Speak Isaan Thai Volume 1 Grammar

Thai - Hello

Isaan Thai - I drink beer

 Thai - What is your name?

 Isaan Thai - We like you

 Thai - I want a beer Chang

 Isaan Thai - I miss you

 Thai - Can we meet again?

 Isaan Thai - I'll phone you tomorrow

 Thai - Good luck

Isaan Thai - How are you?

Thai - I'm just looking

Isaan Thai - Where do you come from?

Thai - Please switch on the fan

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Speak Isaan Thai Volume 1 Grammar

Speak Isaan Thai Volume 1 covers all the fundamental grammar, language and word understanding you need to know to speak Isaan Thai successfully. Aspects of grammar are introduced in either distinct segments or are explained as and when they crop up in words and phrases. Whilst the list below may look daunting, rest assured, these aspects of grammar and word use are covered in a simple, interesting and easy to understand way.

 PRONUNCIATION CHAPTER

1. How to pronounce the five Isaan Thai tones
2. Pronouncing Isaan Thai vowels
3. The importance of pronouncing short and long vowel length correctly
4. Pronouncing Isaan Thai consonants
5. Special focus on pronouncing difficult Isaan Thai consonants: ng, ny, dt, bp
6. Pronouncing Isaan Thai consonants ‘p’, ‘t’ and ‘k’ that appear at the end of words correctly
7. The system we sue to write Isaan Thai words in Thai script
   

GREETINGS

1. Structure of language: Word order is subject - verb – object
2. Structure of language: Adjectives follow object / noun they relate to
3. Structure of language: Verb doesn’t change its form for I. you, he / she, we, they
4. Structure of language: Singular and plural nouns and adjectives don’t change their form
5. Structure of language: Verb remains the same for tenses
6. Structure of language: Connecting words like the, is, are, and, to, a, am etc. are omitted
7. Personal pronouns: I / me (male), I / me (female), you, he / she, we / us, They, It
8. Personal pronouns: Use of ‘moo’ with pronouns
9. Personal pronouns: Use / non use of word for ‘it’
10. Personal pronouns: Omitting pronouns when context is clear
11. Personal pronouns: Noun + pronoun + verb sentence forms: using peoples names
12. Personal pronouns: Noun + pronoun + verb sentence forms: using animal and object names
13. Polite particles: Polite particles: ‘kap’ / ‘ka’
14. Polite particles: Using ‘kap’ / ‘ka’ to show politeness
15. Polite particles: Using ‘kap’ / ‘ka’ to indicate you are showing attention and agreement
16. Polite particles: Using ‘kap’ / ‘ka’ to indicate yes
17. Polite particles: ‘kap pom’
18. Saying hello: formal and informal ‘sa-wad-dee kap’ / ‘ka’ greeting
19. Use of word ‘len’ with verbs to indicate an action is being done for fun
20. Use of word ‘nah’ / ‘nah kow’ to indicate field / rice field / farm
21. Verb compounds: Using of 2 verbs together without any linking words
22. ‘Bpy ... mah’: meaning and usage
23. How Thai words are formed: literal word meanings for compound words
24. Origin and use of ‘nang’ (leather) in words
25. Colloquial way of saying hospital
26. Use of English words in Thai: End consonant ‘l’ becomes an ‘n’
27. Explanation of Thai word for shopping
28. Making conversation: ways to be proactive
29. Making conversation: Use of ‘jow la? / ‘jow deh?’
30. Making conversation: Use of ‘laeo jow la?’
31. Explanation of ‘you, you’ greeting
32. Suggested response to ‘you, you’ greeting
33. The ‘gin kow’ greeting
34. Reduplication: practice of repeating certain verbs
35. ‘Bor’: Use of question marker word ‘my’ at end of sentence
36. ‘Bor’: use of ‘bor’ at beginning of sentence
37. ‘Bor saeb’: explanation of strength of criticism this implies
38. Use of ‘welcome’ in greeting
39. Explanation of ‘how are you?’ greeting and appropriate form of response
40. The ‘fa-lang’ / ‘bak see-dah’ greeting: meaning and suggested response
41. ‘Lah gorn’ goodbye: word meaning ‘gorn’
42. Use of polite particle ‘der’ to soften direct statements
43. ‘Sohk dee’: meaning and use as a goodbye greeting
44. Use of hello word ‘sa-wad-dee’ for goodbye
    

