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

[Loong]

And this forum is called "Learning Thai Language"

The OP asked a genuine question and probably expected a sensible and genuine answer.

[999Baht]

Easiest way...

Put Thai Die Nid Noi.

That is how I remembered to say it.

 

These days they don't believe me when I say it.

[S C]

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

 

================================================

 

Best answer that works for me and makes for a fun reply from the Thai person.

They say - you speak Thai because you say you cannot speak Thai USING Thai.

 

Phonetically I say - poot Thai ME DIE

 

S C

[Rapid Language Learning]

I only know a tiny handful of Thai phrases/words, how do I say something like "Sorry, I don't understand. My Thai is bad"?

 

It's almost impossible to explain how to pronounce Thai words & phrases correctly using a phonetic transliteration. Most of the posters here have got it almost completely wrong

 

What I suggest is that you learn to read Thai first - so at least you know how to sound out the words accurately using the correct tones.

 

In the meantime, here are a few phrases that will get you by:

 

[Tones: ? = the same as asking a question, like "how?"

?? = the same as being unsure, like "is that a bird??"

! = an excited exclamation, like "wow!"

___ = sad, depressed, relaxed voice, like "uh ohh...."

otherwise just speak in a flat monotonous boring voice]

 

1. Firstly, there is no need to use I/you in a sentence - just drop it, most of the time it's understood. If you want to specify a person, just use that person's name (or nickname) - even when referring to yourself!

 

2. Always end (at least your first sentence) with "krab??" (rhymes with "club") if you're a man (uncertain tone, like saying "is this the right club??"), or "kaa" (if you're a woman).

 

If you're a woman then use the uncertain question tone when asking a question: "kaa??". But if you're making a statement, be assertive and say "kaa!"

 

3. Excuse me... kaw? toaht! (rhymes with "core taught" said with a Scottish accent!)

 

4. I don't speak Thai well... pood! pasaa? thai mai! keng (the "k" in "keng" is exactly like the "k" in "sky" - practice saying "skeng" and then slowly phase out the "s")

 

5. Thank you... kohb kun (rhymes with "sob coon", the "oo" is very short

 

6. don't worry / you're welcome... mai! pen raai (the "p" in "pen" is exactly like the "p" is "spy", practice saying "spen", like "spend", and then slowly phase out the "s")

 

more later...

[kundai]

In Pattaya you will generally hear what they call the Isaan dialect which is actually Lao , many people will speak Khmer (cambodian) and the mixed Khmer-Lao dialect ( especially if from around Suriin ) Northern Lanna Thai ( Chang Mai area ) is actually a Lao dialect, you will only hear Southern Thai around the Mosques but most labourers will be Burmese.

The expression Mai pen raai will usually be pronounced as "My Ben Lie". You can learn how to pronounce certain phrases "properly" ie. with a central thai accent but most Thias will not understand you as many cannot beleive a faqrang can actually speak Thai.

[expatdude]

I think if someone said "Pood mai koy geng tao rai na krub" it would be like a Thai saying to you "I'm afraid I don't speak English very well.' If a Thai said that to me, I wouldn't believe them and would think they spoke English quite well and were being modest.

 

To me if you really don't speak Thai or are just learning, a good answer would be "Pood pasaa Thai nid noi" or "Pood pasaa Thai mai geng."

[Jasiek]

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.

 

om mya mya, can anybody give me free Thai language lessons?

and my ass is closed and no BJ from me.

Hello anybody there?

555 , I kew this

[Harry Brown]

I get by saying:

 

pom poot thai mai mak mak, pom put thai nit noi.

[Rapid Language Learning]

A few more useful Thai words and phrases...

 

ao (or "ow")... a general term for wanting something, taking or bringing something such as:

 

ao beeya sawng? kwad (rhymes with "ow see-ya lawn mud") - I want [would like} two bottles of beer

mai! dai! ao kunchjeh (rhymes with "my die ow coon chair") - I didn't take/bring the key

ao rot?? motosaai teu (rhymes with "ow wrought maw law sigh stir") - let's take the bike

 

Note: mai! dai! (often slurred together "m'dai!" as in "g'day") means "cannot" if placed at the end of the sentence or "did not" if placed at the beginning of a sentence.

