Unit 10 · First steps · A1
Unit 10: This weekend
Talk about days and times, say whether you're free, make plans and suggest something better.
6 lessons · about 46 min CEFR A1
The story
At the café, Nam and Boss invite you to Chatuchak weekend market. Now you just have to agree on a day, a time and the weather.
After this unit
- I can name the days of the week and say today, tomorrow and yesterday.
- I can ask if someone is free and say whether I'm free or busy.
- I can say what I'm going to do and when.
- I can suggest a better plan and agree where to meet.
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 10
Tap the speaker to hear each one. Tap any Thai word to see what it means.
Days and times
Lesson page- วันจันทร์ wan-jan
Monday noun
Moon day, just like Monday.
- วันอังคาร wan-ang-kaan
Tuesday noun
Mars day, like French mardi.
- วันพุธ wan-pút
Wednesday noun
Mercury day, like French mercredi.
- วันพฤหัส wan-pá-rúe-hàt
Thursday noun
Jupiter day. Calendars write the full name, วันพฤหัสบดีwan-pá-rúe-hàt-sà-baw-dii.
- วันศุกร์ wan-sùk
Friday noun
Venus day, like French vendredi.
- วันเสาร์ wan-sǎo
Saturday noun
Saturn day, just like Saturday.
- วันอาทิตย์ wan-aa-tít
Sunday noun
Sun day, just like Sunday. On its own, อาทิตย์aa-tít also means 'week'.
- วันนี้ wan-níi
today noun
- พรุ่งนี้ prûng-níi
tomorrow noun
- เมื่อวาน mûea-waan
yesterday noun
The verb doesn't change for the past: เมื่อวานmûea-waan alone does the work.
- ตอนเช้า dtawn-cháao
in the morning adverb
- ตอนบ่าย dtawn-bàai
in the afternoon adverb
- ตอนเย็น dtawn-yen
in the evening adverb
เย็นyen (cool) is also the evening, when the day cools down.
Making plans
Lesson page- จะ jà
will, going to (+ verb) particle
Short, light and low, right before the verb: จะไปjà bpai will go.
- ว่าง wâang
free (not busy); empty, vacant adjective
- ยุ่ง yûng
busy adjective
Thais often just say ไม่ว่างmâi wâang, 'not free'.
- เสาร์อาทิตย์ sǎo-aa-tít
the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) noun
- ตอนนี้ dtawn-níi
now, right now adverb
- เดี๋ยว dǐaw
in a moment; hold on adverb
On its own, เดี๋ยวนะdǐaw ná means 'hang on a second'.
- เจอ joe
to meet, to see; to find verb
You know it from แล้วเจอกันláew joe gan (see you): 'then we meet'.
- เที่ยว tîaw
to go out, to visit for fun, to travel verb
ไปเที่ยวbpai tîaw is going somewhere for fun: a trip, a night out, a day at the market.
- ดีกว่า dii gwàa
better; let's … instead (in suggestions) phrase
Put it after a suggestion: กินที่นี่ดีกว่าgin tîi-nîi dii gwàa let's eat here instead.
- เสร็จ sèt
to finish; finished, done verb
After another verb: กินเสร็จแล้วgin sèt láew I've finished eating.
- ต้องไปแล้ว dtâwng bpai láew
I have to go now; gotta go phrase
- อากาศ aa-gàat
weather; air noun
- ฝนตก fǒn dtòk
it rains; it's raining phrase
- ปี bpii
year noun
Thai calendars count Buddhist years: 2026 is the year 2569.
Grammar: Future and plans with จะ
- จะ jàไป bpaiจตุจักร jà-dtù-jàk
I'm going to Chatuchak.
- จะ jàทำ tamอะไร à-rai
What are you going to do?
- วันอาทิตย์ wan-aa-títจะ jàไม่ mâiไป bpai
I'm not going on Sunday.
Dialogue: Weekend plans
Friday afternoon at Nam's café on Sukhumvit. Boss has dropped in for an iced coffee between Grab rides.
14 lines · tap a line to hear it
-
Namน้ำ
เสาร์อาทิตย์ sǎo-aa-títนี้ níiว่าง wâangไหม mǎiAre you free this weekend?
-
You
วันเสาร์ wan-sǎoว่าง wâangวันอาทิตย์ wan-aa-títยุ่ง yûngI'm free on Saturday, but busy on Sunday.
-
Namน้ำ
น้ำ náamจะ jàไป bpaiจตุจักร jà-dtù-jàkไป bpaiด้วย dûayกัน ganไหม mǎiI'm going to Chatuchak. Do you want to come along?
-
You
ไป bpaiด้วย dûaySure, I'll come!
Culture note: Weekends and the colours of the days
จตุจักรjà-dtù-jàk (Chatuchak) is Bangkok's giant weekend market: thousands of stalls with clothes, plants, art, antiques and street food, open on Saturday and Sunday. Go in the morning (ตอนเช้าdtawn-cháao): by early afternoon the covered lanes are crowded and very hot. Take the BTS to หมอชิตmǎw-chít or the MRT to Kamphaeng Phet, wear comfortable shoes and bring small notes.
Each day of the week also has its own colour: Monday yellow, Tuesday pink, Wednesday green, Thursday orange, Friday blue, Saturday purple and Sunday red. Many Thais know which day of the week they were born on, and temples have a Buddha image for each day, so people can make merit at the one for their own day. Ask a Thai friend which day they were born on: they'll be happy you asked.
AI role-play: Making weekend plans
At the end of the unit you talk with Nam, an AI character who answers in natural Thai and helps when you get stuck.
The scene
Nam asks what you're doing this weekend and wants to go somewhere together. Agree on a plan: where, which day and what time of day.
Nam starts
What are you doing this weekend?
Your goals
- 1Say which days you're free or busy
- 2Say what you're going to do and when
- 3Suggest a better time or a better way to go
- 4Agree where to meet and say goodbye