GayButton's Thai Vocabulary list

[colmx]

Hi GB

Back when you ran the old Gaybutton site - you used to have a page that listed out simple words and phrases in English and their Thai Equivalent

 

I used to regularly refer to that list in my early dats of visiting Thailand

 

Now that my Thai vocabulary has improved - i'd be interested in seeing how I am doing against the old list...

 

However i seem to have mislaid my copy

 

Do you still have the list to hand?

 

I'm sure there are lots of newbies(and not-so newbies!) out there that would benefit from this list

 

Thanks in Advance!

[Gaybutton]

It's been a very long time since anyone asked for this. I wanted to upload it as a .pdf file, but the system won't allow for .pdf uploads for some reason, so here it is. You'll have to copy it from here:

____________________

 

Gaybutton's Phrase Book

 

It is always appreciated very much when a "farang" tries to speak some Thai.

The various phrase books I have seen are helpful, but many phrases you wish

were there simply are not. The following is a brief list of phrases you really need.

 

You should be able to easily use these phrases or put them together to form

sentences that will greatly help communication between you and your host.

There are plenty of phrase books available in Thailand for additional words,

along with web sites.

 

I have written these as phonetically as I can. These are not official

transliterations. As a matter of fact, the official transliterations are usually quite

confusing, so here you'll get "Gaybutton's transliterations."

 

Don't forget to print out these phrases and take them with you!

 

Farahng - a foreigner (many people say falahng – either one works)

krap - the polite "phrase-ender," used only by males

ka - the polite "phrase-ender," used only by females

Kapkhun krap - Thank you (if you are female, end with "ka" instead of "krap")

Khun - you (also Mister or Miss)

Sawat dee krap - hello, goodbye

Pom poot passah Thai mai dai - I can't speak Thai

Pom poot passah Thai neet noy mak - I can speak Thai only a little

neet noy - a little bit

Sabai dee roo - how are you?

Mai - no, not (used to make phrases negative: hee-yoo=hungry, mai hee-yoo=not

hungry

Mai chai - no (same as ‘incorrect')

Chai - yes (correct, and make sure you raise the tone as you speak the word)

Krap - yes (agreement)

Pom - I, me

Krap pom - yes sir, yes ma'am

Khun cheu (pronounce the "eu" like the oo in ‘book.') arai? - What is your name?

Pom cheu - My name is

Krai - who (pronounced just like "cry")

Tahm-mai - Why?

seu - buy, purchase

Ah-yoo tao rai? - How old are you?

Pom ah-yoo ..... bee - I am ..... years old.

bee - year

Mai kowjai - I don't understand

Pom kowjai - I understand

Kowjai mai? - Do you understand?

Khun hee-yoo khao mai? - Are you hungry?

Pom hee-yoo khao - I am hungry

Hee-yoo nam - thirsty

Khun dongahn arai? - Do you want anything?

Khun yahk dai arai? - Do you need anything?

Arai - what

yungai - how

nee arai? - what is this?

ahnee - this

jing-jing - really

ye-um jing-jing - really excellent!

Khun dongahn bpai nai? - Where do you want to go?

bpai nai? - Where are you going?

Pom ja bpai pai . . . - I am going to . . .

Pom dahngahn bpai pai... - I want to go to ...

Bpai nai mah? – Where have you been or Where are you coming from?

Wun-nee - today

keurn-nee - tonight

proong-nee - tomorrow

taw-nee - now

Bahng-tee - maybe

Bahng-krang - sometimes

Mai-koey - never (This word is rather difficult for English speakers to pronounce.

If you try to say the word "curry," without the "r's" you'll be close. Maikoey. Try

it)

gin - (pronounce with a hard 'g') eat

deurm - drink (pronounced somewhat like the word "doom," with an "r" in it)

mai ow pet - No hot spices in my food, please.

sao - (pronounced as in São Paulo, Brazil) - sad

moho – angry

go-hoke – lie ( as in tell a lie)

keeneeow – cheapskate

burr-toh – telephone number

Sam-khan - important

rawn -hot

now - cold (make sure to raise the tone as you speak the word)

Fohn toke- raining

Jep - pain, painful

khun soo-ay (you're beautiful - NOTE: raise the tone "ay". If you lower the tone,

you will be saying "ugly.")

