How does one say "My Thai is poor" or "My Thai is bad" in Thai?

[Atomsmasher]

I only know a tiny handful of Thai phrases/words and I reckon it'll be fun to try a few phrases on the locals when I visit.

If they then assume I speak Thai and reply to me at length in Thai I'm probably not going to know what they're saying. In that case how do I say something like "Sorry, I don't understand. My Thai is bad"?

 

Cheers.

[Loong]

You can say.

Kor toht, mai kow jai, pom poot pasaa tai dai nit noy.

or you can say

Pom poot passa tai mai koy geng tao rai (I speak Thai not very well)

Or you can even mix the 2

Pom poot passa tai dai nit noy, yung mai koy geng tao rai. ( I can only speak a little Thai, not very good yet)

[jerry]

For a moment i was thinking you where talking about your GF ...

[Soi Six Snatch Sniffer]

pom rak kun, um ham dai mai?

[slick67]

Pasaa Thai kong pom huai dtaek - My Thai really sucks

 

It's a bit impolite so don't use it with complete strangers, but in a bar it should get some laughs

[Loong]

pom rak kun, um ham dai mai?

 

I think that you mean awm, not um as in "Awm nok khao"

 

อมนกเขา

 

Is this what you say to ladyboys when you want to give them a blowjob?

[Soi Six Snatch Sniffer]

I think that you mean awm, not um as in "Awm nok khao"

 

อมนกเขา

 

Is this what you say to ladyboys when you want to give them a blowjob?

yes it is

[Anokanite]

I speak nit noi Thai

[Atomsmasher]

You can say.

Kor toht, mai kow jai, pom poot pasaa tai dai nit noy.

 

 

Thanks Loong. I understand "Kor Toht" is "Sorry" or "Excuse Me". Does "Mai Kow Jai" mean "I don't understand" or something about my heart not knowing?

Then the last bit contains "nit noy" which I think means "a little", is that correct? Does that mean I wouldn't actually be using a word that means 'bad' or 'poor'?

To tell a Thai that I know even 'a little' Thai would be an exaggeration, ha ha! I know next to none.

 

Thanks for your replies fellers. Such a helpful bunch of blokes on this board!

[Loong]

I speak nit noi Thai

 

As that is neither Thai or English it is very unlikely that it would be understood.

[Atomsmasher]

pom rak kun, um ham dai mai?

 

Thanks SSSS. That seems short and easy. It's quite different to what Loong suggested. What does it translate to exactly?

[frenchdude]

As that is neither Thai or English it is very unlikely that it would be understood.

 

Have you ever been to Thailand? Not exactly brilliant English or Thai, but everyone will understand.

[Loong]

Thanks Loong. I understand "Kor Toht" is "Sorry" or "Excuse Me". Does "Mai Kow Jai" mean "I don't understand" or something about my heart not knowing?

Then the last bit contains "nit noy" which I think means "a little", is that correct? Does that mean I wouldn't actually be using a word that means 'bad' or 'poor'?

To tell a Thai that I know even 'a little' Thai would be an exaggeration, ha ha! I know next to none.

 

Thanks for your replies fellers. Such a helpful bunch of blokes on this board!

 

Yes, "Mai Kow Jai" means "I don't understand.

Jai can mean heart, mind, soul spirit sort of thing.

Hua Jai is the actual physical heart

 

Mai Kow Jai literally translates to Not enter mind

 

Nit noy or nit diow means a little

 

Mai geng means not well, poorly.

 

Mai dee means not good or bad, but it is not a good idea to use this in this case.

If you were to simply say "Poot mai dee" it could be misunderstood by the Thai and he may think that you are accusing him of badmouthing you.

 

As I said in my earlier post

Pom poot passa tai mai koy geng tao rai (I speak Thai not very well)

is probably what you are looking for

[Atomsmasher]

Yes, "Mai Kow Jai" means "I don't understand.

Jai can mean heart, mind, soul spirit sort of thing.

Hua Jai is the actual physical heart

 

Mai Kow Jai literally translates to Not enter mind

 

Nit noy or nit diow means a little

 

Mai geng means not well, poorly.

 

Mai dee means not good or bad, but it is not a good idea to use this in this case.

If you were to simply say "Poot mai dee" it could be misunderstood by the Thai and he may think that you are accusing him of badmouthing you.

 

As I said in my earlier post

Pom poot passa tai mai koy geng tao rai (I speak Thai not very well)

is probably what you are looking for

 

Thanks so much for your help Loong!

[Loong]

As that is neither Thai or English it is very unlikely that it would be understood.

Have you ever been to Thailand? Not exactly brilliant English or Thai, but everyone will understand.

 

Yes, I live in Thailand.

 

"I speak nit noi Thai" is only likely to be understood by a Thai that can speak English. Most Thais cannot.

 

Can you imagine a Thai going to an English speaking country and announcing "Pom Poot little bit passa ungrit dai" Do you really think that everyone would understand him?

