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1 THAI

2 For more information, call us at or visit us at Package Design: Maia Kennedy and Recorded Program 2000 Simon & Schuster, Inc. Reading Booklet 2000 Simon & Schuster, Inc. Pimsleur is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. Mfg. in USA. All rights reserved.

3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS THAI VOICES English-Speaking Instructor Ray Brown Female Thai Speaker.... Sutthinee Tangsajjanuraks Male Thai Speaker... Chanin Art Kulsetthanchalee COURSE WRITERS Sutthinee Tangsajjanuraks Christopher J. Gainty EXECUTIVE PRODUCER & EDITOR Beverly D. Heinle PRODUCER & DIRECTOR Sarah N. Hewitt RECORDING ENGINEERS Peter S. Turpin Kelly Saux Simon & Schuster Studios, Concord, MA iii

4 TABLE OF CONTENTS The Thai Language The Thai Alphabet Tonality Politeness Particles Register Grammar Greetings and Gestures Religion Proverbs The Land of Smiles iv

5 The Thai Language Thai is the national language of Thailand, used by the government, in schools, and in the media. In Pimsleur s Thai, you will hear the klang, or Central dialect, which is spoken in Bangkok and Central Thailand and which predominates in education and official use. There are three other major regional dialects: khammauang, or Northern dialect; lao, or Northeastern dialect; and tâi, or Southern dialect. Because Thailand, formerly known as Siam, has been a cultural and religious crossroads in South-east Asia for many centuries, there are other languages spoken in addition to Thai. Of these, the most common are English, which is mandatory in public schools, Chinese, Khmer, and Malay. The Thai language itself has absorbed many loan words from its polyglot population and today, many technical English terms are used in everyday spoken Thai.

6 The Thai Alphabet The Thai alphabet, or Sukhothai Script, was created by King Ramkhamhaeng the Great in It was modeled on Sanskrit and Pali, two ancient Indian alphabets. The Sukhothai Script was modified over the centuries, and is today known as the King Narai script. In the Thai alphabet the consonants and vowels are grouped separately. There are nominally 44 consonants (shown below), but two of these are practically obsolete ZM and "X and several have the same sound. d * M % " S ' & C ( : G P E D { R < I f ^ $ m T o [ x z / r a # } p i ] ; L K l s > v V Vowel sounds are represented by vowel marks or combinations, placed before, after, above, or below a consonant. 2

7 Tonality Thai is a largely monosyllabic, tonal language, meaning that the pitch of a speaker s voice contributes to the meaning of a word. One word can have five or more different meanings, depending on the tone with which it is pronounced. There are five tones in Thai, mid-level, lowlevel, falling, high-level, and rising, as illustrated below. The mid-level tone appears without a marker; the other four tones are indicated in transliteration by tone markers above the word s main vowel. Mid Low Falling High Rising In the following example, six different meanings for the word mai are given by tone, shown in transliteration with the vowel markers: mai mid-level as in tum mai, or why mài low-level new (in a statement) mâi falling no or burn mái high-level in a yes-no question mai rising silk v 3

8 Politeness Particles In Thai conversation, courtesy is very important. Particles are used as polite closing words, or to indicate degrees of familiarity between the speakers. These short words are always found at the end of a sentence, but they are also often included at the end of a clause, so you may have several particles in a sentence. In Pimsleur s Thai, you will learn the particles kâ (used by a female speaker), and krùp (used by a male speaker). kâ and krùp are used not only as polite particles, but also as a way to acknowledge a statement or a question, the way yes is often used in English. While these particles literally mean yes in polite Thai, they may be used scores of times in a single conversation. 4

9 Politeness (continued) Register The Thai expression tîii tàm tîi sóong means high place and low place. Referring to the different levels of social status in Thai society, people can be high or low depending on their age, profession, family background, etc. For example, Buddhist monks are treated with deference by everyone, including royalty. These differences in social status are reflected in Thai grammar. The royal family has its own set of pronouns, used exclusively by its members and by those who work for them. This is one example of the Thai system of grammar which reflects the complex hierarchical social system observed in Thai society. As a result, there are essentially four different registers: royal, ecclesiastical, polite, and vernacular. In everyday speech, you may hear both the polite and vulgar vocabularies. For example, tahn is a more polite word for eat than kin. The word, yàhk, meaning would like, is considered more polite and is used more often in polite Thai than tông-karn, for want. This course introduces the more polite vocabulary. 5

10 Grammar Thai is a flexible language which has no prefixes or suffixes, no genders for nouns, no articles, no plurals, and no verb conjugations. It does, however, have more than 47 pronouns, including at least 17 for I and 19 for you. The choice of pronoun indicates the gender of the speaker: for instance, pom means I for a male; dee chán is I for a female. The many other pronouns in Thai are used to indicate the degree of your familiarity with or distance from another person; the nature of the conversation, be it personal or business; and the respect you wish to show the other person. 6

