics of Thai history, culture and traditions begin to study special modules in which they learn about the values and priorities of the people of the country, about family relationships, marriage rituals, holidays, relations with neighbors and colleagues in various social groups, the role of teachers, mentors and monks in the life of Thais, about behavioral norms in Thai society, about jargon and idioms, about the organization of health care and traditional methods treatment of diseases, about the internal problems of people and society and social adaptation, about the interests of Thais different ages and groups, about the organization of housing and the laws of the hierarchy of objects and people, about various social structures and subordination, about the education system, about the symbols of statehood.
After that, the “mandatory” modules end and additional, advanced ones begin: “Social Problems”, “Holidays”, “Mythology and Fairy Tales”, “Reading Newspapers”, “Buddhism”, “History and Culture”, etc.<…>
The UTL school provides an excellent opportunity to prepare for the language exams at the Ministry of Education (three months of special preparation after at least the end of the compulsory course). A diploma obtained there opens up great opportunities, for example, for employment in Thailand or further education.
All teaching from the very first day is conducted only in Thai. There is no need to know English as it is not used in the school. It is not recommended to use dictionaries and use ready-made translations of words. Something is not clear? Ask! They will explain the meaning to you by all available methods. It will be necessary to dance during the explanation - they will dance. But only no direct translations into English or any other language. There is a good reason for this - so many Thai words do not have exact analogues in European languages, the meaning of these words must be felt by yourself in a certain number of situations, then their true meaning will come. And dictionaries often give only a part of the meaning of a word or even an erroneous translation.
The teaching methodology is built on the principle “from simple to complex”, information is not dumped into one big heap, from where it will be difficult to extract, but carefully systematized and repeated in the order in which it will be easiest to keep in mind.
In my opinion, such an education is the best investment and the most productive use of time if you are going to seriously and for a long time connect your life with the Kingdom of Thailand. It is the best capital that can be acquired, that can be multiplied, that can always be used but never spent.”
So, as you understand, it is necessary to study in such schools. Skipping classes is not recommended, because it is very difficult to catch up. But the results will not be long in coming.”
I myself have been in UTL and RTL school for quite a long time and I can confirm that this is an excellent technique, the best teachers and good school friends in the face of teachers and students with whom you will communicate for a very long time.
How long does it take to learn a language
It makes sense to study the Thai language if you study it intensively, that is, 5 times a week, 3 hours in class + homework, and if you regularly have at least a month or two of free time. If someone tells you: “I have been living in Southeast Asia for many years and I know the Thai language, I learned it myself (I learned it by talking with locals; I went to school a little to improve my tone; I lived with a Thai / Thai)!”. Don't trust these people! It's all LPP A Thai or a Thai with whom they live, in most cases, will not help to learn the Thai language, because it is not in the minds of Thais to point out other people's mistakes and lose face. And even if you met an exceptional Thai (Thai) who can point out your language mistakes to you and try to help you correct them, it still cannot be compared with a professional teacher. There are exceptions, but very rarely. Now let's take a look at the duration of training using the example of the UTL or RTL school, because only in these schools they teach the Thai language for real. For the first two months, you will simply gain vocabulary and reproduce the simplest dialogues: in transport, in the market, in a taxi, bargain in the market, etc. The third and fourth months you will learn how to write in Thai. That is, the minimum you should start with is 4 months. That is, in 4 months you will learn short dialogues and the simplest reading. If you study for two more months (total 6 months), then you will already read simple texts: about markets, about fruits, etc., and you will also write short essays for a couple of pages. Half a year of study is already more interesting, because you can already give out something interesting and meaningful during a conversation. But after six months, the most delicious begins - special modules, for example, Thai sayings, reading newspapers, history, culture, social problems. It may take somewhere else 6 months, and possibly all 8, and after several such specials. modules, you will understand the language more, it will