 

Oh I nearly forgot to mention... ao is also an impolite term for "fuck", as in "yaak chja ao kun" - I wanna have/take you!...

 

or "ao kan tue" (the "k" is the same as in "sky", "tue" rhymes with computer) - let's fuck! ("let's have each other")

 

 

song (or "sawng")... taking someone somewhere, or sending a package/letter as in:

 

chja song peu-an tee! sanaam? bin kawn (rhymes with "pizza lawn supper under T sun vietnaam pin corn) - I'll take my friend to the airport first

 

chuai! (rhymes with "chew eye") - literally means "help" but is used for "please...

 

chuai! wehb chjaan nee?? hai! noi ("chew eye bed vietnaam knee hi boy") - please can you heat ("microwave") this plate [of food] for me

 

aroi - delicious... saeb saeb?? (rhymes with "crap") is the Isaan dialect for delicious... in north Thailand, they say "lam tae tae" ("lump tack tack")

 

suai? (sue eye)... beautiful. Make sure you say this with a question tone, otherwise it means unlucky! It's usually a compliment to say it twice: suai suai?

 

tao! rai... ("plough rye") how much? (be careful not to make a question tone when you say this, even though you are asking a question!)

 

paeng... ("pang') expensive

 

rawn??... ("prawn") hot

pehd... ("pet") spicy/hot

waan?... ("vietnaam") sweet

 

baa!... crazy

raeng... strong (usually used to mean thrilling or crude or obscene) - but if you say "mai! mee raeng" it means "I have no energy... I'm pooped!"

 

sia? chjai ("see ya high") - I'm sorry (in the sense of sorry for something bad or a misfortune)

caw tawt ("law law") - I apologize, excuse me

 

anaat! ("under vietnaam") - that's a shame! what a pity!

 

arai na?? ("pizza rye nub") - "pardon?/what?"

[Atomsmasher]

Thanks guys! Very helpful.

[Rapid Language Learning]

[to delete]

[TheKamalaFarang]

================================================

 

Best answer that works for me and makes for a fun reply from the Thai person.

They say - you speak Thai because you say you cannot speak Thai USING Thai.

 

Phonetically I say - poot Thai ME DIE

 

S C

 

I thought it was Poot Thai MY die. (I don't speak Thai) I'm probably wrong.

 

Since most of the time you're saying it to an Issan girl, surprise her with bow bow Issan. (I don't speak Issan.) Then ask her king cow le bow? (Have you eaten yet. Always endearing to a Thai). Watch the hilarity ensue as your leaving say...Pie condour (see you next time).

 

That's it for my Thai.

[Loong]

I thought it was Poot Thai MY die. (I don't speak Thai) I'm probably wrong.

 

Since most of the time you're saying it to an Issan girl, surprise her with bow bow Issan. (I don't speak Issan.) Then ask her king cow le bow? (Have you eaten yet. Always endearing to a Thai). Watch the hilarity ensue as your leaving say...Pie condour (see you next time).

 

That's it for my Thai.

 

You're not so wrong

"Poot Thai MY die" would probably be understood by bargirls used to Farangs extremely poor Thai language skills.

 

"bow bow Issan."(I don't speak Issan.)

To be honest with you, I have no idea what you are trying to say with "bow bow Issan." I live in Isaan and I don't believe that this means anything. If you get a good reaction from Isaan bar girls when you come out with this, it is probably because thay are laughing at you, not with you.

If you want to say "I don't speak Issan"

"Wow Isaan/Lao baw dai"

[slick67]

And if she comes from the border region with Cambodia (ie. from Si Saket, Surin, Buriram, etc), speaks Khmer and you reeally want to see her fall from her chair, you can say "nyai khmer tay": I can't speak Khmer (the "ny" in nyai is the same sound as the ñ in Spanish mañana)