11 Greetings and Gestures The traditional Thai greeting is called the wâi. In general, the younger person greets first, by placing the palms together at chest level and bowing slightly. The higher the placement of the fingertips, the greater the respect. The highest wâi is reserved for Buddhist monks and royalty. If someone should wâi you, it is polite to wâi back, unless it is a child greeting you. In that case, it is not necessary to return the wâi. The wâi is not only a greeting, but can also be used to mean thank you, I m sorry, or goodbye. Most Thais living in urban areas, however, are familiar with the western-style handshake and will offer the same to a foreigner, although a wâi is always appreciated. The hierarchy of pronouns carries over into non-verbal gestures of respect and deference accorded an elder or a superior. For instance, one would lower one s head and bow slightly when walking past an elder or a Buddhist monk. 7

12 Greetings and Gestures (continued) There is also a hierarchy of importance for parts of the body. Thais consider the head to be sacred, and believe that one should neither touch a person s head nor pass any object over it. Conversely, the feet are regarded as the lowest, or least sacred, part of the body. It is considered offensive to a Thai to point at or to touch someone or something with one s foot. Body language and gestures are of great importance in Thai culture, as they are considered a way of measuring one s character and respect for others. It is considered rude to sit with your ankle crossed over a knee, or to place an arm over the back of someone s chair. Public displays of affection are generally frowned upon. All temples and religious shrines are considered sacred. Therefore, women must not wear shorts, miniskirts, or sandals when going inside a temple area. Also, women are not permitted to touch images of Buddha or to touch a Buddhist monk. In giving or receiving gifts, or in passing items, Thais traditionally use the right hand only. The left hand is placed under the right elbow, and the head is bowed slightly. 8

13 Religion Although Thai law provides for the freedom of religion, nearly the entire population is Buddhist. Buddhism informs daily life, and wáts, or temples, are present in most Thai communities. Worship includes revering one s ancestors and honoring Buddha. Food is offered in remembrance of the deceased, and special rites and ceremonies are observed to remind the living to honor the dead. A person s life is considered to be predestined by karma, a term used to refer to the result of deeds, good or bad, both in the present and from a previous life or lives. Good deeds, or bun, can bring happiness; baap, or bad karma can bring dissatisfaction and suffering in this life as well as the next. Buddhism s predominant tenet is that the Middle Way is best: that is, that the ups and downs of life are to be expected and problems should not be taken too seriously. This attitude is visible in the Thai approach to daily life, in which a sense of moderation in all things, and of living in the present provides for a relaxed, live-and-letlive culture. 9

14 Proverbs As people in many other cultures do, Thais use proverbs to illustrate a point or to provide an example. Below are examples of several common Thai sayings, followed by their English equivalents. Proverb: Wherever the attempt is made, the success is waiting there. v kwahm' phajajahm' yòo' tîi' nai', kwahm' v v sam-rèt' yòo' tii' nân. Meaning: If you don t try, you won t succeed. Proverb: Drink under someone s elbow. kin' nám' tâi' sòk. Meaning: To play second fiddle. Proverb: When in the town where people wink, you must also wink. kâw' muang' tah' lìw' tông' lìw' tah' tahm. Meaning: When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Proverb: Like watering a stump. v see' saw' hài' khway' fang. Meaning: It s like talking to a brick wall. 10

15 Proverbs (continued) Proverb: Run away from a tiger and into a crocodile. v v nee' seua' pà' jaw-ra-kê. Meaning: To jump from the frying pan into the fire. Proverb: Don t make bamboo water containers before you see the river. v mâi' hen' nók' yàh' kòng' nâa' mái. Meaning: Don t count your chickens before they are hatched. Proverb: To talk about five rivers. chág' mây-náhm' táng' hâh. Meaning: To beat around the bush. Proverb: A dog barks at dried banana leaves. v mah' hòw' bai-tong' hêng. Meaning: His bark is worse than his bite. 11

16 The Land of Smiles The name Thailand literally means Land of the Free. Thailand is sometimes also referred to as The Land of Smiles, which aptly reflects the friendliness and warmth of its people. A frequently used Thai expression is mâi pen rai, meaning never mind or that s not a problem. Thais believe that life is to be lived in the moment and problems are not to be taken too seriously. The word sanùk, meaning to derive pleasure from whatever one is doing, be it work or play, accurately describes the Thai attitude toward living. However, a loss of face or a public embarrassment is taken quite seriously, and overt criticism of others is frowned upon. Thais will do their best to understand you even if you do not speak a complete sentence, as long as the meaning is clear and understandable. Inherent to Thai culture is an acceptance of and tolerance for others. You will most likely receive a warm response from the Thais with any attempt to speak their language. 12