My or May?

[GDT]

Hey folks,

 

Trying to learn off Pimsleur's Thai here and got stuck after the first lesson! This is pretty basic I'm sure, so I don't want to screw up the fundamentals. I'm confused if a particular word should sound more like the English "My" or "May". Example sentences (excuse the transliteration):

 

I don't understand: Pom mai kao jai passat Thai krap.

Do you understand English: Khun kao jai passat ang klit mai krap?

Are you American: Kun ben khun American chai mai krap?

No: Mai Krap.

 

Sometimes the dude on the tape seems to be saying MY and sometimes MAY. Or am I mixing up two different words? If it's a regional thing, which one is better to go for at first?

 

Thanks guys!

GDT

[neo1011]

i speak no thai, but on my last trip a girl taught..well tried to teach me "mai ow krap" (no thankyou) and it sounded like my to me.

[Dr.Winston]

Hey folks,

 

Trying to learn off Pimsleur's Thai here and got stuck after the first lesson! This is pretty basic I'm sure, so I don't want to screw up the fundamentals. I'm confused if a particular word should sound more like the English "My" or "May". Example sentences (excuse the transliteration):

 

I don't understand: Pom mai kao jai passat Thai krap.

Do you understand English: Khun kao jai passat ang klit mai krap?

Are you American: Kun ben khun American chai mai krap?

No: Mai Krap.

 

Sometimes the dude on the tape seems to be saying MY and sometimes MAY. Or am I mixing up two different words? If it's a regional thing, which one is better to go for at first?

 

Thanks guys!

GDT

It should be pronounced like the English word 'my' with the appropriate tone. That's the problem with Thai, because there are sound alien to Western languages you can't spell many Thai words acurately with romanised script unless you learn a proper transliteration system of which several exist. It's not acurate enough to just jump in there.

[granty108]

yes generally prounonced like "my" but some of those "mais" you have there will be different tones. the word mai in thai has five diferent meanings! what you have above only uses 2 of those meanings. learn the meanings then when your out there next put your tones in to practise and listen to a thais pronounciation! Stick at it and it does slowly sink in. hopefully this helps or i may have just confused you more!

[TheLostShark]

Sounds like the English "my". Funny thing is that in my home country when you read "mai" you actually say my.

[herds]

Same words, different tone and different meaning

 

I don't understand: Pom mai kao jai passat Thai krap.

this mai (ไม่) means "not/no" you say it with a falling tone.

 

 

Do you understand English: Khun kao jai passat ang klit mai krap?

this mai (ไมม/มั้ย) means "?/question word" you say it with a rising tone.

Edited February 1, 2010 by herds

[GDT]

Hey guys,

 

I appreciate all the great answers. Yeah, the pronunciation is definitely something that comes with practice. Having already learned some Asian languages, the not-quite-"l", not-quite-"r" sound isn't a problem, but some of the other ones Pimsleur is throwing at me...phew!

 

GDT