be easier to navigate the culture, you can search for information on the Internet in Thai, read news from primary sources. That is, in a year, or a little over a year, you can already say with confidence that you know the Thai language. But this is all under ideal conditions: you have more than a year of free time, you have enough money (rental, school fees, food, travel, other living expenses), you have perfect digestibility of the material and your brain does not boil from abundance of new information. Let's think realistically! For all these conditions to coincide at the same time, a miracle is needed. Therefore, after 3-4-5 months of training, you will need to take a break, at least for a couple of months, then some topics may not be very well absorbed, and you will need to go through some modules again. Therefore, a little over a year, as I wrote above, can be safely multiplied by one and a half, or two, which is why it turns out that for a good mastering of the Thai language, it will take about two years. After all these special modules, you can go to a special three-month preparation course for state exams, and this will mean that you will know the Thai language as a graduate of a Thai school. But we will not write about this exam in detail now, because this topic is already beyond the scope of this post. Moreover, for this you need to spend at least a year on training in the main modules of the course. We talked about the good, and now let's talk about higher matters. Learning Thai well takes time and money. Because after three hours of school, and then another three or four hours homework, you won’t be able to do anything else, that is, you won’t be able to work at all, and then you need free savings that you can spend. You, having spent 2-3 years studying the language, spending a huge amount of money, nevertheless managed to reach a level where you can discuss those very high matters, philosophize about the influence of materialism on our thinking, and other interesting things. Just do not think that knowing the language at a high level will solve all your problems. Thai society is quite conservative, and to some extent nationalistic, so you will still remain a farang, even a farang who speaks good Thai. Most often, you won’t be able to talk heart to heart, because they simply won’t understand you, it’s not accepted among Thais the way we do. And with those representatives of Thai society who have high level education, and, they will be able to understand the European mindset and train of thought, with them you can easily and quickly discuss everything in excellent English. Then why do you need Thai? Therefore, think carefully and weigh the pros and cons, because you will spend a lot of money and a lot of time. Schools that mainly issue visas and ostensibly teach
We will not waste bytes and describe these schools in detail, a lot has been written about them in Russian-language publics on Facebook, we will limit ourselves to general words. 9) A site where people from all over the world are looking for partners to practice in languages. For example, here are Thais who want to learn Russian and teach you Thai (some of them live in Russia!): www.mylanguageexchange.com Smartphone Apps:
2) English Thai Dictionary Box (Designed by Xung Le) Books to study
2) Thai for beginners. Written by Benjawan Poomsan Becker Adequate additions and comments are welcome. If found grammatical errors then write. The text is large, so I might have missed it somewhere. Comrades! If you decide to copy this text, or part of the text, or photos, then be sure to give a direct link to my LiveJournal:. For commercial use of materials, ask me first. Respect other people's work and copyrights!
It is precisely the word “I know” that betrays a liar. To “know” a language, in the understanding of many language learners, means, for example, to read any article in a newspaper in a given language, and immediately discuss it with a native speaker. Invite such a “knowing” person to do this, and you will see that he does not know anything. Of course, there are some individuals who really perfectly learn the language on their own or from some books, they are geniuses, but they are an exception, not statistics, and their number is so small that they can be neglected, but we will talk about 99.99%. You can’t do without tedious cramming, you can’t do without classes in the classroom, it will also be difficult without a good teacher, and don’t believe in magical methods. Learning a language is really hard work, and you have to give it your all. Therefore, studying 2-3 times a week for a couple of hours will not be very effective. Either you teach or you don't.
1) Thai<>English Dictionary
www.word-in-the-hand.com
The best dictionary for a smartphone, and this is not discussed! Directly copy the name and look in the app store. Paid, the price is about 860 baht. In addition, in this series there are also tutorials for Thai, Burmese, Khmer and other languages.
Good free dictionary. But the transcription is not very good. But, for those who can already read Thai, this will not be a big problem. There is a voice acting of Thai words.
