Kat Teaches Thai

On the last episode, I taught you how to say color words, or see (rhymes with we).  There are more color names but those are the basic ones and we will learn the harder ones in the future.  Today, we will be learning how to put the word see in the sentences.

Here’s a little introduction on Thai grammar.  In English, the word order in a sentence usually goes from subject, verb, adjective, to object.  For example, Emma eats blue popsicle.  The subject is Emma; eats is verb; blue is adjective; and popsicle is object.  In Thai, the word order in a sentence usually goes from subject, verb, object, to adjective.  The word orders are similar, but we swap between adjective and object.  So in Thai, we would say Emma-kin-popsicle-see-fah or Emma eats popsicle blue.  Direct translation between languages usually sounds funny, so it’s important to know the basic grammar of the language you are trying to learn.  As a reminder, the word order goes from subject, verb, object, to adjective. Notice how I will use the word see in front of every color word.

Here is the first sentence.

Robert-mee-rode-see-dang

Mee (Sounds like me) =  has or have = VERB
Rode (Sounds like rode) = car = OBJECT
See (Sounds like see) = color
Dang (Sounds like dang) = red = ADJECTIVE

So a direct translation would be Robert has car red, which is an equivalent of Robert has red car.

You can practice changing the name of the subject and the color word to form new sentences.

For example:

Linda-mee-rode-see-chome-poo or Linda has pink car
Jim-mee-rode-see-kow or Jim has white car
Ann-mee-rode-see-dum  or Ann has black car.

Here is the second sentence example on how to use the color word

Jack-arn-nung-sue-see-keow

Arn (Rhymes with barn) =  read = VERB
Nung (Rhymes with rung) Sue (Sounds almost like sir)  = book = OBJECT
See (Sounds like see) = color
Chome (Rhymes with dome) Poo (Sounds like poo) = pink = ADJECTIVE

So a direct translation would be Jack reads book green, which is an equivalent of Jack reads green book.

Again, we can swap out the subject and the color word to form new sentences.

Linda-arn-nung-sue-see-chome-poo or Linda reads pink book.
Jim-arn-nung-sue-see-kow or Jim reads white book.
Ann-arn-nung-sue-see-dum or Ann reads black book.

We will learn how to replace more vocabulary into our sentence structure on the future episodes.

On the last episode I taught you how to say, "Koon-cheu-a-rai", which means, "What is your name?"  To reply to the question, male speaker would say: Pome-cheu....(name).  Female speaker would say: Chun-cheu.....(name). I also taught you how to swap out different pronouns in the question and the response.  I hope you have been practicing them all!

On this episode, I teach you how to say See (with a higher tone), which means color.  You are learning 14 different color words.  When you want to say a color name, you always say the word SEE in front of the color name.

See Chome Poo (Chome rhymes with home, poo rhymes with boo) = pink color

See Dang (Dang rhymes with bang) = red color

See Dum (Dum rhymes with gum) = black color

See Fah (Fah uses the a sound in car) = light blue color

See Keow (Keow rhymes with meow) = green color

See Kow (Kow pronounces like Carl but without L sound) = white color

See Leurng (Leurng uses the er sound in learn, ng sound in sing) = yellow color

See Muong (Say “moo” and “wong” together really fast) = purple color

See Ngern (Ngern uses the ng sound in sing, the word rhymes with learn) = silver color

See Num Tharn (Num like number, th sound in thumb, a sound in car) = brown color

See Num Ngern (Num like number, ng sound in sing, the word rhymes with learn) = dark blue color

See Some (Some rhymes with home) = orange color

See Tao = gray color

See Tong = gold color

We will learn how to incorporate these color words into sentences on another episode.

My friend Nate and his family came by the restaurant one day and gave me the idea to teach color words.  Unfortunately we are not doing that today and I promise you I will do that on the next episode instead. 

On the last episode I taught you how to reply to the question, "Ma-narn-reu-young?", which means, "Have you been here for a long time?"  You can reply, "Ma-narn-laeow", which means, "Yes, I have been here for a long time."  Or you can reply, "Ma-mai-narn", which means, "No, I haven't been here for a long time."  The other one I also taught you was, "Perng ma", which means, "Just got here." 

On this episode, I teach you how to say, "Koon-cheu-a-rai", which means, "What is your name?"  The word koon rhymes with toon.  The word cheu uses the "eu" sound in tsu(nami).  The letter a use the a sound in car.  The word rai uses the i sound in pie. 

The word "koon" means you.  The word "cheu" means name.  The word "a-rai" means what?.  When you put the meanings together, you will form a phrase, "you name what?"  Or another way of saying, "what is your name?"

You can use a different pronoun in place of "koon" to make the sentence more interesting.

"Ter" (rhymes with her), which means you, he, or she. 
"Kow" (uses the o sound in house), which means he, she, it, or they.
"Row" (uses the o sound in house), which means we.

The phrases become:
"Ter-cheu-a-rai"
"Kow-cheu-a-rai"
"Row-cheu-a-rai"

Now to reply to the question, you would use a first person pronoun.  Male speaker would use "Pome" as a pronoun and female speaker would use "Chun" as a pronoun.  The word "pome" rhymes with Rome.  The word "chun" rhymes with bun. 

The phrases would be as follow:
Pome-cheu....(name).
Chun-cheu.....(name).

Male speaker:
"Pom-cheu-George."
"Pom-cheu-Peter."

Female speaker:
"Chun-cheu-Linda."
"Chun-cheu-Mary."

You can use the same rule from the question phrase and use different pronouns.  The phrases become:

"Ter-cheu...(name)."
"Kow-cheu...(name or names)."
"Row-cheu...(name or names)."

