Unit 2 · First steps · A1
Unit 2: Nice to meet you
Introduce yourself, ask someone's name and where they're from, and handle not understanding.
6 lessons · about 46 min CEFR A1
The story
Back at the café, Nam asks your name and where you're from; then her cousin Boss drops in and chats a little too fast.
After this unit
- I can say my name and ask someone theirs.
- I can say where I'm from and what nationality I am.
- I can talk about me, you, him/her and us, and leave the pronoun out when it's clear.
- I can say I don't understand and ask someone to speak slowly or say it again.
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 2
Tap the speaker to hear each one. Tap any Thai word to see what it means.
What's your name?
Lesson page- ชื่อ chûue
name; to be called noun
It's also the verb 'to be called', so 'my name is Alex' is literally 'I am-called Alex'.
- อะไร à-rai
what question word
Question words sit where the answer would go, usually at the end: ชื่ออะไรchûue à-rai, 'called what?'.
- คุณ kun
you pronoun
The polite 'you' for adults, and a polite title before a name: คุณน้ำkun náam.
- ชื่อเล่น chûue-lên
nickname noun
Almost every Thai has one, and it's the name friends, family and colleagues actually use.
- ผม pǒm
I, me (male speaker) pronoun
The polite 'I' for men; it also means 'hair'. The app puts it in your sentences if you speak with ครับkráp.
- ฉัน chǎn
I, me (female speaker) pronoun
The 'I' for women; in everyday talk many women use their nickname instead, the way Nam says น้ำnáam.
- แล้วคุณล่ะ láew kun lâ
and you? phrase
Bounces a question back: answer first, then add it.
- ยินดีที่ได้รู้จัก yin-dii tîi dâi rúu-jàkครับ kráp
nice to meet you phrase
Men ยินดีที่ได้รู้จักครับ yin-dii tîi dâi rúu-jàk krápWomen ยินดีที่ได้รู้จักค่ะ yin-dii tîi dâi rúu-jàk kâ
How to say “nice to meet you” in ThaiBoth people say it, often with a ไหว้wâai.
- นี่ nîi
this (person or thing here); this is… pronoun
Introduce someone with นี่nîi and their name.
- เขา kǎo
he, she; him, her; they pronoun
One word for he, she and they: the context tells you which.
- เรา rao
we, us pronoun
Friends also use it casually to mean 'I'.
- คน kon
person, people noun
คนkon plus a country gives a nationality: คนไทยkon tai, a Thai person.
Where are you from?
Lesson page- ไทย tai
Thai name
Thailand itself is ประเทศไทยbprà-têet tai, or casually เมืองไทยmueang-tai.
- อังกฤษ ang-grìt
English; England name
Thais use it for England and for the whole UK.
- มาจาก maa jàak
come from verb
- ไหน nǎi
where; which question word
After a verb it asks 'where'; after a noun it asks 'which': คนไหนkon nǎi, which person?
- ประเทศ bprà-têet
country noun
- เป็น bpen
to be (a nationality, a job, a role) verb
Only for what someone is, never before adjectives: 'I'm fine' is just สบายดีsà-baai dii.
- ภาษา paa-sǎa
language noun
Often dropped in everyday talk: พูดไทยpûut tai is 'speak Thai'.
- พูด pûut
to speak, to say verb
- ไม่ mâi
not; no adverb
How to say “no” in ThaiIt goes right before the verb. As an answer, ไม่mâi says no to doing or wanting something; ไม่ใช่mâi châi says 'that's not right'.
- เข้าใจ kâo-jai
to understand verb
- แล้ว láew
already; now (something has changed) adverb
After a verb it shows that something has happened or changed: เข้าใจแล้วkâo-jai láew, 'now I get it'.
- ช้าๆ cháa-cháa
slowly adverb
The mark at the end means 'say it twice': ช้าcháa ('slow') two times.
- หน่อย nàwy
a bit; softens a request ('please') particle
At the end of a request it means 'a bit' and makes it polite, much like 'please'.
- อีกที ìik tii
again, one more time adverb
- เพื่อน pûean
friend noun
The owner comes after it: เพื่อนน้ำpûean náam is 'Nam's friend'.
Grammar: I am, my name is, I'm from
- ผม pǒmชื่อ chûueอเล็กซ์ à-lékครับ kráp
My name is Alex.
Men ผมชื่ออเล็กซ์ครับ Women ฉันชื่ออเล็กซ์ค่ะ
- คุณ kunชื่อ chûueอะไร à-raiครับ kráp
What's your name?
Men คุณชื่ออะไรครับ Women คุณชื่ออะไรคะ
- มาจาก maa jàakไหน nǎiครับ kráp
Where are you from?
Men มาจากไหนครับ Women มาจากไหนคะ
Dialogue: Meeting Nam, and Boss
A few days later, back at the café. It's a quiet afternoon, so Nam comes over to chat. Then her cousin Boss walks in: friendly, but he talks a little too fast.
13 lines · tap a line to hear it
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Namน้ำ
คุณ kunชื่อ chûueอะไร à-raiคะ káWhat's your name?
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You
ผม pǒmชื่อ chûueอเล็กซ์ à-lékแล้วคุณล่ะ láew kun lâครับ krápMy name's Alex. And you?
Men ผมชื่ออเล็กซ์ แล้วคุณล่ะครับ Women ฉันชื่ออเล็กซ์ แล้วคุณล่ะคะ
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Namน้ำ
ชื่อเล่น chûue-lênชื่อ chûueน้ำ náamค่ะ kâมาจาก maa jàakไหน nǎiคะ káMy nickname's Nam. Where are you from?
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You
มาจาก maa jàakอังกฤษ ang-grìtครับ krápI'm from England.
Men มาจากอังกฤษครับ Women มาจากอังกฤษค่ะ
Culture note: Nicknames
Almost every Thai has a ชื่อเล่นchûue-lên, a short nickname their parents gave them, and it's the name that friends, family and colleagues actually use. Real first names are long and formal, often from Pali or Sanskrit, so they're kept for ID cards, official papers and formal occasions.
A nickname can be almost anything. Some are Thai words: น้ำnáam means water, ฝนfǒn is rain and กบgòp is a frog. Plenty come from English: Boss, Bank, Golf, Ice, even Pizza. In the old days, parents sometimes chose unflattering names like หมูmǔu (pig), so that evil spirits wouldn't want the baby.
Thais also use nicknames instead of 'I' and 'you': Nam says น้ำnáam when she means herself. When you meet someone, ask ชื่อเล่นอะไรchûue-lên à-rai. People like being asked, and using someone's nickname makes you friends faster.
AI role-play: Meeting Boss
At the end of the unit you talk with Boss, an AI character who answers in natural Thai and helps when you get stuck.
The scene
Nam's cousin Boss sits down next to you at the café and starts chatting in Thai. Introduce yourself and keep up.
Boss starts
Hi! What's your name?
Your goals
- 1Tell Boss your name and ask his
- 2Say where you're from and your nationality
- 3Ask him to speak slowly or say it again when you don't understand
- 4Say nice to meet you