MEETING PEOPLE

1. Isaan Thai - the compound word language: how Thai words are formed
2. Isaan Thai - the compound word language: Examples of verb + verb, verb + noun, noun + noun
3. Question words: The role of questions in your Isaan Thai conversations
4. Question words: question marker (bor?), what?, where?, when?, why?, which?, who?, how?, how much? / how many?, How long? (time)
5. Responding positively to questions asked using ‘bor?’: repeating the verb
6. Responding negatively to questions asked using ‘bor?’: saying ‘bor’ before the verb
7. Using ‘go( )’ polite particle
8. Explanation of word ‘yoo’ and use / non use with ‘morng’
9. Idiosyncratic use of ‘Bpy ee-nyang?’ and ‘Bpy het ee-nyang?’ to ask ‘where?’
10. Use of ‘bpen ee-nyang?’ (why?) and ‘jang’ (therefore) when asking a why? Question
11. Idiosyncratic use of ‘ee-nyang’ to mean ‘which?’
12. Use of present, past, and future tense markers in sentences: ‘‘yoo’, ‘laeo’, ‘si’
13. Use of surnames in Thailand
14. Use of polite title ‘kun’
15. Use of forename with title ‘kun’, ‘mr.’, ‘mrs.’
16. Thai ‘nicknames: their importance and meaning
17. Examples of common Thai nicknames and meaning
18. To be: use of ‘bpen’ and ‘maen’
19. Using ‘bpen kon’ to indicate nationality
20. When to use ‘bpa-teht’ or ‘miang’ to indicate country
21. Explanation of cultural pleasantry of asking how old you are: age in Thai society
22. Thai numbers: use of ‘sip’
23. Thai numbers: use of ‘et’ to indicate ‘one’
24. Age: use of ‘kuap’ and ‘bpee’ when asking a persons age
25. Age: Use of ‘laeo’
26. Use of ‘nak’, ‘kon’ and ‘sahng’ with occupational titles
27. ‘Dti?’: asking to confirm something you believe to be correct
    

EATING

1. Request words: ‘kor’
2. Request words: ‘ow’
3. Request words: ‘suay’
4. Request words: ‘dy bor?’
5. Request words: ‘sern’
6. Polite particle: Use of particle ‘nae’ with ‘kor’ for added politeness: ‘kor … nae’
7. ‘Suay’: meaning when ‘duay’ is added
8. ‘Sern’: Meaning of word ‘chern’ when used with a verb and when used on its own
9. Use of word ‘kor-tort kap / ka’
10. Polite particles: ‘nae’, ‘der’
11. Using ‘der’ with commands
12. Using ‘der’ with statements
13. Explanation of word meanings of ‘nia’
14. Explanation of word meanings for ‘noo’
15. Drink: ‘deum’ / ‘kiang deum’ meaning and usage
16. ‘Laeo bpy?’: explanation of question form and how to respond
17. ‘Dy bor?’: response forms to ‘dy bor?’ questions
18. ‘Bpen bor?’: responding to ‘bpen bor?’ questions
19. ‘Bor dy’: how meaning changes when used after verb and before verb
20. ‘Bor dy’: examples of use to mean can’t, and use to mean ‘didn’t
21. Expected responses to the ‘Is it tasty?’ question
22. Use of word ‘noy noy’ to indicate a little bit
23. Use of word ‘eek’ as more or again
24. Using the phrase ‘im laeo’ to reject offer of food
25. Use of ‘poht’, ‘lai’, ‘noy noy’, ‘bor lai’, ‘bor’, to indicate a degree of a characteristic
26. Words you can use to soften a negative response
27. Use of ‘tor-dy’ at the end of a sentence
28. Intensifying a thank you
29. Use of reduplication in a thank you

