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Archive for the 'Learn Thai' Category

Appreciating Our Mentors: Teachers’ Day in Thailand

https://www.youtube.com/embed/rVAfCdgkF70 Teachers are valued in every country around the world, but few nations show teachers their due respect like Thailand does. This is reflected in Thai Teachers' Day, celebrated each year to encourage the humility of students before their teachers.  In this article, you’ll learn all about Teachers' Day in Thailand, from its recent beginnings to how it’s celebrated. Let’s get started! 1. What is Teachers' Day? National Teachers' Day is a Thai holiday celebrated each year on January 16. On this day, students go out of their way to show their teachers ความเคารพ (khwaam khao-róp), or "respect."  It was General Phiboonsongkram who first suggested the creation of Teachers'... Show more

Different Ways to Say Goodbye in Thai

https://youtu.be/6Z-VDQkolcU?si=Lr9pHaT0PGR4Y2Rr In Thailand, there’s a saying we apply to our daily interactions with others: ไปมาลาไหว้ (bpai-maa-laa-wâi). In English, this means: "You should say hello and goodbye when you meet and part from each other." If you read our article on How to Say Hello in Thai, you’re already halfway there! Today, we’re going to teach you some different ways to say goodbye in Thai so that you can end your conversations with social finesse!  By using these popular Thai goodbye phrases, you’ll sound more like a native speaker and will more easily form long-lasting relationships with natives. As you study them, you’ll also gain more cultural insight about Thailand and her people!  What are... Show more

Is Thai Difficult to Learn? (And Tips to Succeed!)

If you’re interested in learning the Thai language but haven’t started yet, you may be wondering: "Is Thai difficult to learn?" We’re here to tell you that learning Thai may not be as hard as you think it is!   There are certain things that make the Thai language hard to learn, and for these, you’ll need to spend some time studying and practicing. But there are also many other aspects that are pretty simple and straightforward! You may feel a little doubtful about this, as the Thai alphabet, grammar, pronunciation, and so on, are new to you. But you’ll get familiar with these things in no time once you start learning with ThaiPod101.com.   There are many foreigners who can speak and understand Thai so well, after just a few years,... Show more

The Top 10 Common Thai Mistakes for Learners to Avoid

In Thai, there’s a saying, ผิดเป็นครู (phìt-bpen-khruu), which means "learning from your mistakes."   Still, making mistakes can sometimes be embarrassing, so it’s better if you can avoid them in the first place.  Hence, this comprehensive guide on typical Thai language mistakes from ThaiPod101.com. You’ll learn about mistakes in Thai grammar, vocabulary, word choice, and the appropriate use of Thai phrases. By the end of this article, you should be able to decrease the number of common Thai-English mistakes you make, or avoid them altogether! Table of Contents Similar Consonants Short and Long Vowel Sounds A Note on Tone Marks The Correct Tone for คะ (khá) and ค่ะ (khâ) False Friends ตัวผู้ (dtuua-phûu) is... Show more

Basic Thai Questions and Answers You Should Know

As a new Thai language-learner, do you find it hard to make conversation with native speakers? Because speaking Thai as often as possible is a great way to acquire the language, knowing the most common questions and answers in Thai conversations will be very helpful for you.   In this lesson, you’ll learn about asking questions in Thai and how you can answer them yourself. Knowing these common Thai questions and answers will give you the confidence you need to practice speaking more often!  However, before we start our list of the top ten questions in Thai, there are a few things you need to know first. Table of Contents An Overview of Asking Questions in Thai Our Thai Questions and Answers List Conclusion 1.... Show more

The Best Guide for Passing a Thai Competency Test

When you’re learning something, a test is considered a part of the learning process. Taking a test shows your current skills and improvements you’ve made in that topic; at the same time, it reveals areas that still need improvement. For Thai learners, taking a Thai competency test is a good idea.   The most popular Thai language proficiency test is the CU-TFL. Thus, in this lesson, we’ll give you practical information about this Thai language competency test, including details about each part and when, where, and how to register to take the test. Of course, we’ll also provide you with some tips on how to pass this Thai exam.   Let’s get started. Table of Contents General Information About the CU-TFL A Breakdown of Each... Show more

Basic Thai Sentence Patterns – A Comprehensive Guide

When you learn any language, knowing its basic sentence patterns helps you get a grip of the language as a whole, and allows you to communicate more effectively. So if you’re a Thai learner and don’t know how to form sentences in Thai yet, knowing certain Thai sentence structures and patterns is like a shortcut to creating your own sentences.   In this lesson, we’ll teach you common Thai sentence patterns that you can use in daily life. While there are various types of sentence patterns in the Thai language, we’ll focus on just ten patterns with examples. Also keep in mind that we won’t be focusing on the tenses today.  Let’s get started! Table of Contents Linking Two Nouns: A is B Describing Nouns: A is Wants / Needs... Show more

List of Thai Adverbs You Must Know

Like in English, both adverbs and adjectives in Thai are quite important. Thai adjectives and adverbs are used to convey a more detailed message in speech and writing. They can also help you sound like a true native speaker. We’ve already published an article about Thai adjectives, so now it’s time to learn about adverbs in Thai. In this lesson, you’ll learn about adverbs in Thai grammar, including proper adverb usage in Thai and a list of the most common Thai adverbs. Let’s begin our lesson. Table of Contents Basic Information About Thai Adverbs Thai Adverbs of Time Thai Adverbs of Frequency Thai Adverbs of Place Thai Adverbs of Manner Thai Adverbs of Degree Conclusion 1. Basic Information About... Show more

Thai Keyboard: How to Install and Type in Thai

https://youtu.be/pXV-MzO4Acs?si=PAAn8mEY1Wm8qMWU You asked, so we provided—easy-to-follow instructions on how to set up your electronic devices to write in Thai! We’ll also give you a few excellent tips on how to use this keyboard, as well as some online and app alternatives if you prefer not to set up a Thai keyboard. Table of Contents Why it’s Important to Learn to Type in Thai Setting up Your Computer and Mobile Devices for Thai How to Activate an Onscreen Keyboard on Your Computer How to Change the Language Settings to Thai on Your Computer Activating the Thai Keyboard on Your Mobile Phone and Tablet Thai Keyboard Typing Tips How to Practice Typing Thai 1. Why it’s Important to Learn to Type in Thai Learning a... Show more

The Top 100 Thai Verbs You Should Know

https://youtu.be/zpGCx7vuk2g?si=cUZNPwGM5AhetXkX How many actions do you think you do in a day? That number reflects the importance of knowing a language’s verbs for effective communication.  In this article, you’ll learn 100 Thai verbs that every beginner needs to know. Further, we’ll teach you a little bit about the grammar and usage of these verbs through examples. We believe you’ll be very happy to hear that this is a simple and easy topic! Is there subject-verb agreement in Thai? What about Thai verb conjugation? The answer to both is a resounding "No!" Thai people use the same form of verbs regardless of the subject.   Are there Thai verb tenses for present, future, and past? The answer is no. Thai people use... Show more