Unit 9 · First steps · A1
Unit 9: At the market
Count things with the right classifier, ask how many, choose sizes and colours, and bargain politely.
6 lessons · about 46 min CEFR A1
The story
Nam takes you to a busy fresh market to shop for a picnic in the park: mangoes, bananas, drinks, and a sun hat for you.
After this unit
- I can say how many I want, with the right counting word.
- I can ask how many and how much at a market stall.
- I can ask for a bigger or smaller one, a different colour, or to try something on.
- I can ask for a discount and check that the vendor has change.
The 6 lessons
Each lesson takes 5-10 minutes. Read it here, then practise it in the app: free, no sign-up.
Words and phrases in Unit 9
Tap the speaker to hear each one. Tap any Thai word to see what it means.
Fruit and colours
Lesson page- ผลไม้ pǒn-lá-máai
fruit noun
- มะม่วง má-mûang
mango noun · classifier ลูก
Mango season peaks from March to May: try ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วงkâao-nǐaw má-mûang, mango with sticky rice.
- กล้วย glûay
banana noun · classifier ลูก
One banana is กล้วยลูกหนึ่งglûay lûuk nùeng, but at the market they're sold by the bunch, a หวีwǐi.
- สี sǐi
colour noun
Colour words usually follow สีsǐi: สีแดงsǐi daeng red, สีขาวsǐi kǎao white.
- แดง daeng
red adjective
Pa Daeng's name means 'Auntie Red': แดงdaeng is a common nickname.
- เขียว kǐaw
green adjective
- เหลือง lǔeang
yellow adjective
- ขาว kǎao
white adjective
Rising tone: don't mix it up with ข้าวkâao (rice), which falls.
- ดำ dam
black adjective
A few fixed pairs drop สีsǐi: กาแฟดำgaa-fae dam is black coffee.
- ใหญ่ yài
big adjective
- เล็ก lék
small adjective
- นี้ níi
this (after a noun or classifier) adjective
High tone, after a noun: สีนี้sǐi níi this colour. Falling นี่nîi stands alone: นี่อะไรnîi à-rai What's this?
- นั้น nán
that (after a noun or classifier) adjective
High tone, after a noun: ร้านนั้นráan nán that shop. Falling นั่นnân stands alone: นั่นอะไรnân à-rai What's that?
How many?
Lesson page- กี่ gìi
how many (+ counting word) question word
Always followed by a counting word or unit: กี่ลูกgìi lûuk how many (fruit), กี่บาทgìi bàat how many baht.
- ลูก lûuk
counting word for fruit and round things classifier
On its own ลูกlûuk means 'child': Pa Daeng sometimes calls you that.
- อัน an
counting word for small things (the all-purpose one) classifier
The all-purpose counting word. อันนี้an níi (this one) is simply อันan + นี้níi.
- ใบ bai
counting word for hats, bags, cards and leaves classifier
Literally 'leaf'. It counts flat things (cards, tickets) and hollow things (bags, boxes, hats).
- ตัว dtua
counting word for animals, clothes, tables and chairs classifier
Literally 'body'. Mid tone: ตั๋วdtǔa (ticket) rises.
- ขวด kùat
bottle; counting word for bottles classifier
Like แก้วgâew and จานjaan, a container counts what's in it: น้ำสองขวดnáam sǎwng kùat two bottles of water.
- ชิ้น chín
piece; counting word for pieces classifier
- ซื้อ súue
to buy verb
The opposite, 'to sell', is ขายkǎai, as in ร้านขายยาráan-kǎai-yaa (pharmacy, literally 'shop that sells medicine').
- ถูก tùuk
cheap adjective
The same word as in ถูกต้องtùuk-dtâwng (correct): the context tells you which.
- ลด lót
to lower (a price), to give a discount verb
High tone, like รถrót (car). Ask with a smile: bargaining is a friendly game.
- เงินทอน ngoen-tawn
change (money back) noun
- ดูก่อน duu gàwnครับ kráp
just looking (for now) phrase
Men ดูก่อนครับ duu gàwn krápWomen ดูก่อนค่ะ duu gàwn kâ
Literally 'look first': the friendly way to say you're only browsing.
- ลองใส่ lawng sài
to try on verb
ใส่sài (put in) also means 'to wear', so 'try + wear' is 'try on'.
Grammar: Counting things: classifiers
- มะม่วง má-mûangสาม sǎamลูก lûuk
Three mangoes.
- กาแฟ gaa-faeสอง sǎwngแก้ว gâew
Two coffees.
- ข้าวมันไก่ kâao-man-gàiสอง sǎwngจาน jaan
Two plates of chicken rice.
Dialogue: Fruit for the picnic
Saturday morning at a busy fresh market. You and Nam are shopping for a picnic in the park, starting at a fruit stall.
8 lines · tap a line to hear it
-
Namน้ำ
มะม่วง má-mûangร้าน ráanนี้ níiอร่อย à-ràwyมาก mâakนะ náThe mangoes at this stall are really good.
-
You
มะม่วง má-mûangลูก lûukละ láเท่าไหร่ tâo-ràiครับ krápHow much are the mangoes each?
Men มะม่วงลูกละเท่าไหร่ครับ Women มะม่วงลูกละเท่าไหร่คะ
-
Vendorแม่ค้า
สาม sǎamลูก lûukร้อย ráwyค่ะ kâThree for a hundred.
-
You
เอา aoสาม sǎamลูก lûukครับ krápI'll take three.
Men เอาสามลูกครับ Women เอาสามลูกค่ะ
Culture note: Market manners
Thai markets run on smiles. At clothes, hat and souvenir stalls a little bargaining is normal: ask ลดได้ไหมlót dâi mǎi with a smile, take ถูกมากแล้วtùuk mâak láew ("it's already cheap") gracefully, and don't push for more than 10 or 20 baht off. Calling the vendor พี่pîi, like Nam does, makes it friendlier. Fruit, vegetables and cooked food have fixed prices: don't bargain there.
Prices come per piece (ลูกละlûuk lá … each), per bundle (สามลูกร้อยsǎam lûuk ráwy three for 100) or per kilo (กิโลgì-loo).
Carry small notes and coins. A 1,000-baht note can empty a small stall's cash box, so ask มีเงินทอนไหมmii ngoen-tawn mǎi before you hand it over, or just scan the พร้อมเพย์práwm-pee QR code.
AI role-play: Picnic shopping
At the end of the unit you talk with Vendor, an AI character who answers in natural Thai and helps when you get stuck.
The scene
You're at a market stall buying fruit and a sun hat for a picnic. Ask the prices, say how many you want and bargain a little.
Vendor starts
Hello! What can I get you?
Your goals
- 1Say how many you want, with the right counting word
- 2Ask for a bigger or smaller one and choose a colour
- 3Ask for a discount
- 4Pay with a big note and check they have change