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Unit 3 · Lesson 4 · Conversation

Conversation: Thai iced coffee at Nam's café

A hot afternoon on Sukhumvit. You walk into Nam's café, and she makes you your first Thai iced coffee.

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The dialogue

14 lines · tap a line to hear it

  1. Namน้ำ

    ร้อน ráwnไหม mǎiคะ ká

    Hot out there?

  2. You

    ร้อน ráwnมาก mâak

    Really hot.

  3. Namน้ำ

    ชอบ châwpกาแฟ gaa-faeเย็น yenไหม mǎiคะ ká

    Do you like Thai iced coffee?

  4. You

    ชอบ châwpมาก mâakเลย loei

    I love it!

  5. Namน้ำ

    อร่อย à-ràwyไหม mǎiคะ ká

    Is it good?

  6. You

    อร่อย à-ràwyหวาน wǎanไป bpai

    Delicious… but too sweet!

  7. Namน้ำ

    คน konไทย taiชอบ châwpหวาน wǎanค่ะ kâ

    Thai people like it sweet!

  8. You

    ผม pǒmไม่ค่อย mâi kâwyชอบ châwpหวาน wǎan

    I don't really like sweet things.

    Men ผมไม่ค่อยชอบหวาน Women ฉันไม่ค่อยชอบหวาน

  9. Namน้ำ

    ไม่ค่อย mâi kâwyหวาน wǎanน้ำแข็ง nám-kǎengเยอะ yóeค่ะ kâ

    Not so sweet, with lots of ice.

  10. You

    ดี diiมาก mâakเย็น yenดี dii

    Very good. Nice and cool.

  11. Namน้ำ

    ขอบคุณ kàwp-kunค่ะ kâ

    Thank you!

  12. You

    มี miiชา chaaไทย taiไหม mǎiครับ kráp

    Do you have Thai tea?

    Men มีชาไทยไหมครับ Women มีชาไทยไหมคะ

  13. Namน้ำ

    มี miiค่ะ kâหวาน wǎanมาก mâakเลย loeiนะ náคะ ká

    We do. It's really sweet, though!

  14. You

    ไม่ค่อย mâi kâwyหวาน wǎanนะ náครับ kráp

    Not so sweet, okay?

    Men ไม่ค่อยหวานนะครับ Women ไม่ค่อยหวานนะคะ

Did you understand?

  1. What does Nam make you?

    Show the answer

    Thai iced coffee· <span class="tt"><span class="th" lang="th">กาแฟเย็น</span><span class="rm">gaa-fae yen</span></span> is Thai iced coffee.

  2. What's wrong with the first coffee?

    Show the answer

    It's too sweet· <span class="tt"><span class="th" lang="th">หวานไป</span><span class="rm">wǎan bpai</span></span> means too sweet.

  3. How is the second coffee different?

    Show the answer

    Not so sweet, with lots of ice· <span class="tt"><span class="th" lang="th">ไม่ค่อยหวาน</span><span class="rm">mâi kâwy wǎan</span></span>, <span class="tt"><span class="th" lang="th">น้ำแข็งเยอะ</span><span class="rm">nám-kǎeng yóe</span></span>: not so sweet, lots of ice.

  4. What does Nam say about Thai tea?

    Show the answer

    They have it, but it's really sweet· <span class="tt"><span class="th" lang="th">มีค่ะ</span><span class="rm">mii kâ</span></span>: they have it. <span class="tt"><span class="th" lang="th">หวานมากเลย</span><span class="rm">wǎan mâak loei</span></span>: it's really sweet.

Culture note: How sweet do you want it?

Order an iced coffee or a Thai tea at a street stall and you get it the Thai way: strong, creamy and very sweet, made with sweetened condensed milk plus sugar or syrup. Thais love sweet drinks, and vendors assume you do too.

Asking for less is completely normal, so just add a sweetness level to your order:

  • หวานน้อยwǎan náwy: less sweet
  • ไม่หวานmâi wǎan: no sugar (milky drinks still taste a little sweet)
  • ไม่ค่อยหวานนะmâi kâwy wǎan ná: not too sweet, okay?

Bubble tea shops and many cafés go a step further and let you pick a percentage, from 0% to 100%. And if the first sip is still too much, you now know exactly what to say: หวานไปwǎan bpai!

ConversationPart of Unit 3: I like it! in the free Thai course.