Unit 4 · First steps · A1
Unit 4: How much is it?
Count to 100, ask prices, understand the total and pay by cash, card or QR.
6 lessons · about 46 min CEFR A1
The story
You pop into the 7-Eleven by the BTS station for a coffee, water and a snack, and pay by scanning a PromptPay QR code.
After this unit
- I can count from 0 to 100.
- I can ask how much something is and understand the price in baht.
- I can ask for the total and pay by cash, card or QR code.
- I can answer a cashier's simple questions, like whether I want a bag.
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 4
Tap the speaker to hear each one. Tap any Thai word to see what it means.
Numbers
Lesson page- ศูนย์ sǔun
zero number
Phone numbers are read digit by digit, just like in English.
- หนึ่ง nùeng
one number
After a counting word it's often said นึงnueng, with a mid tone: แก้วนึงgâew nueng, one glass.
- สอง sǎwng
two number
- สาม sǎam
three number
- สี่ sìi
four number
Low tone. Careful: สีsǐi (colour) rises.
- ห้า hâa
five number
555 in a Thai chat is hâa hâa hâa: ha ha ha!
- หก hòk
six number
- เจ็ด jèt
seven number
7-Eleven is just เซเว่นsee-wên, from English.
- แปด bpàet
eight number
Start with a crisp bp and no puff of air, like the p in spin.
- เก้า gâao
nine number
A lucky number: it sounds like ก้าวgâao, to step forward.
- สิบ sìp
ten number
Short and clipped: close your lips for the final p, but don't let it pop.
- ยี่สิบ yîi-sìp
twenty number
The one irregular ten: not two-ten, but ยี่สิบyîi-sìp.
- ร้อย ráwy
hundred number
100 is ร้อยráwy or หนึ่งร้อยnùeng ráwy; both are everyday Thai.
Paying at 7-Eleven
Lesson page- บาท bàat
baht (Thai currency) noun
The number comes first, then บาทbàat: ห้าสิบบาทhâa sìp bàat, 50 baht.
- เท่าไหร่ tâo-rài
how much question word
How to say “how much?” in ThaiThe dictionary spelling is เท่าไรtâo-rai, but people say เท่าไหร่tâo-rài and usually write it that way too.
- ทั้งหมด táng-mòt
all, altogether, in total adverb
- อันนี้ an níi
this one pronoun
Point and say it: you don't need to know what the thing is called.
- ขนม kà-nǒm
snack; sweets, dessert noun
Anything from crisps to traditional Thai sweets, ขนมไทยkà-nǒm tai.
- เงิน ngoen
money noun
In casual speech Thais often say ตังค์dtang instead.
- เงินสด ngoen-sòt
cash noun
- บัตร bàt
card noun
Any card: a bank card, an ID card, your BTS card.
- สแกน sà-gaen
to scan (a QR code to pay) verb
From English scan: at a Thai counter it means paying with a QR code.
- จ่าย jàai
to pay verb
There's no word for by or with: just add how you pay.
- ได้ dâi
can; okay, possible verb
Answer ได้ไหมdâi mǎi with ได้dâi (yes) or ไม่ได้mâi dâi (no).
- รับ ráp
to receive, to take; 'would you like…' (staff) verb
Staff use it to offer things: รับอะไรดีráp à-rai dii means What can I get you?
- ถุง tǔng
bag noun
Big chains stopped handing out plastic bags automatically in 2020, so cashiers ask first.
Grammar: Numbers and prices
- สิบ sìpสอง sǎwng
12
- สาม sǎamสิบ sìp
30
- ห้า hâaสิบ sìpสี่ sìi
54
Dialogue: At the 7-Eleven counter
The 7-Eleven by the BTS station. You put a snack, a bottle of water and an iced coffee on the counter.
12 lines · tap a line to hear it
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Cashierพนักงาน
สวัสดี sà-wàt-diiค่ะ kâยินดีต้อนรับ yin-dii dtâwn-rápค่ะ kâHello, welcome!
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You
อันนี้ an níiเท่าไหร่ tâo-ràiครับ krápHow much is this one?
Men อันนี้เท่าไหร่ครับ Women อันนี้เท่าไหร่คะ
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Cashierพนักงาน
ยี่สิบ yîi-sìpห้า hâaบาท bàatค่ะ kâTwenty-five baht.
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You
ทั้งหมด táng-mòtเท่าไหร่ tâo-ràiครับ krápHow much is it altogether?
Men ทั้งหมดเท่าไหร่ครับ Women ทั้งหมดเท่าไหร่คะ
Culture note: QR, cash or card?
Thailand runs on QR codes. Street stalls, markets, cafés and even many taxis display a PromptPay (พร้อมเพย์práwm-pee) code: scan it with a Thai banking app and the money arrives instantly, with no fees. Ask สแกนได้ไหมsà-gaen dâi mǎi and the answer is almost always ได้dâi. No Thai bank account yet? Cash still works everywhere, and small notes make street vendors happy. Cards are fine at malls, chains and hotels.
7-Eleven (เซเว่นsee-wên) is everyone's corner shop: there's one on almost every soi, most are open 24 hours, and they sell coffee, snacks, ready meals and phone top-ups. Since 2020 the big chains have stopped handing out plastic bags automatically, so the cashier asks รับถุงไหมคะráp tǔng mǎi ká: would you like a bag? Don't need one? A smile and ไม่เป็นไรmâi bpen rai are all it takes.
AI role-play: Snacks at 7-Eleven
At the end of the unit you talk with Cashier, an AI character who answers in natural Thai and helps when you get stuck.
The scene
You're at the 7-Eleven counter with an iced coffee, a bottle of water and a snack. Ask the prices and pay.
Cashier starts
Hello, welcome!
Your goals
- 1Ask how much one item is
- 2Ask for the total and understand it
- 3Answer when the cashier offers a bag
- 4Ask to pay by card or by scanning a QR code