1) Learning to read Thai. Author - Alexander Mashintsev
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The best book in Russian, with which you can learn to read Thai in 3 weeks. You can download here
Very good book on English language, where there are already constructions simple sentences and a dictionary for learning new words. There is audio for this book. In Thailand, such a book costs about 300 baht with discs. You can download from the Internet on some sites for free, if you search well.
You immediately hear Thai speech, and throughout your stay in this country, it continues to accompany us everywhere.
Thai is official language Kingdom of Thailand, it is spoken by about 46 million people, and more and more people are learning it.
Despite the fact that English is considered an international language, in Thailand, not everyone knows its basic phrases, and even more so they speak it.
Of course, you can meet individuals who communicate well in English, and sometimes even in Russian, but this is still a rarity.
If the tourist assumes that his Fluency English will solve any language barriers with the local population, then this is clearly not about Thailand.
- And the Russian language is not even worth mentioning. Here, Thai is needed for communication.
Therefore, in order not to find yourself in an uncomfortable situation when you can’t communicate with a Thai in any way, and in order not to resort to sign language or drawing drawings, you should at least study the native language of Thailand before the trip.
This beautiful melodious speech is unusually attractive, and one wants to understand what it means.
Of course, in order to understand the language and be able to communicate fluently in Thai, careful study and continuous practice is necessary.
However, if the traveler is just starting to get to know the country itself, it would be ideal for him to know the basic phrases of the Thai language that can come in handy at any time: greetings, farewells, gratitude, basic questions, numbers, colors and basic terms.
It is worth noting that there are tourists (especially in tourist cities) who forget that they are in a foreign country - visiting.
Unfortunately, they act as if all people are among service personnel are obliged to know their native language, and get very angry when they are not understood.
But it is worth remembering that in this country you are a guest, and you need to be grateful that you are so warmly welcomed.
Respect for traditions, observance of local norms of decency - knowledge of the language or its basic phrases is just as important.
When speaking to Thais in their mother tongue, you can immediately see the reaction - respect and gratitude.
Although most Thais, of course, understand words like Hello, Thank you, Okey ...
But seeing a foreigner trying to greet or thank them in broken Thai makes them smile and smile. Thus, we are guaranteed recognition among the "good" tourists.
This Russian-Thai Phrasebook will undoubtedly come in handy when traveling.
Important point! In Thai conversation, it is customary to add a specific word at the end of each sentence. This means respect and respect for the interlocutor.
If a man speaks, he adds " khap"and if a woman, then -" kha". It is recommended to use these add-ons constantly.
For example, the greeting will sound like this: “Sawat di: khap” on behalf of men and “Savat di: kha” on behalf of women.
The Thai language is melodious and melodic. Many sounds in phrases are drawn out. In the phrase book, they are indicated by a colon. An inscription in Thai has been added in case the conversation fails to pronounce the desired phrase - it can simply be shown or written.
For convenience, phrases are combined into groups according to situations.
Basic phrases
- Hello - Savat di: / สวัสดี
- Goodbye - Savat di: / สวัสดี
- Thank you - Kho:p kun / ขอบคุณ
- Please - Karuna: / กรุณา
- Sorry - Kho:tho:d / ขอโทษ
- It's okay - Mai pen rai / ไม่มีปัญหา
- Yes - Tea / ใช่
- No - May / ไม่
- Good - Dee: / ดี
- Yesterday - Mye wa:n / เมื่อวาน
- Today - Vanni / วันนี้
- Tomorrow - Phrung ni: / วันพรุ่งนี้
Acquaintance
- My name is Chang chi: / ฉันชื่อ
- What is your name? - Khun chi: arai / คุณชื่ออะไร
- How are you doing? - Sabay di mai
- Ok thanks - Sabay di:
Questions
- Where? - Thi: nai / ที่ไหน?
- Where? - Pai nai
- When? - Mya: paradise / เมื่อไหร่
- Why? - Tham mai / ทำไม?
