How To Say How Much Thai You Speak

[Neeranam]

I often wonder how to reply when someone asks me if I speak Thai.

I used to say "pood mai dai"

Then "Pood nit noi"

Sometimes I say "pood dai"

Am I correct in thinking to be modest one should say, "pood nit nit noi noi"?

Sometimes I hear Thais saying he "pood Thai dai, dtae mai klong"

Sometimes "pood dai dtae mai chat taorai"

[RamdomChances]

I usually say

Phood dai dtae yang mai geng krap

I can speak but not yet good/still not good

Sometimes "pood dai dtae mai chat taorai"

Speak thai but not that clear

I dont know about the other one, what does "klong" mean.

You can use toarai or lock on the end of sentences to soften them i.e

Mai chorb lock, mau chorb toerai

I dont like that much

[meadish_sweetball]

Falling tone 'khlong' or 'khlawng' depending how you transliterate อ (the Thai spelling is คล่อง ) means "without effort, clearly and quickly" - in short, 'fluent'.

[BIG SPUDS]

phom poot tai dai nit noi - does me... i speak thai a little bit.

[Jack Jones]

Pom poot paa saa Thai mai koi tuuk - (literally - I don't speak Thai very correctly).

[snowleopard]

Falling tone 'khlong' or 'khlawng' depending how you transliterate อ  (the Thai spelling is คล่อง ) means "without effort, clearly and quickly" - in short, 'fluent'.

ผมพูดภาษาไทยได้ไวเพราะคล่องมากอยู่แล้ว "pom poot paa-saa Thai dai wai pro klong maak yoo laeow"

Cheers.

Snowleopard.

[Neeranam]

Someone once told me that I could speak ok, so say,"pood reep sao", which means something like I speak to young girls!!

Be careful who to believe

[Firefoxx]

Some levels:

ได้นิดหน่อย dai nid noi=a small bit

ได้บ้าง dai bang=a little

ไม่เก่ง mai keng=not proficient

ได้ไม่ชัด dai mai chud=can, but not clearly (fluently)

พูดมีสำเนียง pood mee sumniang=speak with an accent

ได้ dai=can

ได้ชัด dai chud=speak clearly

พูดไทยไว้จีบสาวไทย pood Thai wai jeeb sao Thai=use Thai to pick up Thai girls

[Neeranam]

พูดไทยไว้จีบสาวไทย pood Thai wai jeeb sao Thai=use Thai to pick up Thai girls

Thanks for that, I got it wrong

[Totster]

How about ...

pood dai nit noy tao nan

totster

[mango]

i sometimes say poot paa-saa Thai mai geng reng khrap its like a joke at the same time saying that your Thai is not healthy, whenever i say it they always seem to love it. NB i have found some people dont understand this is you being funny at the same time and try to correct you not to say the reng but always works with office people.

[gburns57au]

KISS again

Phout Thai Nid Noi is fine......they will understand that

If you need to elaborate....Phout Thai Meuan Gan Dek Dek

I speak Thai same as a child

[Ajarn]

Phout Thai Nid Noi is fine

Am I mistaken, or does not using 'dai' here make the sentence sound like you are basically telling someone else to speak thai a little?

[gburns57au]

Phout Thai Nid Noi is fine

Am I mistaken, or does not using 'dai' here make the sentence sound like you are basically telling someone else to speak thai a little?

If you reads it literally yes....You can use with "Mai Khow Jai".....or use Phom at the front of it..... but by keeping it simple they will understand.

phout Thai dai nid noi is fine

phout Thai nid noi is fine

mai khow jai, phout Thai nid noi is fine.

whatever works for you....the main point is to be understood not for your correctness but just to be able to communicate

[Ajarn]

So,...

"phout Thai dai nid noi" is correct

"phout Thai nid noi" is fine, too, usually.

I agree about communication, but accurate communication is always ideal because there is always a better chance of clear communication without the hiccups from depending on the listener to figure out what you really mean...

[RamdomChances]

So,...

"phout Thai dai nid noi" is correct

"phout Thai nid noi" is fine, too, usually. 

I agree about communication, but accurate communication is always ideal because there is always a better chance of clear communication without the hiccups from depending on the listener to figure out what you really mean...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think it depends if its a stand alone statment or not. If someone has just asked you if you can speak thai, even if you only said "nid noi krap" it would be fine and fairly natural.

I normal speach you would'nt usually say "pom phood passa thai dai nid noi krap" although this would be correct.

[Ajarn]

So,...

"phout Thai dai nid noi" is correct

"phout Thai nid noi" is fine, too, usually. 

I agree about communication, but accurate communication is always ideal because there is always a better chance of clear communication without the hiccups from depending on the listener to figure out what you really mean...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think it depends if its a stand alone statment or not. If someone has just asked you if you can speak thai, even if you only said "nid noi krap" it would be fine and fairly natural.

I normal speach you would'nt usually say "pom phood passa thai dai nid noi krap" although this would be correct.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, I agree. My particular example may not be the best one to illustrate my point, but striving for accuracy seems like a good goal, na'?

In the original post, the question was ... dai mai? The answer, obviously, could be 'Dai, Khrap' or simply, "Mai, Khrap or Mai dai, Khrap"... Or one of many other forms or combinations.

thanks for all the interesting feedback given here. I really like to hear other's experiences, too. It's quite rare for me to ever hear another farang's experience with the language... I don't know many of them.

Edited October 28, 2004 by Ajarn

[gburns57au]

thanks for all the interesting feedback given here. I really like to hear other's experiences, too. It's quite rare for me to ever hear another farang's experience with the language... I don't know many of them.

we all have a different way of saying things depending on who we learnt from..none is wrong and all are correct...the beauty of the Thai language is the flexibility.......

[Ajarn]

Well, not really accurate and too simplistic, perhaps, but , c’est la vie, na'?

[Rags]

i sometimes say  poot paa-saa Thai mai geng reng khrap its like a joke at the same time saying that your Thai is not healthy, whenever i say it they always seem to love it. NB i have found some people dont understand this is you being funny at the same time and try to correct you not to say the reng but always works with office people.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I occasionally answer with "Poot Paa-saa Thai Ngu Ngu Blaa Blaa" which the Thai's always smile at - I was told that "snake snake fish fish" in this context is a Thai term for very very little - a very informal saying and apparently a very unusual one for a farang to use!!

Is this right, or are they smiling at me for a very different reason... ...!!!

Rags

[Ajarn]

......or are they smiling at me for a very different reason... ...!!!

Rags

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey, just enjoy the smile. Yaa kit maak

[chanchao]

oo" Thai bo' jaang" khon Jiang Mai Jaaaao..

Gets them every time. In the North at least. How about a North-Eastern equivalent? "Wow bo dai" or something? Tones?

[loong]

Pom mai samaht poot pah sa thai dai krup.

This means that I cannot speak Thai, but will get a grin as it is one of the perfect ways to say it.