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Understanding

Badrabbit

By Badrabbit
in Thai Language

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Badrabbit Gold Member

Badrabbit

Posted
Posted

I don't speak Thai but know all the basics like hello etc(I've tried to learn but found it impossible to get understood) every morning I go into 7/11 to get my hot latte, I say Latte lawn but they never understand me saying lawn even though I say it identical to them, I'm not complaining because we always have a laugh about it, why do they not understand. is there a subtle difference that I am not hearing?

 

Sent from my SM-G610F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

Roel Advanced Member

Roel

Posted
Posted (edited)

Exaggerate and make it longer. If you pronounce it short 'rohn' they might not understand. Try to say 'roooohn'. Do not forget to include the 'h'. Actually it is the 'h' that makes the o-sound longer. Compare 'on' to 'ohn'.

 

By the way, if you go there EVERY MORNING then by now you shouldn't have to say anything for them to understand what you come to buy.

 

Tip: Use Google Translate on your telephone. You type in 'hot' and it shows the Thai word for it. Click the speaker icon and you hear a Thai pronouncing it. You can even show it to the staff and keep repeating it until they say you pronounce it correctly. 

Edited by Roel
  • Like 1
LivinginKata Star Member

LivinginKata

Posted
Posted

You are not alone. I have a Thai wife for 23 years now and Thai staff. I still can't get the tone thing correct. And it must be correct else the Thais have no idea what you are trying to say.  You would think they could 'connect' the dots but then again it's their language.  Sigh Sigh 

 

But don't give up. I never have ...

Badrabbit Gold Member

Badrabbit

Posted
  • Author
Posted
You are not alone. I have a Thai wife for 23 years now and Thai staff. I still can't get the tone thing correct. And it must be correct else the Thais have no idea what you are trying to say.  You would think they could 'connect' the dots but then again it's their language.  Sigh Sigh 
 
But don't give up. I never have ...
I'll keep on keeping on!

Sent from my SM-G610F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

Badrabbit Gold Member

Badrabbit

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Exaggerate and make it longer. If you pronounce it short 'rohn' they might not understand. Try to say 'roooohn'. Do not forget to include the 'h'. Actually it is the 'h' that makes the o-sound longer. Compare 'on' to 'ohn'.
 
By the way, if you go there EVERY MORNING then by now you shouldn't have to say anything for them to understand what you come to buy.
 
Tip: Use Google Translate on your telephone. You type in 'hot' and it shows the Thai word for it. Click the speaker icon and you hear a Thai pronouncing it. You can even show it to the staff and keep repeating it until they say you pronounce it correctly. 
Unfortunately the staff seem to change often but I don't mind as it's my goal to make them understand, they all think it's very funny!

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nrasmussen Advanced Member

nrasmussen

Posted
Posted

I don't speak Thai but know all the basics like hello etc(I've tried to learn but found it impossible to get understood) every morning I go into 7/11 to get my hot latte, I say Latte lawn but they never understand me saying lawn even though I say it identical to them, I'm not complaining because we always have a laugh about it, why do they not understand. is there a subtle difference that I am not hearing?
 
Sent from my SM-G610F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 
 
Is it possible for you to make a recording of you saying it, and uploading it here?
myshem Explorer Member

myshem

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, Badrabbit said:

I've tried that and still it makes them look at each other, guess I just don't and never will be able to learn conversational Thai.

Sent from my SM-G610F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

 

So you didn't try well, and writing it on this forum as LAWN is clearly an evidence.

R exists in Thai, and only some uneducated people cannot say it, so please ask to some correctly speaking Thai to say it for you. This is a super easy word to say.

 

Badrabbit Gold Member

Badrabbit

Posted
  • Author
Posted
 
So you didn't try well, and writing it on this forum as LAWN is clearly an evidence.
R exists in Thai, and only some uneducated people cannot say it, so please ask to some correctly speaking Thai to say it for you. This is a super easy word to say.
 
I was watering the lawn and that got stuck in my head, uneducated you say lmao!!

Sent from my SM-G610F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

  • Like 1
Briggsy Diamond Member

Briggsy

Posted
Posted

@Badrabbit Are you from the UK? I am.

 

There are 2 common errors Westerners will make with the word rorn ร้อน

 

The first is the tone. It is a high tone. This means you start high and gradually go higher. The tendency for UK speakers of English is to naturally drop the pitch towards the end of the word and even more so at the end of an utterance. Don't do it.