- At what time? - gi: mo:ng
- Where are you going? - Khun cha pan nai / คุณหายไปไหน
- How much does it cost? - Thau rai / เท่าไหร่?
- It's free? - An ni: fries: tea mai
- Is there a discount? - Lod give mai
Difficulties in speaking
- I don't understand - Chan mai khau tai / ฉันไม่เข้าใจ
- Please speak slowly - Karuna: phu:d cha:kua ni: / กรุณาพูดช้ากว่านี้
- I understand - Khau tai / เข้าใจ
Going to a foreign country, you need to know at least the basic phrases in the local language. And even if you say them with a terrible accent, because of which the Thais will have to listen carefully to your speech, but still you will try to speak Thai, which, of course, will arouse sympathy from the Thais and you will definitely be helped, advised, shown the road, in general, what you ask, you get :). Even if you accidentally say the wrong word, the Thais will understand that you made a mistake, smile sweetly and ask again or clarify what you wanted to say.
In Thailand, very few people speak English, and even more so Russian. The exceptions are hotel staff, expensive restaurants, guides, embassy employees and some of the police in big cities. Basic phrases in English understands a large number of people in popular resorts such as Phuket, Bangkok and Pattaya, but it is desirable to know some phrases in Thai in such popular places, this will greatly facilitate your life.
As for the numbers, if you do not want to remember their pronunciation in Thai, then you can explain yourself “on your fingers”. For example, if you want that you were sold three T-shirts in the market, then just show him three fingers and the seller will understand everything. You can also do with the price, if the number is three-digit, for example, a thing costs 345 baht, then show first 3, then 4, and then 5 fingers. If explained in English, then it is better to break multi-digit numbers into separate numbers, because. not all Thais know how to pronounce compound numbers in English. For example, number 435 is better pronounced like this: four - three - five. Or you can not bother at all, dial the number on the phone or on the calculator and show this device to the seller, in this case he will also understand everything without words.
If your mobile phone supports modern applications (mini-programs), then you can download a translator with your own dictionaries, which will work even when there is no Internet access. This is very convenient, you type a phrase in Russian and the translation into Thai is immediately shown. You can also use online translator(for example, Google Translate), but keep in mind that when there is no Internet access, you will not be able to use the translator.
Russian-Thai phrasebook
: denotes a long sound (i.e. it needs to be “pulled”, pronounced longer than usual)
At the end of each sentence, it is recommended to add the word "khap" for men and "kha" for women. These are the rules of politeness. When compared with the Russian language, these words mean respect, as they said in Russian Empire"-s", for example, of course, sir, sir. A polite hello will be "Sawadi khap" (pronounced by a man), "Sawadi kha:" (pronounced by a woman).
Basic phrases
| Phrase | Pronunciation | Writing |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Savat di: | สวัสดี |
| Goodbye | Lako:n | ลา |
| Thank you | Kho:n kun | ขอบคุณ |
| Please | Karuna: | กรุณา |
| Sorry | Kho:tho:d | ขอโทษ |
| It's OK | May pen rai | ไม่มีปัญหา |
| Yes | Tea | ใช่ |
| No | May | ไม่ |
| Fine | Di: | ดี |
| Yesterday | Mye wa:n | เมื่อวาน |
| Today | Vanni | วันนี้ |
| Tomorrow | Phrung ni: | วันพรุ่งนี้ |
Acquaintance
| Phrase | Pronunciation | Writing |
|---|---|---|
| My name is | Chan chi: | ฉันชื่อ |
| What is your name? | Khun chi: arai | คุณชื่ออะไร |
| How are you doing? | Sabay di mai | |
| OK, thank you | Karuna: |
Questions
Difficulties in speaking
Where is?