Khun law - You are handsome

Khun law mak - You are very handsome

Khun law mak mak - You are very, very handsome

Mai bpen arai - That's ok, that's all right

kaw tote - I am sorry

Tow-rai - How much?

Ah nee tow-rai? - How much is this?

Peng - expensive

Mai peng - not expensive, cheap

Tee-nai? - where is?

Khun yoo tee-nai? - Where are you?

Hawng nam yoo tee-nai? - Where's the restroom?

prah-wah - because

lah-oh - we, us

lay-oh - already, before

Mee - have

Mai mee - don't have

Reu - or

lah - and (pronounce the 'a' as in the word 'bat' or 'at' or 'cat')

ta - if

mak - very, much

mak kwah - more than

noi kwah - less than

meu arai - when

ja - will (as in future tense)

Sa-nook mai? - Are you having fun? Are you enjoying this?

Mai sabai - sick, ill

yah - medicine (pronounce the 'a' as in the word 'bat' or 'at' or 'cat')

Kawng kwan - present, gift

sa-nam-bin - airport

too-ra-sap - telephone

dton-mai - tree

polla-mai - fruit

bur-ree - cigarette

fy-shak - cigarette lighter

kawng khun - your

kawng pom - my, mine

nam – water

nam plow – plain water (drinking water)

hawng nam - bathroom, restroom

Choo-way - help

Pom ja choo-way khun - I will help you.

Khun puk yoo tee-nai? - What's your address?

lahng - after

eek - again, another

pom kon dee-yo - I am alone

dee - good

dee mak - very good

mai dee - bad, no good

pahn-ha - problem

ah-teet - week

doo-wun - month

gone - before (pronounce as in 'Gone With the Wind')

bee gone - last year

bee nah - next year

ah-teet gone - last week

ah-teet nah - next week

chawp - like (enjoy)

arroy - like (food)

mai chawp - don't like

khun chawp - do you like...?

pom chawp - I like.....

a-hahn - food

lahn a-hahn - restaurant

check bin krap - the check, please (in a restaurant)

pee - the informal way to address a person your own age, or older, if it is a

stranger, such as a taxi driver or restaurant employee.

nawng - the informal way to address a person younger than you. If you are not

sure whether the person is younger or older, use your best guess!

yahk dten rum mai? - Would you like to dance?

sum-rup khun - This is for you (when giving something)

mah - come

khun mah jahk nai, krap? - Where do you come from?

Pom mah jahk Ah-mehr-ree-gah - I come from America.

glup mah - come back

proong nee glup mah - I'll come back tomorrow

mai ow - no thanks, I don't want

Pom kaw poot gap..... - I would like to speak to......(on telephone)

mai yoo - he's not here

proong nee, lao ja pop gahn way-la tao-rai? - Tomorrow, what time should we

meet?

way-la - time

soon - zero

neung - one

song - two

sahm - three

see - four

haa - five (extend the syllable, pronounce the word like a drawn out "hah," and

the tone should be a falling tone)

hoke - six

jet - seven

bairt - eight (pronounce it like the word "air," with a "b" at the beginning and a "t"

at the end)

kao - nine (practice getting the tone right. If you use the wrong tone, then it

sounds as if you are using the Thai word for either "rice" or "glass." Of course, if

you are using the word in context, you will be understood even if you get the tone

wrong.)

sip - ten

sip-eht - eleven

sip-song - twelve

sip-sahm - thirteen

yee-sip - twenty (this can also be shortened to simply "yeep")

yee-sip-eht - twenty-one (or "yeep-eht")

yee-sip song - twenty-two (or "yeep song")

yee-sip sahm - twenty-three

sahm-sip - thirty

see-sip - forty

haa-sip - fifty

loy - hundred

song loy - two-hundred

song loy see sip-eht - 241

loy sip haa - 115

pahn – thousand

muhn – ten-thousand

sahm pahn hoke loy jet sip see - 3674

_____________________________________

 

Rak - love

Pom rak khun - I love you

Pom rak khun mak - I love you very much.