 

The second is the vowel. It is similar to but not the same as the vowel in the UK horse, lawn, bored, etc. The lips need to be held wider not in an 'o' shape. A little like a West Country accent but not quite. The vowel, if pronounced wrongly, really messes up Thais in terms of understanding. I suspect this is the issue.

 

Here is a Thai pronunciation. https://dict.longdo.com/search/ร้อน

  • Like 1
Badrabbit Gold Member

Badrabbit

Posted
  • Author
Posted
[mention=225670]Badrabbit[/mention] Are you from the UK? I am.

 

There are 2 common errors Westerners will make with the word rorn ร้อน

 

The first is the tone. It is a high tone. This means you start high and gradually go higher. The tendency for UK speakers of English is to naturally drop the pitch towards the end of the word and even more so at the end of an utterance. Don't do it.

 

The second is the vowel. It is similar to but not the same as the vowel in the UK horse, lawn, bored, etc. The lips need to be held wider not in an 'o' shape. A little like a West Country accent but not quite. The vowel, if pronounced wrongly, really messes up Thais in terms of understanding. I suspect this is the issue.

 

Here is a Thai pronunciation. https://dict.longdo.com/search/ร้อน

Yes I'm from North London, also have great difficulty with the number 8 to the point where I avoid trying to say it.

 

Sent from my SM-G610F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

Briggsy Diamond Member

Briggsy

Posted
Posted
27 minutes ago, Badrabbit said:

Yes I'm from North London, also have great difficulty with the number 8 to the point where I avoid trying to say it.

 

Sent from my SM-G610F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

3 areas paet could be going wrong.

 

1. I'll put my money on the opening consonant, p. This is not aspirated so is definitely not pronounced like the UK English pie, pizza and piffle. Think rather of the English words speed and spy. And then remove the 's'. You will have an unaspirated 'p'.

 

2. The second most likely error is the vowel again. It is close enough to the UK pronunciation of 'air'. It is not a short English 'e' sound.

 

3. The least likely error is the tone. It is low. You need to start low and stay low even if you feel you sound stupid in a robotic way.

 

When you succeed and you will, congratulate yourself on the fact that people will be able to also understand when you say daet (sunlight), raet (rhinoceros) (falling tone that one) and taet (clitoris).

Blue Muton Silver Member

Blue Muton

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, myshem said:

 

So you didn't try well, and writing it on this forum as LAWN is clearly an evidence.

R exists in Thai, and only some uneducated people cannot say it, so please ask to some correctly speaking Thai to say it for you. This is a super easy word to say.

 

The doctors, teachers, lawyers, bank managers, lecturers, civil servants et al around these parts must all be some uneducated people if that's the case.

  • Thanks 1
eric67 Senior Member

eric67

Posted
Posted

Maybe the “rawn” is just fine, but they don’t understand the “latte” ????, in Thai you have to really emphasize the second syllable: laa-TAY

  • Like 2
Damrongsak Platinum Member

Damrongsak

Posted
Posted

For #8, try "Baat" in a low (mid?) tone, a bit long.  One of my favorite expressions is 8777 (Baat, jet, jet, jet), which is a fart followed by the runs.

RobbyXNorway Explorer Member

RobbyXNorway

Posted
Posted

Actually my experience here is to always start the pronounciation of the word at mid tone. A high tone word start mid and go high with no drop. Same with low tone. Start mid and go down. Whenever I start a word at immediate high tone or low tone I get corrected by the teachers ????

 

It is also not "rorn" but "røøn". There is no "r" before the n. And its a long vowel word so you need to drag it out slightly.

 

Thai is a complicated language but usualy if you get it slightly wrong they will still understand in the context.

  • Like 1
scubascuba3 Star Member

scubascuba3

Posted
Posted



try an app like TH-EN translator. it translates words and phrases well, with an audio feature that speaks out the words/phrases.


which TH-EN translator app? there are several
mlkik Silver Member

mlkik

Posted
Posted
18 hours ago, myshem said:

 

So you didn't try well, and writing it on this forum as LAWN is clearly an evidence.

R exists in Thai, and only some uneducated people cannot say it, so please ask to some correctly speaking Thai to say it for you. This is a super easy word to say.

 

Nonsence , pronouncing ร as ล has nothing to do with be uneducated.

  • Like 1

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