Taxi
| Phrase | Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| Take me... | Chuoy song chan thi |
| At this address | Tam thi yu: ni: |
| To the airport | Sleep: m bin |
At the restaurant
In a hotel
| Phrase | Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| We have a problem | Rao mi: pan ha |
| I would like … | Phom to:ng ka:n |
| I would like to take a room on a higher floor | Phom to:ng ka:n ho:ng thi: yu: chang soo:ng |
| I would like a number... | Jang To:ng ka:n hong mi: |
| With double bed | Tieng khu: |
| Double | Khong khu: |
| With bath | A:ng to:m |
| with shower | Fakbuo |
| Cot | tieng dek |
| Pool | Sa wai on: m |
| Towel | Pha: ched tuo |
| Does not work … | This |
| Air conditioner | Khryang prab aka:t |
| Telephone | Thorasap |
| TV | Thorathad |
| The light turned off | fi dub |
| The toilet is clogged | Suom ud tan |
| faucet leaking | Cook on: m pid may snit |
| The lock is broken | Clough: here you go |
| room key | Gong che:ho:ng |
| I lost my room key | Chang tham kuntie hong ha:y |
| I slammed my room door | Jang bae:d hong mai o:k |
| Please wake me up at... | Karuna: pluk chan vela |
Food and drink
Incidents
| Phrase | Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| I lost my luggage | Chan tham krapau ha:y |
| I have been stolen... | Chang thu: to khamoy |
| luggage/bag | krapau |
| Wallet | krapau tang |
| Passport | Nangsy den thang |
| Camera | klong thai rup |
| Help me please | karuna chuoy duoy |
| Please call... | Karuna suoy riek |
| ambulance | Tamroth |
| Police | Cha: |
| There's been an accident | Cad ubathet |
| The car hit me | mouth jung chan |
| I need a translator | jang tonggan hai ple |
Colors
Numbers
Outside the brackets, the spelling of the number is indicated, and the graphic representation of the number is indicated in brackets. Example in Russian: ten (10) is the same in Thai สิบ (๑๐).
| Phrase | Pronunciation | Writing |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Su:n | ศูนย์ (๐) |
| 1 | nyng | หนึ่ง (๑) |
| 2 | Co:ng | สอง (๒) |
| 3 | Myself | สาม (๓) |
| 4 | C: | สี่ (๔) |
| 5 | Ha: | ห้า (๕) |
| 6 | hawk | หก (๖) |
| 7 | Tiet | เจ็ด (๗) |
| 8 | Pat | แปด (๘) |
| 9 | Ka:y | เก้า (๙) |
| 10 | vulture | สิบ (๑๐) |
| 50 | Ha: sip | |
| 100 | Roy | ร้อย (๑๐๐) |
| 250 | So:ng ro:y ha:sip | |
| 500 | Ha: swarm | |
| 1000 | neung pan | พัน (๑ ๐๐๐) |
| 10000 | We N | หมื่น (๑๐ ๐๐๐) |
Thailand annually attracts more and more Russians who go there not only as tourists, but also for permanent residence. And many migrants are wondering how to learn Thai.
Why learn a language?
Before you wonder how to learn the Thai language, you need to decide why to do it. Proper goal setting will allow you to quickly learn speaking and prevent discomfort from language barrier. It could be:
- journey;
- business;
- migration.
How to learn a language?
If the goal is clear, then you need to start studying the lexical minimum. This concept was introduced by the Swedish polyglot Erich Gunnemark, who believed that when learning any language, you need to master:
- lexical minimum (about 400 words);
- phrase minimum;
- grammatical minimum.
The same can be said about the Thai language - words and phrases must be learned thoroughly in order to answer without thinking and hesitation. Practice shows that you can learn from 10 to 50 words a day.
Features of the Thai language
The Thai language has the following features:
- words are written together, only sentences are separated by spaces;
- there is no inflection in it, that is, there is no declension, conjugation;
- the function and meaning of the word determines its place in the sentence;
- the meaning of the word also directly depends on the tone of the voice - a word spoken in a descending or ascending tone will have different meaning(Thai has 5 keys in total - descending, ascending, low, high and neutral);
- most of the words are borrowings from Sanskrit, Pali, Old Khmer, Chinese and English;
- vocabulary is very rich - depending on the context and style of speech, concepts can be expressed in different words.
