Unit 19 · Real conversations · B1
Unit 19: Songkran!
Talk about experiences: what you have and haven't done, how many times, and for how long.
6 lessons · about 46 min CEFR B1
The story
April in Chiang Mai, and it's your first Songkran. Fon and her mother Mae Noi take you to the temple in the morning, then into the giant water fight around the Old City moat.
After this unit
- I can say what I have and haven't done, and ask other people about their experiences.
- I can say how many times I've done something, and that it's my first time.
- I can wish people a happy Songkran and join the temple visit and the water blessing for elders.
- I can answer the questions strangers ask a foreigner: where I'm from, how long I've been here, whether I speak Thai.
The 6 lessons
Each lesson takes 5-10 minutes. Read it here, then practise it in the app: free, no sign-up.
- Lesson 1 · Words New Year at the temple 7 min · free
- Lesson 2 · Words Water fights and first times 7 min · free
- Lesson 3 · Pattern Have you ever: เคย 8 min · free
- Lesson 4 · Conversation Conversation 8 min · free
- Lesson 5 · Speaking Speaking 8 min · free
- Lesson 6 · Checkpoint Checkpoint 8 min · free
Words and phrases in Unit 19
Tap the speaker to hear each one. Tap any Thai word to see what it means.
New Year at the temple
Lesson page- สงกรานต์ sǒng-graan
Songkran, the Thai New Year (13-15 April) noun
เล่นสงกรานต์lên sǒng-graan (to play Songkran) means joining the water fight.
- สุขสันต์ sùk-sǎn
happy (in greetings: Happy …!) adjective
Only for greetings and cards, like สุขสันต์วันเกิดsùk-sǎn wan gòet (Happy birthday!). To say you're happy, use มีความสุขmii kwaam-sùk.
- เทศกาล têet-sà-gaan
festival noun
Chiang Mai's big three: the Flower Festival in February, Songkran in April and Yi Peng (Loy Krathong) in November.
- ประเพณี bprà-pee-nii
tradition, custom noun
A slightly formal word you'll see on festival posters: ประเพณีสงกรานต์bprà-pee-nii sǒng-graan, the Songkran traditions.
- ทำบุญ tam-bun
to make merit (do good deeds, give at a temple) verb
Giving food to monks, donating to a temple or helping someone in need are all ทำบุญtam-bun: good deeds that bring good fortune.
- พระ prá
monk; Buddha image noun
Women shouldn't touch a monk or hand him things directly: put the food in his bowl.
- ตักบาตร dtàk-bàat
to give food to monks on their morning alms round verb
Monks walk past at dawn; you stand or kneel barefoot, put rice and food in the bowl, and receive their blessing.
- ผู้ใหญ่ pûu-yài
adults; elders, senior people noun
'Big people': grown-ups, and anyone senior to you, whom you treat with extra respect.
- รดน้ำดำหัว rót-náam-dam-hǔa
to pour water over an elder's hands for a blessing (Songkran) verb
You kneel and pour scented water over the elder's hands, and they wish you a long and happy year.
- อวยพร uay-pawn
to bless, to give someone your good wishes verb
Blessings usually start with ขอให้kǎw-hâi (may …), and elders give them while you're still kneeling.
- ขอให้ kǎw-hâi
may … (starts a wish or blessing) phrase
Literally 'I ask that…'. Put the wish straight after it: ขอให้โชคดีkǎw-hâi chôok-dii Good luck!
- มีความสุข mii kwaam-sùk
to be happy phrase
Literally 'to have happiness': happy with your life or the moment. For greetings use สุขสันต์sùk-sǎn.
Water fights and first times
Lesson page- ชวน chuan
to invite, to ask someone along verb
Casual and friendly, for asking people along to anything from lunch to a festival.
- สาด sàat
to splash, to throw (water) verb
สาดน้ำsàat náam is to splash water; สาดน้ำกันsàat náam gan is to splash each other.
