Unit 13 · Settling in · A2
Unit 13: Can you speak Thai?
Say what you can and can't do, how well, and get help with your Thai: meanings, translations, explanations.
6 lessons · about 46 min CEFR A2
The story
Krit sets you up with Fon, a Chiang Mai University student and singer who wants to practise her English. Your first language exchange is on Saturday afternoon in his café.
After this unit
- I can say how well I speak, read and write Thai.
- I can ask what a word means, what something is called in Thai, and ask for a simpler explanation.
- I can say what I can and can't do: languages, sports, driving, cooking, singing.
- I can answer modestly when someone praises my Thai.
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 13
Tap the speaker to hear each one. Tap any Thai word to see what it means.
Learning Thai
Lesson page- เรียน rian
to study, to learn verb
One word for both 'study' and 'learn': เรียนภาษาไทยrian paa-sǎa tai is learning Thai, in a class or on your own.
- สอน sǎwn
to teach verb
Rising tone. Teaching someone is teaching 'for' them: สอนให้sǎwn hâi.
- ฝึก fùek
to practise, to train verb
Short and low, with the vowel ue: lips spread wide, as in ชื่อchûue.
- ง่าย ngâai
easy adjective
Starts with ng, the sound at the end of sing. Doubled, ง่ายๆngâai-ngâai means 'simply, nice and easy'.
- ยาก yâak
difficult, hard adjective
Falling tone, with a long aa. Don't mix it up with low-tone อยากyàak (to want to).
- อ่าน àan
to read verb
- เขียน kǐan
to write verb
- แปล bplae
to translate verb
Into a language: แปลเป็นภาษาอังกฤษbplae bpen paa-sǎa ang-grìt translate into English.
- แปลว่า bplae wâa
to mean (X means Y) verb
A word 'translates as' its meaning. Point at any word and ask แปลว่าอะไรbplae wâa à-rai: What does it mean?
- เรียกว่า rîak wâa
to be called (in Thai it's called…) verb
Point at anything and ask ภาษาไทยเรียกว่าอะไรpaa-sǎa tai rîak wâa à-rai: What's it called in Thai?
- อธิบาย à-tí-baai
to explain verb
- แบบ bàep
way, style, kind noun
แบบนี้bàep níi (like this) is everywhere; แบบไหนbàep nǎi asks 'which kind?' or 'how?'.
Skills and hobbies
Lesson page- เก่ง gèng
good at (something), skilful; clever adjective
Plain g with no puff of air, and a low tone. After a verb it means 'well': ร้องเพลงเก่งráwng-pleeng gèng sings well.
- ไหว wǎi
can manage, can handle (physically) verb
Rising tone. Falling ไหว้wâai is the wai greeting.
- ว่ายน้ำ wâai-náam
to swim verb
A สระว่ายน้ำsà-wâai-náam (swimming pool) is literally a 'pond for swimming'.
- ขับรถ kàp rót
to drive (a car) verb
- มอเตอร์ไซค์ maw-dtôe-sai
motorbike, scooter noun
From English motorcycle. In Chiang Mai it's how most people get around.
- ขี่ kìi
to ride (a motorbike, a bicycle, a horse) verb
You ขี่kìi anything you sit astride: motorbikes, bicycles, horses. A car you ขับkàp (drive). Keep the tone low: falling ขี้kîi means 'poo'!
- ทำอาหาร tam aa-hǎan
to cook verb
- ร้องเพลง ráwng-pleeng
to sing verb
Literally 'sing + song'. Karaoke is everywhere in Thailand, so sooner or later someone will hand you the mic.
- กีฬา gii-laa
sport noun
- เล่น lên
to play verb
Falling tone. พูดเล่นpûut lên (talk + play) means 'just kidding'.
- ถ่ายรูป tàai-rûup
to take a photo verb
- ดีขึ้น dii kûen
to get better, to improve verb
Literally 'good-up'. Also what you say when you're over a cold: ดีขึ้นแล้วdii kûen láew.
- เรื่อยๆ rûeay-rûeay
steadily, more and more; so-so adverb
On its own it's a laid-back answer to 'how are things?': so-so, getting by.
- ฟัง fang
to listen verb
Mid tone. With พูดpûut, อ่านàan and เขียนkǐan it covers all four skills.
Grammar: Can: ได้, เป็น and ไหว
- พูด pûutอังกฤษ ang-grìtได้ dâiไหม mǎiครับ kráp
Can you speak English?
Men พูดอังกฤษได้ไหมครับ Women พูดอังกฤษได้ไหมคะ
- ถ่ายรูป tàai-rûupได้ dâiไหม mǎiครับ kráp
Can I take a photo?
Men ถ่ายรูปได้ไหมครับ Women ถ่ายรูปได้ไหมคะ
- พรุ่งนี้ prûng-níiมา maaไม่ mâiได้ dâi
I can't come tomorrow.
Dialogue: First language exchange
Saturday afternoon at Krit's co-working café in Nimman. Krit has set you up with Fon, a Chiang Mai University student who wants to practise her English. She has just sat down, and Krit brings you both coffee and a slice of cake.
14 lines · tap a line to hear it
-
Fonฝน
สวัสดี sà-wàt-diiค่ะ kâพูด pûutภาษา paa-sǎaไทย taiได้ dâiไหม mǎiคะ káHi! Can you speak Thai?
-
You
พูด pûutได้ dâiนิดหน่อย nít-nàwyI can speak a little.
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Fonฝน
อ่าน àanได้ dâiไหม mǎiคะ káCan you read it?
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You
อ่าน àanไม่ค่อย mâi kâwyได้ dâiI can't really read it.
Culture note: 'Your Thai is so good!'
Say a few words of Thai and you'll hear it almost at once: พูดไทยเก่งจังpûut tai gèng jang, 'you speak Thai so well!' (จังjang is a casual 'so, really'.) It isn't a grade on your grammar. It's encouragement, and real delight that you're making the effort.
Thais value modesty, so the graceful answer plays the compliment down instead of accepting it:
- ไม่เก่งหรอกmâi gèng ràwk: oh, I'm not that good
- ได้นิดหน่อยdâi nít-nàwy: just a little
Say it with a smile and a little laugh. A simple ขอบคุณkàwp-kun works too, but 'yes, I study every day' sounds like boasting. Then keep talking: whoever praised you is usually happy to chat slowly and teach you a word or two, and that's worth far more than the compliment.
AI role-play: Your first language exchange
At the end of the unit you talk with Fon, an AI character who answers in natural Thai and helps when you get stuck.
The scene
You're meeting Fon at Krit's café in Nimman for your first language exchange. Tell her how well you speak, read and write Thai, find out what she's good at, and ask about any words you don't know.
Fon starts
Hi! Can you speak Thai?
Your goals
- 1Say how well you speak, read and write Thai
- 2Ask what a Thai word means and how to say something in Thai
- 3Find out what Fon is good at and say one thing you can do and one you can't
- 4Ask her to explain something more simply