If you get stuck on phrases, replay my previous episodes to hear the phrases again.  You could also send me emails with questions and comments. I would love to help you.  I hope you have been adding the words "Ka" and "Krub" to the end of your phrases!  They make the phrases sound better!

In this episode, I teach you how to respond to the questions, "ma-jarg-nai" and "ma-narn-reur-young." 

Ma-jarg-nai means, where did you come from?  When you reply to the question, you take out the word "nai" at the end of the sentence and add a name of a place.  The phrase becomes: ma-jarg-Mexico, ma-jarg-Italy, ma-jarg-Australia, etc.  It means, "come from (a name of a place)."

There are several ways to respond to the question, "ma-narn-reur-young".  Today, I teach you 3.  The first one can be ma-narn-laeow.  The word "ma" means come.  The word "narn" means long length of time.  The word "laeow" means already.  The whole phrase means, "come for long length of time already."  Another way of saying, "Yes, I have been here for a long time."  Ma is the same as "ma".  Narn uses the a sound in "barn".  Laeow use the a sound in "hair". 

The second way to reply is the opposite of the first one.  Ma-mai-narn means, "come not for long length of time."  Another way of saying, "No, I haven't been here for a long time."  Ma is the same as "ma" and means come.  Mai uses the i sound in "bye" and means no, or not.  Narn uses the a sound in "barn" and means long length of time.

The third way to reply to the question is perng-ma.  Perng uses the e sound in "earn" and means "just now."  Ma is the same as "ma" and means "come."  When you put the meanings together, you will get "just now come" or meaning, "I came just now." 

If you have already gone through episodes 1 and 2 with me, I have taught you another 2 tones of "mai."  They pretty much write out the same in English, but they all have different tones.  Something to keep in mind!  Thai language is based on tones.  Each word can have 5 different tones and when you pronounce it with the wrong tone, you will get a different meaning.  This is VERY important!

On the last episode, I taught you how to say kob-koon, which means thank you.  I also taught you how to say pobe-gun-mai, which means to meet again.  Remember not to get the two words of mai and mai confused.  One has a lower tone and means new.  The other one has a higher tone and you add it at the end of the sentences to form questions.

On this episode, I teach you how to say ma-jarg-nai, which means where did you come from?  Ma is exactly like the word "ma".  Jarg uses the a sound in "shark".  Nai uses the i sound in "lie".

The word ma means come.  The word jarg means from; also means going away or depart.  The word nai means where?  When you put the meanings together, you form a phrase, "come from where?" or where did you come from?

If you notice the differences in Thai language and English language, our grammars are different.  We don't really use nouns in the sentences.  Most of the time, the conversations are between person 1 and person 2. 

To reply to the question, you would answer, "ma-jarg-America; ma-jarg-Spain; ma-jarg-Italy, etc."  Basically you fill in the name of the place in place of the word nai at the end of the sentence.  If you haven't noticed, we put our question words at the end of the sentences rather than at the beginning of the sentences like English.

I also teach you, ma-narn-reur-young, which means have you been here for long?  Ma is like the word "ma".  Narn uses the a sound in bahn.  Reur uses the u sound in "blur."  Young is like the word "young." 

The word ma means come.  The word narn means long length of time.  The word reur means or.  The word young means not yet.  When you put the meanings together, you form a phrase, come for long length of time, or not yet?  Another way of saying, have you been here for long?

As a recap from last episode, I taught you how to say sa-wad-dee, which means hello and good bye.  I also taught you how to say sa-bye-dee-mai, which means how are you? 

As I mentioned, you do not have to add the word krub or ka at the end of the phrases.  Make a habit of saying them anyway to make the phrases sound polite. 

I teach you how to say kob-koon, which means thank you.  The word "kob" is the same as the word "cob".  The word "koon" uses the "u" sound in "could". 

I also teach you how to say pobe-gun-mai, which means to meet again.  The word "pobe" rhymes with "pope".  The word "gun" is like the word "gun".  The word "mai" rhymes with the word "pie".  The word "pobe-gun" means to meet.  The word "mai" means new.  When you put both meanings together, you form a phrase, to meet again.

Do not mistake last episode's "mai" and this episode's "mai" as the same word.  When you write them out in English, you spell them the same way, but they both have different tones.  This episode's "mai" has a lower tone and means "new".  Last episode's "mai" has a higher tone and you put it at the end of the phrases to form questions.

I became interested in teaching Thai when I made friends with Miss Antoinette who happens to be a regular customer at the restaurant that I work in.  One day, Miss Antoinette told me she wanted to learn Thai.  I then started to teach Thai words and phrases to my customers.

In this Episode, I teach you how to say, "sa-wad-dee".  Sa-wad-dee means Hello and goodbye.  The word "sa" rhymes with "ha".  The word "wad"  uses the "a" sound in "what".  The word "dee" rhymes with "me".

I also teach you how to say, "sa-bye-dee-mai".  Sa-bye-dee-mai means How are you?  The word "sa" rhymes with "ha".  The word "bye" is exactly like the word "bye".  The word "dee" rhymes with "me".  The word "mai"  uses the "i" sound in "mine".

The phrase "sa-bye-dee" means Feeling well, feeling fine.  When you add the word "mai" at the end, the phrase becomes a question.  How are you?  Example in a conversation:

Person 1 = sa-bye-dee-mai?
Person 2 = sa-bye-dee

You do not have to say the word krub (rhymes with cup; uses with male speaker) or ka (rhymes with ma; uses with female speaker) at the end of the phrases.  They do not have any significant meaning, but rather to make the phrases sound more polite.  Make a habit of saying them.