Pom yoo mai dai ta mai mee khun - I can't live without you.

Pom kee-toong khun - I miss you, I missed you

Pom ja kee-toong khun - I will miss you

joop - kiss

smoke - oral sex

ga-see-en-lay-o – I am retired

jai dee – good heart

gawd – hug

ta-lawt chee-wit – the rest of my life or all my life

goo gik jeu jee – make out

tae-ang – playful sexual touching

chock-wow – masturbate

nom - breast

[Guest fountainhall]

Wonderful! Thanks so much GB. So many phrases there that I need to have on the tip of my tongue - especially at night

[Bob]

kao - nine (practice getting the tone right. If you use the wrong tone, then it

sounds as if you are using the Thai word for either "rice" or "glass." Of course, if

you are using the word in context, you will be understood even if you get the tone

wrong.)

 

As I noted several times in the past, GB's furnishing of a ton of information was one of the reasons I enjoyed his prior website. A huge array of helpful articles, etc.

 

No big deal but the number 9 is actually pronounced "gao" (pronouncing the "g" similar to the English word "get") with a falling tone. "Kao" with a falling tone is the Thai word for rice.

 

I've really only begun (minimally) to learn the tones this year and, as GB notes, 95% of the time the Thais will understand you from the context even if you get the tone wrong.

Trying to learn the tones will drive many of us nuts as our ears aren't tuned to that. English-speaking people do use tones occasionally but we don't mentally think about it as tones. For example, if somebody said something to you about a "chair" and you didn't hear them right and then asked "chair?", notice that you're using a rising tone with that word.

 

Those little nuances end up meaning different things in Thai. For example:

kao - with a falling tone means "rice"

kao - with a low tone means "knee"

kao - with a high tone means "he" or "she"

kao - with a rising tone means the color "white" (although you often add the modifier "see kao")

 

But....and this ought to make you think of English....Thai also has words that are pronounced the same that mean different things (in English, think of the words two, to, too). Kao with a falling tone also means "to enter".

 

I tried to study the tones before but never picked up on them. I tried to simply remember that "kao" with a falling tone meant rice but that method of learning never worked for me. Now, I pay attention when learning a word as to how it sounds...and "kao" with a falling tone really does sound different than "kao" with a rising tone.

[Gaybutton]

So many phrases there that I need to have on the tip of my tongue - especially at night

You may not need them as much as you think you do. I have a feeling that those for whom certain phrases on the list would be appropriate, those who are most likely to be with you at night, just may have been with a few others at night before and probably already know most, if not all, of those phrases in English.

[Guest fountainhall]

Those little nuances end up meaning different things in Thai

 

If you think Thai is difficult, just try Cantonese. This has 9 different tones and you can get into a lot of trouble if you use some of them incorrectly. For example, the Cantonese word for '9' is very similar to Thai - gao - but with a harder 'g'. However, depending on how you say it, it also means 'dog' or a part of the male anatomy.

 

I was once at a rather elegant dinner and tried to complement the hostess with a phrase suggested by my secretary. When everyone collapsed with laughter, I realised I had got one or more tones wrong. Apparently, what I actually said was: "I am a sex maniac!" At that time it was probably true, but I was not so eager for it to become common knowledge

 

those who are most likely to be with you at night, just may have been with a few others at night before and probably already know most, if not all, of those phrases in English

 

I'm looking forward to finding out

[Gaybutton]

Apparently, what I actually said was: "I am a sex maniac!" At that time it was probably true, but I was not so eager for it to become common knowledge

Too bad she didn't respond with a coy look and a "So am I."

