Learning Thai
Learning Thai with Jen – Thai Tenses and Conjunctions
Future Tense
ja – this is how to specify something is a future tense. It can be translated as ‘will’. You place it before the verb:
pom ja bpai poo-get – I will go to Phuket.
Past Tense
lae-oh – this is how to specify something is past tense. It can be translated as ‘already’. It is placed at the end of the sentence:
pom bpai poo-get lae-oh – I have already been to Phuket.
Present Continuous
gumlung – this is how to specify something is continuing to happen. This is the English equivalent to putting ‘ing’ on the end of the verb. It is placed before the verb:
pom gumIung bpai poo-get – I am going to Phuket.
You may also hear ‘yoo’ added to the end of this format.
pom gumlung bpai poo-get yoo – I am going to Phuket.
This has the same meaning but is adding emphasis to the fact the action is continuing to happen.
Conjunctions
Conjunctions are words that connect elements of sentences. The three most common are ‘and’, ‘or’ and ‘but’. There are many other words in the English language that can be used as conjunctions. We will only describe the two other most common ones; ‘because’ and ‘therefore’.
and la
or reu
but dtair
because pror wah
therefore pror cha-nun
These conjunction words translate quite neatly between English and Thai. The Thai language uses them in very much the same way they are used in English.
and / la
The pronounciation of ‘la’ should be short as in “Last”. The vowel is shortened from the longer vowel sound in ‘lair’.
pom ja bpai poo-get la seu korng – I will go to Phuket and go shopping.
Already / La-ow
koon steve la koon john bpai la-ow – Steve and John have gone already.
or / reu
We have already seen this one in the Thai question form ‘reu bplao’ – or not. The Thai word ‘reu’ is used almost identically to the way or is used in English.
rao mee yai reu lek – We have big or small.
but / dtair
The Thai word ‘dtair’ is used almost identically to the way but is used in English.
pom yahk ja bpai dtair mai mee dtung – I would like to go but I don’t have any money.
Notes: Male speakers use Phom (“I”), and female speakers use “chun” or more formally “deechun”. Male speakers use “khrup” at the end of a sentence, and female speakers use “ka”
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All of Jen’s students say she is the best Thai teacher they have had because she is patient with them and teaches at their pace with no pressure to learn quickly.
Jen teaches at her home in Chiang Rai
She can be reached on 0814 726 644