Thai Words to Know for A1 Level

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Learning Thai can be a fascinating and rewarding experience, especially if you’re planning to visit Thailand or interact with Thai-speaking individuals. At the A1 level, which is the beginner stage, it’s essential to focus on building a strong foundation in basic vocabulary and phrases. This article will guide you through some essential Thai words and phrases that every A1 learner should know. These words will help you navigate daily conversations, understand basic instructions, and express simple needs and feelings.

Greetings and Basic Phrases

One of the first things you’ll need to know in any language is how to greet people and exchange basic pleasantries. Here are some crucial Thai words and phrases for greetings:

– **เธชเธงเธฑเธชเธ”เธต (sร -wร t-dee)**: This is the standard greeting in Thai, similar to “hello” in English. It can be used at any time of the day.
– **เธ„เธธเธ“ (khun)**: This is a polite form of address used before someone’s name, similar to “Mr.” or “Ms.” in English.
– **เธ‚เธญเธšเธ„เธธเธ“ (khร awp-khun)**: This means “thank you.” Showing gratitude is always important, and this is a phrase you’ll use frequently.
– **เธ‚เธญเน‚เธ—เธฉ (khร aw-thรดot)**: This means “sorry” or “excuse me.” It’s useful in various situations, such as when you need to apologize or get someone’s attention.
– **เนƒเธŠเนˆ (chรขi)**: This means “yes.”
– **เน„เธกเนˆเนƒเธŠเนˆ (mรขi chรขi)**: This means “no.”

Introducing Yourself

When meeting new people, it’s important to know how to introduce yourself. Here are some useful phrases:

– **เธŠเธทเนˆเธญเธ‚เธญเธ‡เธ‰เธฑเธ™เธ„เธทเธญ… (chรปue khวŽawng chวŽn khue…)**: This means “My name is…” Use this phrase followed by your name.
– **เธขเธดเธ™เธ”เธตเธ—เธตเนˆเน„เธ”เน‰เธฃเธนเน‰เธˆเธฑเธ (yin-dee thรฎi dรขai rรบu-jร k)**: This means “Nice to meet you.”
– **เธ‰เธฑเธ™เธกเธฒเธˆเธฒเธ… (chวŽn maa jร ak…)**: This means “I come from…” followed by your country or city.

Numbers and Counting

Knowing numbers is essential for various everyday activities, such as shopping, telling time, and understanding prices. Here are the numbers 1 to 10 in Thai:

1. เธซเธ™เธถเนˆเธ‡ (nรนeng)
2. เธชเธญเธ‡ (sวŽawng)
3. เธชเธฒเธก (sวŽam)
4. เธชเธตเนˆ (sรฌi)
5. เธซเน‰เธฒ (hรขa)
6. เธซเธ (hรฒk)
7. เน€เธˆเน‡เธ” (jรจt)
8. เนเธ›เธ” (bpร aet)
9. เน€เธเน‰เธฒ (gรขo)
10. เธชเธดเธš (sรฌp)

Once you’re comfortable with these, you can move on to higher numbers. For example, 20 is เธขเธตเนˆเธชเธดเธš (yรฎi sรฌp), and 100 is เธซเธ™เธถเนˆเธ‡เธฃเน‰เธญเธข (nรนeng rรกawy).

Common Nouns

Nouns are the building blocks of sentences. Here are some common nouns you’ll encounter frequently:

– **เธšเน‰เธฒเธ™ (bรขan)**: house
– **เน‚เธฃเธ‡เน€เธฃเธตเธขเธ™ (roong-rian)**: school
– **เธ•เธฅเธฒเธ” (dtร -lร at)**: market
– **เธฃเน‰เธฒเธ™เธญเธฒเธซเธฒเธฃ (rรกan aa-hวŽan)**: restaurant
– **เน€เธžเธทเนˆเธญเธ™ (phรปuean)**: friend
– **เธ„เธฃเธญเธšเธ„เธฃเธฑเธง (khrรขawp-khruua)**: family
– **เนเธกเนˆ (mรขae)**: mother
– **เธžเนˆเธญ (phรขaw)**: father