[slick67]

 

 

Thanks SSSS. That seems short and easy. It's quite different to what Loong suggested. What does it translate to exactly?

 

pom rak kun, um ham dai mai? - I love you, can you suck my dick?

 

If you want something short and easy to say your Thai isn't that good you can say:

 

-poot thai mai geng - My Thai is bad

Or

-poot thai mai dai - I can't speak Thai

 

[Loong]

pom rak kun, um ham dai mai? - I love you, can you suck my dick?

 

If you want something short and easy to say your Thai isn't that good you can say:

 

-poot thai mai geng - My Thai is bad

Or

-poot thai mai dai - I can't speak Thai

 

As he didn't use any personal pronoun in the last part of the sentence, it could easily be understood as "Can I suck your dick?"

 

When talking about the Thai language, it's always best to use "Passa Tai" so that your meaning is clear.

Not a problem with Thai people who are used to Farangs' poor Thai, but others won't have clue what you are talking about.

Passa Tai means Thai Language

Tai means freedom, ploughing, take a photo, guess, rear, excrete and other meanings depending on the tone

[frenchdude]

Yes, I live in Thailand.

 

"I speak nit noi Thai" is only likely to be understood by a Thai that can speak English. Most Thais cannot.

 

Can you imagine a Thai going to an English speaking country and announcing "Pom Poot little bit passa ungrit dai" Do you really think that everyone would understand him?

 

I've never heard a Thai say ungrit, so in that case, no ;)

 

อังกฤษ

 

Otherwise, yes.

[Loong]

I've never heard a Thai say ungrit, so in that case, no ;)

 

อังกฤษ

 

Otherwise, yes.

 

"Can you imagine a Thai going to an English speaking country and announcing "Pom Poot little bit passa ungrit dai" Do you really think that everyone would understand him?"

 

Would you prefer to see it written as "angrit"?

 

อั is a shortened า and is somewhere between the English pronunciation of the flat a and u (as in up)

Angrit does not sound the same as "Angry" with the final y removed and replaced with "it"

 

So you really think that if a Thai went to the UK and said "Pom Poot little bit passa angrit dai" that everyone would understand him?"

Nobody would unless they can speak Thai.

[Loong]

I suggest that you go to

 

http://www.thai2english.com/dictionary/1453261.html

 

And click on the speaker so that you can hear how a Thai pronounces

อังกฤษ

 

I think that you will find that Ungrit is a much closer representation than Angrit.

[slick67]

 

When talking about the Thai language, it's always best to use "Passa Tai" so that your meaning is clear.

Not a problem with Thai people who are used to Farangs' poor Thai, but others won't have clue what you are talking about.

Passa Tai means Thai Language

Tai means freedom, ploughing, take a photo, guess, rear, excrete and other meanings depending on the tone

 

In general, yes. But when you say "poot thai" there's no need to add "pasaa", since every Thai will already know it's about the language. Unless of course you can speak plough, speak take a photo, speak excrete, etc.

 

It's how most Thais talk in everyday speech, and with "pasaa" being a bit hard to pronounce for someone who has never heard it spoken before, adding it might cause more confusion than leaving it out.

[Loong]

In general, yes. But when you say "poot thai" there's no need to add "pasaa", since every Thai will already know it's about the language. Unless of course you can speak plough, speak take a photo, speak excrete, etc.

 

It's how most Thais talk in everyday speech, and with "pasaa" being a bit hard to pronounce for someone who has never heard it spoken before, adding it might cause more confusion than leaving it out.

 

Yes, you realise speak plough, speak take a photo, speak excrete, etc. would not make sense and that is exactly what the Thais are hearing. They do not know what you are talking about. I live with Thais and I have learnt that they don't give much leeway when speaking Thai badly.

[FROST MEDIC999]

Two things you can do that us Jolly Holiday Makers seem to think always works, speak slowly and shout back you no understand, or just nod you head and smile.

 

Trying to be clever and show you know the Lingo, will only make you look a Twat and I know 555555 My Thai I guess against many Members here is poor, but I get by. When the Locals start rattling back at me most of the time I have not got a Bloody clue.

 

Ghosty

[frenchdude]

I suggest that you go to

 

http://www.thai2engl...ry/1453261.html

 

And click on the speaker so that you can hear how a Thai pronounces

อังกฤษ

 

I think that you will find that Ungrit is a much closer representation than Angrit.

 

You're trying to start an argument where there is one. Don't take these things too seriously

 

Ironically, the link you posted says ang-grit.

 

We were not talking about Thai people in England. We were talking about Thai's understanding farang in Thailand. I live here and haven't encountered a single person who wouldn't have understood that phrase. And, especially since this is Pattaya-addicts, I'm sure the majority of Pattaya girls would get it

 

Again, mai kit maak

[Anokanite]

I admit I only use it when they ask me if I speak Thai in English.

 

My 1st 3 trips I learned some Thai, but was told by several people to just speak English.

 

If I can't speak it right, it just looks stupid.