How to say 'I'm learning' as a response to 'do you speak Thai'?

[mattk1]

Hi guys,

I've just started to learn to speak Thai but none of the apps I have tell me how to say, in response to the question can you speak Thai? How to say I'm learning.

I've just looked up the word learning in my Thai dictionary and it is 'gaan riian ruu'.

So would I just reply with 'Pom gaan riian ruu pasa thai'?

Or is there another more common way I should reply?

Cheers for the help!

[DavidHouston]

Matt,

One of the difficulties of learning Thai from English is that comparing the respective grammars may be misleading. In English the word "learning" can be either a present participle ("I am learning Thai") or a gerund (Learning Thai is difficult.) The Thais, as you might expect, have a different construction for each of these uses.

The phrase you quote "การเรียนรู้" ('gaan riian ruu') is a gerund and is not what you want for what you are trying to express. You want to say, "ผมกำลังเรียนภาษาไทยอยู่" (pŏm gam-lang rian paa-săa tai yòo ). The Thai word "kam-lang" is equivalent to the "-ing" form in English.

Best of luck in your studies.

[mattk1]

David, thanks a million for your excellent reply!

What you wrote will stick with me now and I look forward to being able to reply correctly the next time I am asked if I speak Thai or not.

Thankfully I have not yet used the incorrect phrase that I wrote in my opening post :-)

Again thanks for taking the time to explain clearly for me.

Cheers!

[CaptHaddock]

I am studying Thai (currently, or these days) = ผมกำลังเรียนภาษาไทย

I am studying Thai (right now, this minute) = ผมกำลังเรียนภาษาไทยอยู่

Also, although I could be wrong about this, I have the impression that acquiring a skill like learning a language or how to play the piano is เรียน while learning declarative facts or knowledge is เรียนรู้. In any case, I have not encountered เรียนรู้ภาษา and am guessing this is the reason.

Edited June 21, 2014 by CaptHaddock

[jspill]

I'd usually drop the ผม (pom) and maybe the กำลัง (currently) and just reply เรียนอยู่ (rian yoo), adding a smile and a คับ or จ้า (kap or ja)

In Thai you don't need to start sentences with 'I' in Thai, i.e. always start with ผม (pom). Thais make things as casual and short as possible, if it's obvious from the context that they're referring to themselves, if they're talking with friends, etc. Likewise you don't need the 'pasa thai' in your reply. I once heard a Thai say overusing 'gamlang' will make you 'sound like a textbook', but here it'd be okay. So either เรียนอยู่จ้า or กำลังเรียนอยู่คับ (dropping the ร in จร้า and ครับ too)

[jspill]

If they do refer to themselves, they'll more commonly use their nickname, in place of ผม or ชั่น. That's one of the fun things about Thai, referring to yourself in the 3rd person. 'James is going to the pub'.

[asdecas]

I'd advise not getting too clever with the personal pronouns too. As a poster above says, if the context is clear then you can drop the ผม or any other form altogether. Avoid using more involved pronouns (such as พี่, น้อง, กู etc) to refer to oneself; it is a study in itself and depends upon a very good understanding of one's social position in relation to the listener. Using one's own name in the third person to refer to oneself can also sound rather strange to Thai ears, especially in men.

I agree that กำลังเรียนอยู่ is clear and sufficient.

[brit1984]

If they do refer to themselves, they'll more commonly use their nickname, in place of ผม or ชั่น. That's one of the fun things about Thai, referring to yourself in the 3rd person. 'James is going to the pub'.

brit1984 is confused

[recycler]

I'm reasonable advanced in Thai, but always say Nid Noi (นิด หน่อย)

Keep the expectations low but makes them aware that you may hear them talking about you.

[zaZa9]

If they do refer to themselves, they'll more commonly use their nickname, in place of ผม or ชั่น. That's one of the fun things about Thai, referring to yourself in the 3rd person. 'James is going to the pub'.

brit1984 is confused

brit1984 , youve never heard a Thai refer to themselves using their own name?

Your waitress tells you her name is Nok.

She then says , " Is ok. Nok take care you food , Nok bring to you dink..." etc

( 'Nok' is her nickname. Her real name is Chiraprachinporn but she prefers to use 'Nok' for some reason..) 555

[gemguy]

You could say:

Pom cum lung hut pood pasa Thai.

: I am practicing Thai language.

Pom, kaw hut pood pasa Thai gup koon di my

: Can I practice speaking thai language with you

Good way for meeting girls.

I used that sentence many times when I was first learning to speak Thai language.

Met many girls that way and learned to speak some more Thai words while helping the girl to learn some English words.

Edited June 21, 2014 by gemguy

[partington]

If they do refer to themselves, they'll more commonly use their nickname, in place of ผม or ชั่น. That's one of the fun things about Thai, referring to yourself in the 3rd person. 'James is going to the pub'.

brit1984 is confused

brit1984 , youve never heard a Thai refer to themselves using their own name?

Your waitress tells you her name is Nok.

She then says , " Is ok. Nok take care you food , Nok bring to you dink..." etc

( 'Nok' is her nickname. Her real name is Chiraprachinporn but she prefers to use 'Nok' for some reason..) 555

But it's Thai women who do it, because it makes them sound "cute".