Everyday Verbs

Verbs are action words, and knowing them will help you describe what you’re doing. Here are some essential verbs for beginners:

– **เธเธดเธ™ (gin)**: to eat
– **เธ”เธทเนˆเธก (dรนuem)**: to drink
– **เน„เธ› (bpai)**: to go
– **เธกเธฒ (maa)**: to come
– **เธžเธนเธ” (phรปut)**: to speak
– **เน€เธฃเธตเธขเธ™ (rian)**: to study
– **เธ—เธณ (tham)**: to do, to make
– **เธŠเธญเธš (chรขawp)**: to like

Forming Simple Sentences

Now that you know some basic nouns and verbs, you can start forming simple sentences. Here are a few examples:

– **เธ‰เธฑเธ™เธเธดเธ™เธ‚เน‰เธฒเธง (chวŽn gin khรขao)**: I eat rice.
– **เน€เธ‚เธฒเน„เธ›เน‚เธฃเธ‡เน€เธฃเธตเธขเธ™ (khวŽo bpai roong-rian)**: He goes to school.
– **เน€เธ˜เธญเธŠเธญเธšเนเธกเธง (thooe chรขawp maaeo)**: She likes cats.

Adjectives for Description

Adjectives help you describe nouns. Here are some basic adjectives:

– **เธ”เธต (dii)**: good
– **เน„เธกเนˆเธ”เธต (mรขi dii)**: bad
– **เธชเธงเธข (sว”uai)**: beautiful
– **เนƒเธซเธเนˆ (yร i)**: big
– **เน€เธฅเน‡เธ (lรฉk)**: small
– **เน€เธขเน‡เธ™ (yen)**: cold
– **เธฃเน‰เธญเธ™ (rรกawn)**: hot

You can use these adjectives to describe things. For example:

– **เธšเน‰เธฒเธ™เนƒเธซเธเนˆ (bรขan yร i)**: big house
– **เธ™เน‰เธณเน€เธขเน‡เธ™ (nรกam yen)**: cold water

Questions and Answers

Asking questions is a crucial part of communication. Here are some basic question words:

– **เธญเธฐเน„เธฃ (ร -rai)**: what
– **เธ—เธตเนˆเน„เธซเธ™ (thรฎi nวŽi)**: where
– **เน€เธกเธทเนˆเธญเน„เธซเธฃเนˆ (mรปuea-rร i)**: when
– **เธ—เธณเน„เธก (tham-mai)**: why
– **เธญเธขเนˆเธฒเธ‡เน„เธฃ (yร ang-rai)**: how

Here are some example questions and answers:

– **เธ„เธธเธ“เธŠเธทเนˆเธญเธญเธฐเน„เธฃ (khun chรปue ร -rai)**: What is your name?
– **เธ‰เธฑเธ™เธŠเธทเนˆเธญ… (chวŽn chรปue…)**: My name is…
– **เธ„เธธเธ“เธกเธฒเธˆเธฒเธเธ—เธตเนˆเน„เธซเธ™ (khun maa jร ak thรฎi nวŽi)**: Where are you from?
– **เธ‰เธฑเธ™เธกเธฒเธˆเธฒเธ… (chวŽn maa jร ak…)**: I am from…

Days of the Week and Time

Knowing the days of the week and how to tell time is essential for scheduling and daily activities. Here are the days of the week in Thai:

– **เธงเธฑเธ™เธˆเธฑเธ™เธ—เธฃเนŒ (wan jan)**: Monday
– **เธงเธฑเธ™เธญเธฑเธ‡เธ„เธฒเธฃ (wan ang-khaan)**: Tuesday
– **เธงเธฑเธ™เธžเธธเธ˜ (wan phรบt)**: Wednesday
– **เธงเธฑเธ™เธžเธคเธซเธฑเธชเธšเธ”เธต (wan phรก-rรบe-hร t-sa-baw-dii)**: Thursday
– **เธงเธฑเธ™เธจเธธเธเธฃเนŒ (wan sรนk)**: Friday
– **เธงเธฑเธ™เน€เธชเธฒเธฃเนŒ (wan sฤƒo)**: Saturday
– **เธงเธฑเธ™เธญเธฒเธ—เธดเธ•เธขเนŒ (wan aa-thรญt)**: Sunday

For telling time, you need to know the numbers and the word for “o’clock,” which is **เน‚เธกเธ‡ (moong)**. For example:

– **เธซเธ™เธถเนˆเธ‡เน‚เธกเธ‡ (nรนeng moong)**: 1 o’clock
– **เธชเธญเธ‡เน‚เธกเธ‡ (sวŽawng moong)**: 2 o’clock

Food and Drinks

Food is an integral part of Thai culture, and knowing some basic food-related vocabulary can be very helpful. Here are some common food and drink words:

– **เธ‚เน‰เธฒเธง (khรขao)**: rice
– **เธ™เน‰เธณ (nรกam)**: water
– **เธŠเธฒ (chaa)**: tea
– **เธเธฒเนเธŸ (gaa-faae)**: coffee
– **เธœเธฅเน„เธกเน‰ (phว’n-lรก-mรกai)**: fruit
– **เธœเธฑเธ (phร k)**: vegetables

When ordering food, you might use phrases like:

– **เธ‰เธฑเธ™เธ‚เธญ… (chวŽn khวŽaw…)**: I would like… followed by the food or drink.
– **เธ„เธธเธ“เธกเธต…เน„เธซเธก (khun mii…mรกi)**: Do you have…?

Basic Directions

Understanding basic directions is essential, especially if you’re navigating a new city. Here are some useful words and phrases for directions:

– **เธ‹เน‰เธฒเธข (sรกai)**: left
– **เธ‚เธงเธฒ (khwวŽa)**: right
– **เธ•เธฃเธ‡เน„เธ› (dtrong bpai)**: go straight
– **เธซเธขเธธเธ” (yรนt)**: stop
– **เธ—เธตเนˆเธ™เธตเนˆ (thรฎi nรฎi)**: here
– **เธ—เธตเนˆเธ™เธฑเนˆเธ™ (thรฎi nรขn)**: there

For example:

– **เธ•เธฃเธ‡เน„เธ›เนเธฅเน‰เธงเน€เธฅเธตเน‰เธขเธงเธ‚เธงเธฒ (dtrong bpai lรกaeo lรญiao khwวŽa)**: Go straight and then turn right.

Common Expressions and Phrases

Finally, here are some common expressions and phrases that you might find useful in everyday conversations:

– **เน€เธ›เน‡เธ™เธญเธขเนˆเธฒเธ‡เน„เธฃเธšเน‰เธฒเธ‡ (bpen yร ang-rai bรขang)**: How are you?
– **เธ‰เธฑเธ™เธชเธšเธฒเธขเธ”เธต (chวŽn sร -baai dii)**: I am fine.
– **เธŠเนˆเธงเธขเธ”เน‰เธงเธข (chรปuai dรปuai)**: Help!
– **เน€เธ—เนˆเธฒเน„เธซเธฃเนˆ (thรขo-rร i)**: How much?
– **เน„เธกเนˆเน€เธ‚เน‰เธฒเนƒเธˆ (mรขi khรขo-jai)**: I don’t understand.

Conclusion

Learning a new language can be challenging, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. By focusing on these essential Thai words and phrases, you’ll be well on your way to building a strong foundation in the language. Practice regularly, use the words in context, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Language learning is a journey, and every step you take brings you closer to fluency. Happy learning!

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