Sounds and tones · Lesson 10 of 11
Polite particles: kráp, kâ and ká
Say the polite particles with the right tone, and use kâ and ká in the right places.
How it works
Polite particles are small words at the end of a sentence that make you sound polite, warm or respectful. They're everywhere, and their tones matter. In the course the app adds them for you according to your setting; this lesson shows both versions so you know what you're hearing.
Men: ครับkráp
Men say ครับkráp, with a high tone, after statements and questions alike. Relaxed: คับkáp. Warm and drawn out: คร้าบkráap. A low "krap" sounds wrong.
Women: ค่ะkâ and คะká
- ค่ะkâ, falling: after statements and answers, and on its own as "yes"
- คะká, high: after questions, when calling someone (คุณคะkun ká, "excuse me!"), and after นะná (นะคะná ká)
Mixing them up is a very common learner mistake, and to Thai ears it sounds like a wrong tone. In chats you'll also see ค่าkâa, a warm, drawn-out ค่ะkâ.
Friendly particles
- จ้ะjâ and จ้าjâa: warm answers, to friends or younger people, the way Pa Daeng talks
- จ๊ะjá: the same warmth in a question
- นะná: softens a request or a statement, like "..., okay?"
Particles keep their tone
A Thai question doesn't rise at the end; the particle simply keeps its own tone. ไปไหนคะbpai nǎi ká (where are you going?) ends high because of คะká, not because it's a question.
ไหมmǎi in real life
The question word ไหมmǎi is spelled with a rising tone but often said high, and chat spelling shows it: มั้ยmái.
Typical mistake: using ค่ะkâ to ask a question. In questions, women say คะká.
Listen and repeat
Say each word out loud after the audio. Watch the accent in the romanization: it tells you the tone.
- ครับ kráp
(men's polite particle)
- ค่ะ kâ
(women's polite particle: statements); yes
- คะ ká
(women's polite particle: questions)
- นะ náคะ ká
(softened, women)
- นะ náครับ kráp
(softened, men)
- ขอบคุณ kàwp-kunครับ kráp
Thank you. (man speaking)
- ขอบคุณ kàwp-kunค่ะ kâ
Thank you. (woman speaking)
- สวัสดี sà-wàt-diiค่ะ kâ
Hello. (woman speaking)
- ไป bpaiไหน nǎiคะ ká
Where are you going? (woman asking)
- ได้ dâiค่ะ kâ
Sure. (woman answering)
- ใช่ châiไหม mǎiครับ kráp
Right? (man asking)
- คุณ kunคะ ká
Excuse me! (woman calling someone)
- จ้า jâa
Yes! / OK! (friendly)
Minimal pairs
Words that differ in just one sound. Listen to each set until you can hear the difference, then say them.
falling vs high (women's particles)
ค่ะ kâ(statements, 'yes')
falling
คะ ká(questions, calling someone)
high
full vs casual (men's particle)
ครับ kráp(polite particle)
high
คับ káp(casual spelling and sound)
high
falling vs high (friendly particles)
จ้ะ jâ(friendly answer)
falling
จ๊ะ já(friendly question)
high
rising vs high (spelling vs speech)
ไหม mǎi(question word, as written)
rising
มั้ย mái(question word, as often said)
high
Tone by tone
The words from this lesson's tone drill, sorted by tone. In the app you hear them in random order and pick the tone.
mid
no mark
- เลย loei
(emphasis: at all, really)
low
à
- สิ sì
(go on, do it)
- หน่อย nàwy
a little (softens a request)
falling
â
- ค่ะ kâ
(women: statements)
- ค่า kâa
(warm kâ, in chats)
- จ้ะ jâ
(friendly answer)
- จ้า jâa
(friendly, drawn out)
- ล่ะ lâ
(and ...? / then)
- น่ะ nâ
(you see; explaining)
high
á
- ครับ kráp
(men's polite particle)
- คับ káp
(casual kráp)
- คะ ká
(women: questions)
- นะ ná
(softener)
- จ๊ะ já
(friendly question)
- มั้ย mái
(question word, spoken)
rising
ǎ
- ไหม mǎi
(question word)
- เหรอ rǒe
really?
New to tones? Start with the five Thai tones explained, then learn how spelling tells you the tone in the tone rules chart.
All pronunciation lessons
- 1Tones 1: mid and low
- 2Tones 2: falling and high
- 3Tones 3: rising, and all five together
- 4Tone pairs and triples
- 5Long and short vowels
- 6With or without a puff: k/g, p/bp/b, t/dt/d
- 7Final sounds: k, t, p you don't release
- 8New sounds: ng at the start, and the vowels ue and oe
- 9r, l and clusters
- 10Polite particles: kráp, kâ and ká
- 11Tones in real speech, and common mistakes