Courses > Conversation Course Trial > Lesson 4
 

Lesson 4: Can You Speak Thai Language?

Description:

One of the most common questions a Thai person will ask you is, "Can you speak Thai Language?" Whatever the answer is, this lesson will teach you how to say it correctly. Similar questions include "reading", "writing" and "understanding".

Lesson 4 PDF
(Right click on link to download)

NEW! Watch the Video for this lesson!

 

Grammar Notes:

Often, you can turn a sentence into a question by simply adding the question word  mái  (meaning "or not") at the end of the sentence. Most questions in Thai Language are similarly structured with the question word at the end of the sentence.

In this lesson, we are asking: "Can you speak Thai Language?" and so the "can or not?" question words  dâi  mái  go at the end of the sentence, like this:

can you speak Thai language ?
kun pôot pah-sǎh tai dâi mái
lit: you speak language Thai can or not?

F

M
(Also, don't forget that adjectives come after nouns, so it's "language thai" not "thai language".)

You can answer the question as "can" or "can not", as follows:

I can speak Thai language
 dì-chǎn / pǒm  pôot pah-sǎh tai dâi
lit: I speak language Thai can

F

M
I cannot speak Thai language
 dì-chǎn / pǒm  pôot pah-sǎh tai mâi dâi
lit: I speak language Thai not can

F

M
Reading, writing, and understanding Thai Language is said the same way.
can you write Thai language ?
kun kěe.an pah-sǎh tai dâi mái
lit: you write language Thai can or not?

F

M
 

Word List:

EnglishPhoneticAudioThai
understand kôw jai เข้าใจ
speak pôot พูด
write kěe.an เขียน
read àhn อ่าน
French fà-ràng-sèt ฝรั่งเศส
Chinese jeen จีน
Japanese yêe-þùn ญี่ปุ่น
English ang-grìt อังกฤษ
can not mâi dâi ไม่ได้
Thai tai ไทย
can or not? dâi mái ได้ไหม
language pah-sǎh ภาษา
 

Sample Sentences:

These sentences are based on the patterns described in the
Grammar section. Click here to see slightly different versions.
dì-chǎn kôw jai pah-sǎh jeen dâi
ดิฉัน เข้าใจ ภาษา จีน ได้
I (f.) can understand Chinese language

pôo.ak kǒw kôw jai pah-sǎh fà-ràng-sèt dâi mái
พวกเขา เข้าใจ ภาษา ฝรั่งเศส ได้ไหม
can they understand French language ?

pǒm àhn pah-sǎh jeen mâi dâi
ผม อ่าน ภาษา จีน ไม่ได้
I (m.) can not read Chinese language

 
Enjoying ITS4Thai? Tell a friend. Have Comments or Suggestions? Send us feedback by email.