Learn Thai - 10 words a day

[KhwaamLap]

Originally Posted by gerg

great idea KL-I'm learning already. PS Do you remember me(+other respondees to my queries some weeks ago). Pleased to inform you that I should be a LOS resident within 3 months. Once agian thank you all for your supportive thoughts. Gerg

Of course I remember you - so you are 'taking the plung' after all. Good luck my friend - and enjoy vilage life. If you're ever down CM way, come over to Guitarman - or give us a post - and we'll neck a few Hope it was amicable at home

[KhwaamLap]

OK - you all had a few days rest (been busy with birthday's and things) - anyway, Yung as promised.

ยัง Yung(M) has several meaning depending on context: Yet/still, since, to stay/remain, until, towards, and several compound words. I am interested in the fomer here (yet) as we are talking about question words.

ยังไม่รู้ Yung(M) Mai(F) Roo(H) is a good one I haven't decided yet/I don't know yet (literally: Yet not know).

The interestign, confusing thing for us westerners, comes with it used as a question and answer:

หิวยังไหม Heow(R) Yung(M) Mai(R) Are you hungry yet?Now in English we would anser either: Not yet or Yes, I'm hungry. In Thai, it is as follows:
Not yet : ยัง Yung(M)
Yes, I'm hungry : หิว Heow(R)

As you can see it seems somewhat backwards. This is because Yung doesn't really mean Yet in the same way it does in English - its just a close approximation. I like to think of it as Not Yet as it makes answering it easier to remember.

OK, I'm going to leave it there for today as this is a concept thing and easily lost if I inundate you with new words at the same time.




I have had a few comments on the Thai text - why am I using that on the site as people of this level can't read it anyway. Well, two reasons really - one, is it helps me (a kind of self study) as I do it; and two, because the idea is that you can come back when you do know the alphabet and it will be more simple to absorb the text because the grammar is already known (I hope).

To this ends I will do some alphabet tomorrow to help with reading - just a few mid class letter and simple vowels to get us started - with effort once we can read, transliteration is no longer needed and we can concentrate on grammar and vocab.

[anselpixel]

I think "why did you eat that" is my favorite so far!
Excellent idea, and I'm glad I checked back into the forum after a long absence.
I'm a man who wants to throw his laptop across the room after 15 minutes of Pimsleur, so it may take me months to digest what you've given us so far.
But don't stop!
BTW, that phenomenon of saying just a tiny bit in a foreign language and getting a verbal equivalent of War and Peace back is common to me from my experiences speaking Spanish in Latin America.
Especially in Mexico.

[blue eyes]

Thanks KwaamLap for these lessons.I really like that you spell it out in the Thai script.I have been learning Thai for about 5 years now,off and on.I lived in Thailand as a kid and never really learned much other then what I had to to play with the other kids.I have found that I really like to learn the script along with the words.When I look at a sign many times I can not say the word so a Thai person understands but I know what it is.That is VERY helpful.l really think that it is important to learn to read and write the script first or at the same time you learn to talk.

[Oneman]

.
This is a very valuable thread.
Thank you, KwaamLap, for taking the time to post all of this, and I am looking forward to more.

I especially appreciate your clear and helpful explanations about word meanings.
Even the dictionaries I use do not always provide the sort of helpful details that you are offering here.

Originally Posted by KhwaamLap

I have had a few comments on the Thai text - why am I using that on the site as people of this level can't read it anyway.

For anyone wondering about the Thai text, please understand that you can not comprehend how all the words should sound just from reading English letters.
In many words, the sounds of Thai don't match up to the sounds of English.
Even phonetic alphabets do not correctly match all the sounds of Thai.

-- Oneman
Chiangmai
.

[Oneman]

Originally Posted by anselpixel

I'm a man who wants to throw his laptop across the room after 15 minutes of Pimsleur

Then you're a stronger man than I am, AnselPixel.
I've been studying Thai for five years, and recently had a listen to Pimsleur.
Less than 5 minutes was all I could take!

Pimsleur moves much too fast for any beginner.
The sound is not clear.
And the learning sequence is not helpful.
Best thing you could do -- if you want to learn Thai -- is throw Pimsleur into the trash.

And what to replace it with?
What is the best way for a beginner to learn Thai?
Would be excellent questions for another thread, so as not to distract from KwaamLap's sequence of Thai lessons here.

Originally Posted by anselpixel

BTW, that phenomenon of saying just a tiny bit in a foreign language and getting a verbal equivalent of War and Peace back is common to me from my experiences speaking Spanish in Latin America.

Good one!
And so true.

-- Oneman
Chiangmai

[justcruizin]

KL, this is brilliant. I just found this website today so have a little catching up to do. Thankyou for your patience and persistance with us less gifted. Keep up the great work.

Mick

[Oneman]

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Bump!

KhwaamLap where are you?
Your Thai lessons are very helpful.
You have a knack for explaining the language.
I hope you'll post more lessons.

-- Oneman
Chiangmai

[justcruizin]

I'll second Oneman there. KL, where did you get to. We are hangin here for some more lessons!

[anselpixel]

Hello! Not that I've learned the first lesson perfectly, but I'd like to add my vote for more lessons when you have the time.
I confess my Pimsleur hit the trash pile weeks ago, btw.
Total waste of not very much money.