Grammar Rules Please

[wineman]

What are the grammar rules please re verbs, nouns, adjectives, etc., in spoken Thai? I expect there are exceptions, but what are the rules generally?

Edited April 14, 2007 by chelseatops

[JaiRawnNitNoi]

Don't you think it is a bit simplistic to ask for the grammar rules of a language in an e-mail? If not, could you jot down the rules for

English or your native language and post them here? Sorry if that seems a bit cynical!

But the real answer (for me at least) is Thai: An Essential Grammar by David Smyth. That is the best resource that I have found in English, but he takes 230 pages to discuss it in a very organized presentation. Although, I cannot understand his transliteration scheme. Buy this book, and you will not be disappointed.

[Johpa]

What are the grammar rules please re verbs, nouns, adjectives, etc., in spoken Thai? I expect there are exceptions, but what are the rules generally?

The general rule is the same as English, your basic sentence structure is: Subject Verb Object

When modifying a noun the general order is: noun adjective

[wineman]

What are the grammar rules please re verbs, nouns, adjectives, etc., in spoken Thai? I expect there are exceptions, but what are the rules generally?

The general rule is the same as English, your basic sentence structure is: Subject Verb Object

When modifying a noun the general order is: noun adjective

Thank you for your help Johpa, and for the courtesy shown me. More than I can say for the other two "lings" who replied.

[jeabsun]

In the spoken language, we sometimes omit the subject of the sentence if we know whom we are talking to. For example, in the situation that I am talking to you, I can ask "wanna eat?" or "wanna go?", and etc. We can omit the word "you" because you and I know that I am asking you. I think it is quite similar to the English language. However, you may hear Thai people omit the subject of the sentence more often especially when there is only you and me who are talking to each other. I can omit "You" for almost all the sentences I speak. For example, in the situation that we are going to eat but we have not made a decision yet. I may ask you like "Where should we go?" but in Thai I can just omit "we" to become like (เราจะ)ไปไหนกันดี which means "where should (we) go?" The words in ( ) can be omitted.

Edited April 20, 2007 by jeabsun

[wineman]

In the spoken language, we sometimes omit the subject of the sentence if we know whom we are talking to. For example, in the situation that I am talking to you, I can ask "wanna eat?" or "wanna go?", and etc. We can omit the word "you" because you and I know that I am asking you. I think it is quite similar to the English language. However, you may hear Thai people omit the subject of the sentence more often especially when there is only you and me who are talking to each other. I can omit "You" for almost all the sentences I speak. For example, in the situation that we are going to eat but we have not made a decision yet. I may ask you like "Where should we go?" but in Thai I can just omit "we" to become like (เราจะ)ไปไหนกันดี which means "where should (we) go?" The words in ( ) can be omitted.

Thank you jeabsun.

[kriswillems]

Thank you for your help Johpa, and for the courtesy shown me. More than I can say for the other two "lings" who replied.

Sorry, but the "ling" that adviced you to buy David Smyth's book "Thai - An essential grammar" was very correct. The rules for spoken Thai are the same as for written Thai. Thai people just leave words out if it's still clear what is meant to be said and they use other words when speaking, but the grammar is basically the same (and can't be fully explained in a message on a message board).

I've a few remarks on the book of David Smith:

- Sometimes (in introductions of a chapter) he uses only translitration and no Thai script.

- The Thai font that is used is not really very good (sometimes tone marks and vowels just flow together

- The transliterations are correct but there are a few spelling mistakes at some places in the Thai script

- the layout is rather old-fashioned (but still readable)

For the rest I can say only positive things about this book. It's well structured, pretty complete and can be used as a reference book or as a study book (although it doesn't contain exercises).

Edited April 20, 2007 by kriswillems

[wineman]

Thank you for your help Johpa, and for the courtesy shown me. More than I can say for the other two "lings" who replied.

