Thai Language Introduction | Learn Basic Thai

Introduction To Thai Language

Basic Thai Grammar & Syntax
Basic Thai Vocabulary & Useful Phrases
Learn Thai Language Textbooks, Audio Courses & Software

Modern Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai-Kadai language family which originates from Southern Chinese territory where the ethnic group of Thai people has developed before migrating to modern Thai territory. Historically Thai is linked to Sino-Tibetan languages and vaguely related to Chinese and Khmer. In many aspects - both script and spoken language -
Thai language corresponds to Lao language which is closely related to the dialect spoken in the Northeastern Thai region of Isaan but has developed a slightly different simplified alphabet which has adjusted the official script to spoken language.
There are many references to the ancient Indian languages of Sanskrit and Pali, evident in scientific or political terms, whereas modern Thai vocabulary which has developed in recent decades only has been influenced heavily by English language (e.g. check bin, bia/ "beer", tow-wer plus many more).

Except for words of foreign origin, most Thai words are mono-syllabic and consist of one syllable only. A few exceptions may consist of two syllables (compound words). Combinations of mono-syllables, however, can specify the meaning. E.g. the adjective soong means "tall", kwaam soong (kwaam indicates a certain group of nouns) has the meaning "height". More in the Basic Thai Grammar section.

Probably the most complicated feature of Thai language for Western learners is Thai phonology with its unique tonal system which does not exist in most Western languages. In English, for instance, it is possible to pronounce one word with different intonations, however, this does not modify its meaning. In Thai language, however, a certain intonation of a given word has the function of specifying a new meaning.
There are 5 different tones that specify the meaning of a given word and four signs in the alphabet that indicate the intonation of a syllable: standard tone, deep tone, falling tone, rising tone, high tone.
This means that two seemingly similar words can have two totally different meanings depending on their intonation. A famous example is the syllable mai which can have such diverse meanings as "new", "wood", "silk" or "to burn" but is also used for negations ("not") and as marker at the end of a sentence in order to signalize a question.
As the mai-example and the possible English translations also show, Thai words aren't automatically categorized into nouns, verbs or adjectives!
More in the Basic Thai Grammar section.
Sounds complicated? It definitely is. So if you want to learn to speak Thai properly, your best option is to visit a professional Thai language school. If your aim is only to learn some basic Thai, however, you may as well ignore the complicated tonal system as most Thais will understand you correctly from the context of your utterance - even if you have used a wrong tone to pronounce a certain word.

There are various regional dialects and varieties of standard Thai language, for instance, the Lao-influenced version of Thai language that your girlfriend from Udon Thani speaks, or the Khmer-influenced variety of her friend from Buriram near the Cambodian border, probably sound a bit different from the "Oxford-style" standard Thai of the actors on Thai television.
The most apparent difference is probably the pronunciation of certain letters. To give an example, the Thai alphabet features a letter for the R-sound, and combinations of consonants, e.g. PL or KR, are pretty common in written Thai.
In opposition to a Thai actress, however, the average Thai speaker tends to realize "R" as "L" at the beginning of a syllable, and he would simply delete it if the R followed another consonant as in KR.
For example, the Northeastern province of "khoRaat" is usually pronounced as "khoLaat" by the locals and "sawat-dee kRap" ("hello" for male speakers) is usually simplified to "sawat-dee k_ap".
Some consonants, however, have two official realizations, one if it appears at the beginning and an alternative one if it appears at the ending of a syllable, for example "CH" = CH/T; "F" = F/P; "J" = J/T; "L" = L/N; "R" = R/N; S = S/T.
In many cases this weird feature of Thai letters has an irritating effect on the English transcription of Thai words. Two prominent examples are Thailand's revered King Bhumiphol Adulyadeth whose name is actually pronounced as "PoomipoN AdooNyadet" and the province of "Chonburi" which is sometimes written "Cholburi". According to the original Thai alphabet "chon" is actually written "choL". As L, however, stands at the end of a syllable it is correctly pronounced "choN".
Other sounds may be neglected at the ending of a syllable even though the letter is actually written. Typically this applies to words which originate from foreign languages such as the English word "townhouse" which is realized as tow-how (without n and s at the endings of the syllables) in spoken Thai.

Irregardless of the numerous regional dialects, standard Thai (including a standard Thai alphabet) is Thailand's official language and being studied by students and understood in all parts of the country.
There are different levels of speech in Thai, "slang", "standard", "polite" and "very polite". By choosing a certain vocabulary a speaker indicates his self-
perception and rating of his dialogue partner. Accordingly special vocabulary is being used when addressing Buddhist monks or when talking about (or with) members of the Royal Family.
On a polite level of speech male and female speakers use different personal pronouns. The two frequently used particles "khrab" (for male speakers) and "kha" (for female speakers) are actually meaningless and could roughly be translated as 'yes'. When placed at the ending of a sentence, however, they indicate a polite level of speech and signalize respect for the conversational partner.

The Thai alphabet with 44 consonants, 21 vowels, 10 diphthongs, triphthongs and several auxiliary signs - indicating different tones will not be a subject of this introduction; instead I'll try to use a suitable English transcription which comes as close to the original sounds as possible.
In addition, the tonal system mentioned above, in order to learn it correctly, needs intensive speaking practice, preferably at a language school, and will thus be ignored in the following sections. The basics of Thai grammar and syntax, however, are easy enough for a short description.

Basic Thai Grammar & Syntax
Basic Thai Vocabulary & Useful Phrases
Learn Thai Language Textbooks, Audio Courses & Software

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