- ปืนฉีดน้ำ bpuuen-chìit-náam
water gun noun · classifier อัน
- กันน้ำ gan-náam
waterproof adjective
This กันgan means 'keep out', not 'together'. A waterproof phone pouch is a ถุงกันน้ำtǔng gan-náam, sold on every corner at Songkran.
- ตื่นเต้น dtùuen-dtên
excited adjective
Excited, and often a little nervous too: before a festival, an exam or a first date.
- เคย koei
have ever (done); used to adverb
It goes before the verb: เคยไปkoei bpai have been; ไม่เคยmâi koei never.
- ครั้งแรก kráng-râek
the first time noun
นี่ครั้งแรกnîi kráng-râek (this is the first time) is the answer that makes Thais smile and look after you.
- หลาย lǎai
many, several adjective
It goes before a counting word: หลายครั้งlǎai kráng many times, หลายคนlǎai kon lots of people.
- เห็น hěn
to see verb
To see or notice something; for watching on purpose (a film, a show, the monks' procession) use ดูduu.
- เมือง mueang
city, town; country (เมืองไทย = Thailand) noun
เมืองไทยmueang tai is the warm, everyday name for Thailand, and ในเมืองnai mueang means 'in town'.
Grammar: Have you ever: เคย
- เคย koeiเล่น lênสงกรานต์ sǒng-graanไหม mǎi
Have you ever played Songkran?
- เคย koeiไป bpaiดอยสุเทพ dawy-sù-têepไหม mǎi
Have you ever been to Doi Suthep?
- ไม่ mâiเคย koeiเล่น lênสงกรานต์ sǒng-graan
I've never played Songkran.
Dialogue: Songkran morning at the temple
13 April, just after sunrise, at a temple in Chiang Mai's Old City. Mae Noi and Fon have brought you to make merit, and the monks have just walked past with their alms bowls.
12 lines · tap a line to hear it
-
Mae Noiแม่น้อย
หนู nǔuเคย koeiเล่น lênสงกรานต์ sǒng-graanไหม mǎiจ๊ะ jáHave you ever played Songkran, dear?
-
You
ไม่ mâiเคย koeiนี่ nîiครั้งแรก kráng-râekครับ krápNever. This is my first time.
Men ไม่เคย นี่ครั้งแรกครับ Women ไม่เคย นี่ครั้งแรกค่ะ
-
Fonฝน
ฝน fǒnเล่น lênทุก túkปี bpiiเลย loeiค่ะ kâI play every single year!
-
Mae Noiแม่น้อย
ตื่นเต้น dtùuen-dtênไหม mǎiจ๊ะ jáAre you excited, dear?
Culture note: Songkran beyond the water fight
Songkran starts quietly. On the first morning families go to the temple to ทำบุญtam-bun and give food to the monks (ตักบาตรdtàk-bàat), then gently pour scented water over the Buddha images. Younger people kneel and pour water over the hands of their parents and grandparents (รดน้ำดำหัวrót-náam-dam-hǔa), and the elders bless them for the year ahead. Up north, people also carry sand into the temple grounds and build little sand stupas (ก่อเจดีย์ทรายgàw jee-dii saai) to give back the sand they carried out on their feet all year.
Then the water comes out. A few rules keep it friendly: never splash monks, elders who aren't playing, babies or anyone on a motorbike; aim below the head; and keep your phone in a ถุงกันน้ำtǔng gan-náam. Thai news counts the holiday's 'seven dangerous days' because road accidents soar, so stay off the roads after dark and never drink and drive.
AI role-play: Water guns at Tha Phae Gate
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
It's Songkran afternoon at Tha Phae Gate. You need a water gun and a waterproof phone pouch, and the chatty vendor wants to know all about you.
Vendor starts
Happy Songkran! Would you like a water gun?
Your goals
- 1Buy a water gun and a waterproof pouch
- 2Say where you're from and how long you've been in Thailand
- 3Say whether you've played Songkran before and how many times you've been to the Old City
- 4Wish her a happy Songkran