Sorry, but the "ling" that adviced you to buy David Smyth's book "Thai - An essential grammar" was very correct. The rules for spoken Thai are the same as for written Thai. Thai people just leave words out if it's still clear what is meant to be said and they use other words when speaking, but the grammar is basically the same (and can't be fully explained in a message on a message board).

I've a few remarks on the book of David Smith:

- Sometimes (in introductions of a chapter) he uses only translitration and no Thai script.

- The Thai font that is used is not really very good (sometimes tone marks and vowels just flow together

- The transliterations are correct but there are a few spelling mistakes at some places in the Thai script

- the layout is rather old-fashioned (but still readable)

For the rest I can say only positive things about this book. It's well structured, pretty complete and can be used as a reference book or as a study book (although it doesn't contain exercises).

Thanks for your help kriswillems. I'll look out for that book.

[CSS]

Thank you for your help Johpa, and for the courtesy shown me. More than I can say for the other two "lings" who replied.

Sorry, but the "ling" that adviced you to buy David Smyth's book "Thai - An essential grammar" was very correct. The rules for spoken Thai are the same as for written Thai. Thai people just leave words out if it's still clear what is meant to be said and they use other words when speaking, but the grammar is basically the same (and can't be fully explained in a message on a message board).

I've a few remarks on the book of David Smith:

- Sometimes (in introductions of a chapter) he uses only translitration and no Thai script.

- The Thai font that is used is not really very good (sometimes tone marks and vowels just flow together

- The transliterations are correct but there are a few spelling mistakes at some places in the Thai script

- the layout is rather old-fashioned (but still readable)

For the rest I can say only positive things about this book. It's well structured, pretty complete and can be used as a reference book or as a study book (although it doesn't contain exercises).

Thanks for your help kriswillems. I'll look out for that book.

Another book that I've used and found helpful is "Thai Reference Grammar-The Structure of Spoken Thai" by James Higbie & Snea Thinsan

You asked about spoken Thai and this focuses specifically on spoken Thai. For examble it will write มั้ย (mai short vowel high tone) instead of ไหม (rising tone) as the Thai speakers usually pronounce it as such even though technically the latter is correct. I do wish the book had exercises to help reinforce what it teaches.

[wineman]

Thank you for your help Johpa, and for the courtesy shown me. More than I can say for the other two "lings" who replied.

Sorry, but the "ling" that adviced you to buy David Smyth's book "Thai - An essential grammar" was very correct. The rules for spoken Thai are the same as for written Thai. Thai people just leave words out if it's still clear what is meant to be said and they use other words when speaking, but the grammar is basically the same (and can't be fully explained in a message on a message board).

I've a few remarks on the book of David Smith:

- Sometimes (in introductions of a chapter) he uses only translitration and no Thai script.

- The Thai font that is used is not really very good (sometimes tone marks and vowels just flow together

- The transliterations are correct but there are a few spelling mistakes at some places in the Thai script

- the layout is rather old-fashioned (but still readable)

For the rest I can say only positive things about this book. It's well structured, pretty complete and can be used as a reference book or as a study book (although it doesn't contain exercises).

Thanks for your help kriswillems. I'll look out for that book.

Another book that I've used and found helpful is "Thai Reference Grammar-The Structure of Spoken Thai" by James Higbie & Snea Thinsan

You asked about spoken Thai and this focuses specifically on spoken Thai. For examble it will write มั้ย (mai short vowel high tone) instead of ไหม (rising tone) as the Thai speakers usually pronounce it as such even though technically the latter is correct. I do wish the book had exercises to help reinforce what it teaches.

Thanks for your help CSS, I'll look out for that book too.

[meadish_sweetball]

Both of them are helpful, but in my opinion Smyth's book is a much better buy if you are faced with choosing between the two.

Higbie/Thinsan is out on thin ice in some cases, stretching the language to what is not quite idiomatic, natural Thai, although technically acceptable. A bit like what you end up with if you constantly approach the language with "How do I say this in Thai?" "How do I say that in Thai?" instead of looking at "What do Thai people actually say?".

Smyth does not try to incorporate as much, and so his book is more reliable.