[Guest painai]

If you want to speak Thai, you have to learn to read and write it in the Thai script first. Unless you know how the word is written in Thai, you are never going to be fluent enough to carry on a conversation let alone get your point across in Thai. I am glad I have learned enough now to be able to be able to actually talk with a Thai and be understood. Makes it nice to set up dates, times, etc. etc.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

I have heard this comment before about learning to read and write at the same time you learn to speak and understand. But, I didn't learn English that way; I was able to speak and understand before I could read and write.

[Guest painai]

I bet you spent at least 7 years listening and speaking English before reading and writing. As an adult, you don't have that luxury. You have to learn the 4 skills: to listen, to read, to write and to speak to get fluent in any language. Speaking is only one part of any language acquisition. Reading Thai is especially important because of the pronunciation and vocabulary acquisition.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

Actually, it was 5 years.

[colmx]

Hi GB

Thanks for reposting he phrase book

Much appreciated

Will Save it down for study on my next flight!

[Guest pingalicker]

Thank you Gaybutton. I printed the list and will cut it down to fit in my wallet. On my 2nd trip to LOS I bought the paperback "Thai for gay tourist" by Saksit Pakdessiam which has been a fantastic help. It list ALL kinds of sentences that I have used when talking to a Thai boy with limited English skills. I bought it at a bookshop, and it was rather pricey, but it sure has come in handy. It has chapters on Romantic talk, breaking up, sex talk, in a bar, etc. I like to use it when I don't want anyone to overhear our conversation (taxi,airport,etc). I also picked up used copy of an English to Thai dictinary at a small roadside market for 20baht that I carry in my back pocket that has helped a lot in resturants when ordering, etc. I just point to the word or sentence in either book and some eyebrows are raised and some blushing has occured under the "sex talk" chapter. It is most enjoyable. I continue to try to learn to speak more Thai, but is difficult for me, but I'm still trying!

[Guest fountainhall]

Too bad she didn't respond with a coy look and a "So am I."

 

Now that would have put me in a really difficult situation, especially if she was expecting something to happen as a result!

[Gaybutton]

We can all debate over whether it is best to learn to read and write Thai before, or in conjunction with, attempting to learn to speak it. My Thai tutor, and I thought she was excellent, advocated learning to speak it before worrying about learning to read and write it.

 

I think I speak Thai quite well in comparison to the average farang, but to this day I cannot read or write in Thai. On a practical level so far I have never had a need for it. However, I do wish I had learned to at least read it. It would certainly make things easier. But since I am able to communicate well enough to be satisfactory for my own needs, I doubt I will ever make the effort to learn to read it, although I know I should.

[Guest painai]

Sometimes it can be interesting to use your knowledge of written Thai to read things intended for Thais only. For example, at the Sea World in the basement of Siam Paragon, the sign, in English, reads: entrance 990 baht. However, in Thai script, using Thai script and Thai numerals: Thai people 300 baht. Also, at a buffet restaurant in Pattaya nua, the sign reads in English, 200 baht per person. In Thai, it reads 130 baht per person. Lumphini Stadium, the Grand Palace, the list goes on and on where signs in Thai are much cheaper than the English sign.

[Gaybutton]

For example, at the Sea World in the basement of Siam Paragon, the sign, in English, reads: entrance 990 baht. However, in Thai script, using Thai script and Thai numerals: Thai people 250 baht.

It's interesting, but I don't see how the ability to read that is of any practical use if they are still charging farang a different price. I think that's outrageous, by the way, to be charging farang 4 times the price the Thais pay.

 

For me, the ability to read Thai would be most helpful trying to read signs or menus that are entirely in Thai. I'm fortunate in one respect, and that may have a lot to do with why I never tried learning to read it. On my street there is a Thai woman who speaks English fluently. When I do have a question or receive mail written in Thai, I can simply consult her.