Based on the features, it is, of course, possible to learn the Thai language quickly and independently for a Russian speaker, but the process will have a number of difficulties. To avoid them, initially you need to try to listen to Thai speech, and practice a lot. The course "Thai for beginners" includes the development of the alphabet, the correct use of tones and the study of the lexical minimum.
Alphabet and Grammar
The Thai alphabet is a mixture of the alphabets of 3 languages - Thai, Pali and Sanskrit. Total: 76 letters, some of which have the same pronunciation.
Grammar is the framework of any language, as it allows native speakers and foreigners to understand each other. But unlike there are no inflections, and the main thing here is the correct setting of tone.
Thai language: verbs
The list is based on the most frequently used words in the English language.
| Pronunciation in Thai | Translation in Russian |
|
|
List of required words: adjectives
The necessary minimum of words for a tourist
Thai language for tourists includes the words you need to travel around the country. When speaking, you need to add at the end of the sentence: khrap (men) and kha (women). These words are an analogue of the Russian ending -those in verbs take dine and etc.
- Savatdy / Lakon - Hello / Goodbye.
- Cop kun - Thank you.
- Sabay di mai - How are you?
- Whose aray - What is your name?
- Phom chiu - My name is.
- Khotkot - I'm sorry.
- Di tai thi dai phop khun - Nice to meet you.
- Mi khrai phut pahasa angkrit (ratsia) - Does anyone speak English (Russian)?
- Ni thao rai? - What is the price?
- Mai pheng / Pheng maak - Inexpensive / Expensive.
- Ni arai - What is it?
- Tai rup give mai? - Can I take a photo?
- Yu thi nai? - Where is?
- Chai / Mei Chai - Yes / No.
- Naam plao - Water.
- Cafe - Coffee.
- Cha - Tea.
- Roon - Hot.
- Yen - Cold.
- Aroy maak - Very tasty.
- Mai Phet - Not spicy.
- Ko check beat - Please check.
If you doubt the correct intonation during pronunciation, then you can use a translator with audio pronunciation, which can be downloaded to your phone or tablet in advance.
Resources for Learning Thai
When learning a language, you do not need to bypass achievements modern technology. These include everything related to the Internet:
Thai language learning aids are like websites dedicated to grammar and vocabulary, as well as sites with music and films.
Youtube channels - a search query returns hundreds of answers for those who want to learn Thai through user channels. But there are only a few leaders. Among them is a little girl, Eva, who will teach the alphabet. On the next channel, you can already move from letters to conversation and dialogues. On the teacher's channel of Siam Sunrise School, you can learn to read in Thai in just 6 hours - that's 18 lessons of 20 minutes. Teacher Anatoly Borets promises to teach speaking without an accent with correct setting tones.
Publics and groups in in social networks- Another one good way learn Thai. The advantage of publics is that here you can share knowledge or, conversely, learn new things from other people who are learning the language. One of the popular publics in VK is called "Thai language", which offers materials on Thai, films, links and music in the original.
Applications for phone and tablet. Language learning is hard to imagine without digital materials such as audio, video and vocabulary. Therefore, developers are on the alert and create programs that make it easier to learn the Thai language. iPhone owners can download the L-Lingo app, which allows you to learn a language through pictures and audio with pronunciation from native speakers. You can test your success with tests. For owners of phones based on the Android OS, the Thai with Nemo application is suitable - 100 phrases, a dictionary, a phrase book and a recording studio for practicing pronunciation will allow you to learn the Thai language without problems.
There are many ways to learn a language. The main thing is to choose a convenient one for yourself and, having developed a plan, follow it daily.