DRINKING

1. Want words and how to use them: ‘yahk’ / ‘yahk si’
2. Want words and how to use them: ‘ow’
3. Want words and how to use them: ‘dtorng gahn’
4. To like: ‘mak’
5. To bring: ‘ow…mah’
6. To take: ‘ow .. .bpy’
7. Words that can be used for to mean ‘for’: ‘hy’, ‘sam-lap’
8. Word meanings for ‘low kow’ and ‘see sip’
9. Explanation of word ‘mee’: to have or there is
10. Use of ‘leu’ (or) without question marker
11. Words that can mean with: ‘sy’, ‘gap’, ‘nam gan’
12. Word meaning and use of ‘hew’ and ‘hew nahm’
13. How to respond to open and closed question forms
14. Words used to offer a toast
15. Use of bottle and bag classifier words when ordering beer and ice
16. Use of polite particles ‘nae’ and ‘der’ together in the same sentence
17. Meaning of ‘hy’ as ‘for me’ when pronoun is omitted when asking for assistance
18. The concept of ‘muan’ and expressing that something is fun
19. Thai values of politeness (su-pahp) and consideration for others (gehng jy)
    

TALKING ABOUT LANGUAGE, FAMILY AND PEOPLE

1. Question tags: ‘laeo bpy?’
2. Question tags: ‘laeo bor?’
3. Question tags: ‘dti?’
4. Question tags: ‘maen bor?’
5. Question tags: ‘no( )?’
6. Language: Using ‘ork’ (out) with verb to indicate an action has not been brought to a conclusion
7. Language: use of compliments in Thai society -‘wow geng’
8. Language: suitable responses to being sold that you ‘wow geng’
9. Language: Use of ‘dtae’ (but)
10. Language: Use of ‘dork’ to contradict a statement or opinion
11. Language: Use of ‘kor hy’ (request for me) in requests
12. Language: Interjections and their use
13. Family: Use of ‘sah-mee’ and ‘pua’ when referring to husband
14. Family: Use of ‘pan-la-yah’ and ‘mia’ when referring to wife
15. Family: Use of ‘look’ and ‘dek’ when referring to children
16. Family: Use of grandmother term as title of respect for older people
17. Family: Use of family kinship terms in place of pronouns: ‘ai’ ‘eeai’, ‘norng’
18. Family: Use of kinship terms when being introduced to other to indicate status in family hierarchy
19. Family: Meaning of word ‘faen’
20. Family: ‘Mia noy’ (little wife) and her place in Thai society
21. Family: Explanation of word for step mother (mae liang)
22. Family: ‘Korng’: meaning, use and omitting
23. Family: Use of ‘dtae’ to add perspective
24. Family: Use of ‘poo’ when referring to males and females
25. Family: Reminder of use of ‘kuap’ and ‘bpee’ when asking age
26. Family: Use of classifier ‘kon’ when asking about siblings
27. Family: Explanation of use of sniff kiss to express endearment
28. People: Use of ‘bpen’ and ‘kon’ when attributing a personality characteristic to someone
29. People: Explanation of word ‘bpum bpooi’
30. People: Use of ‘nah giat’ (ugly) to describe both physical looks and objectionable actions
31. Grammar: the use of pre-fixes to modify word meanings
32. Grammar: Use of ‘nah’
33. Grammar: use of ‘gahn’
34. Grammar: Use of ‘kuam’
35. Grammar: Use of ‘kee’
36. Vocabulary building: opposite words
    

TRANSLITERATION GUIDE

1. Phonetic transliteration: Low class consonants
2. Phonetic transliteration: Mid class consonants
3. Phonetic transliteration: High class consonants
4. Phonetic transliteration: Short vowels
5. Phonetic transliteration: Long vowels

For Speak Thai Vol. 1 grammar content:

Speak Thai Volume 1 Grammar

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