It sounds a bit strange to Thais when men do it, because this means the man is trying to act cute , and it's not masculine sounding (although they probably realise that westerners pick it up from barg.., er I mean waitresses, without realising that it's a bit wrong)

[VINCENT2012]

I'd usually drop the ผม (pom) and maybe the กำลัง (currently) and just reply เรียนอยู่ (rian yoo), adding a smile and a คับ or จ้า (kap or ja)

In Thai you don't need to start sentences with 'I' in Thai, i.e. always start with ผม (pom). Thais make things as casual and short as possible, if it's obvious from the context that they're referring to themselves, if they're talking with friends, etc. Likewise you don't need the 'pasa thai' in your reply. I once heard a Thai say overusing 'gamlang' will make you 'sound like a textbook', but here it'd be okay. So either เรียนอยู่จ้า or กำลังเรียนอยู่คับ (dropping the ร in จร้า and ครับ too)

i am 10 years in thailand ...so i agree 100 % with that opinion.

make it simple, listen to the street language wich is what people use everyday, reality is diferent than the lesson in a book. especialy thai who is phoneticly a

headhake for new guys.

[Chaiwallah]

I usually say, "Rien ngoo ngoo plah plah". "I'm learning snake snake fish fish (i.e. little by little)." It always gets a laugh.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

"ngoo ngoo plaa plaa"

Is the correct reply.

Edited June 21, 2014 by AnotherOneAmerican

[tifino]

well - until now I was always a nid noi fella too, like 'recycler'

Must try this new 'lesson' tomorrow on the wife...

normally I'll try ask her something, and all I get in reply is the same off-putting "go ask the Monk. I gigyat to help you"

[stoli]

Congratulations on learning Thai. I too would just respond: pŏm gamlang riian păa săa tai = I am learning Thai.

Edited June 21, 2014 by stoli

[gemguy]

I am far from fluent in Thai language but when I first started to learn to speak the language I kept a note book while the first sentences I learned to speak were question based sentences:

Such as: What is the name of this?

: What is the name of that

: What name in Thai language.

: How do you say it in Thai language.

: Please repeat the word

I would ask Thai people the names of all kinds of items I wanted to know and the word or name used for this or that and then I would write that word down in my little language note book.

When you write the word down you have to sort of make up your own little language in written form, so that when you later read that word the way that you have previously spelled the word you are saying the word correctly with the correct tone and the rising or falling sound that is needed to say the word correctly so that the Thais understand what you just said to them.

For example: The word for Glass...is Gaa-ow..........but you have to ask the person to repeat the word several times and listen carefully to the sound and then spell the word the way it sounds.

Gaa-ow with no rising or falling sound.

I used to use a small arrow pointing up or down or straight to the right meaning rising tone or falling tone or no tone...like that.

That is how I would spell it in my little note book beside the word : Glass = Gaa-ow...or Gay-ow...along with other little ways of noting how the word has to be said, written beside the word.

However, you may hear it differently and make up your own spelling but you have to spell it in a way where you can read it at a later date and say what you have previously written so you say it correctly....so they understand you.

So, if you learn to ask for a glass you would say: Kaw gay-ow noi cap

That is how I would write the down the sound(s) based on how I was hearing them say the word(s)...using my own method of English spelling.

"Kaw" means to ask for something and when you hear the Thai person saying the word, to me it sounds like it should or could be spelled: "Kaw"

"Gay-ow" means glass and when you hear them say glass to me it sounds like it would be spelled: Gay-ow or Gaa-ow

"Noi" means little but in this case it is an extra word that is added to the sentence and the way that they commonly ask for a glass but the word is not really necessary.

When you hear the word little spoken by the Thais it sounds like it would or should be spelled: Noi..or maybe you could spell it Noy

Note: The Thais have their way of saying things and their mannerisms when talking ( Like all languages ) so try to avoid wondering why they do not understand when you start to put 2 or 3 words together thinking they will understand how you have structured 3 words together in an effort to say something.

Usually they will not understand because although each word, when separately spoken to them they will understand of course, but the words that you are trying to structure together is NOT how they would say it ...so they do not understand what your trying to say.

For example the word for telephone is: Tor -Rla-Sap

The word for hand is: Muer or Murh.

So you may make the mistake of thinking the words for hand telephone or cell phone would be : Muer Tor-Rla-Sap.

Nope..it is Muer Tuer..........Tuer means to hold in your hand

"Cap" more or less means thank you and the way that a ( man ) would politely ask and end the sentence.

When you hear a Thai male say Cap you could write it down as Kap or Cap or some insist it should be said with a slightly rolling rrrrrr sound so you could write it down as Klrrrap

Anyhow the point is if you read the language books and you speak the written words seen in the language books, all too often you are not saying it correctly at all and then they do not understand you at all because what they are hearing is sounding like a foreign language to them.

Then you will hear them say: My Kow Jai or Mi Rue Rueng

"I do not understand" or" I do not know what he /she is talking about"

Then when you show them the Thai word you are trying to say, seen in the language book and then they finally understand and then you hear them speak the word correctly, it sounds much different than what you were trying to say by way of reading the word the way it is seen to be spelled in the Thai / English language book.

But do not worry...everyone struggles with the language .while .most struggle for years and years and never really learn to speak but 50 words.

Edited June 21, 2014 by gemguy

[yankee99]

"ngoo ngoo plaa plaa"

Is the correct reply.

This ^^^

[orpheus454]

For example: The word for Glass...is Gaa-ow..........but you have to ask the person to repeat the word several times and listen carefully to the sound and then spell the word the way it sounds.

Gaa-ow with no rising or falling sound.

แก้ว has a falling tone.

[Commander Tamson]

Good question - good replies - good thread - Pom chob krap

[raiya]

rian yuu , quite simple answer

[stickylies]

i second: rian yuu, or simply "rian" does the job too.

and i used to add "PASSA THAI JAAK MAAK MAAK", which makes the thai "proud" in their own thai way ;-)

[Johpa]

"I am studying" kamlang rian yuu (กำลังเรียนอยู่) is a good response . In Thai you are not obligated to use the pronoun (i) when context makes it obvious, nor the object (Thai language) when it is also obvious. When you reach a more intermediate level then the " "nguu nguu plaa plaa" is a good response, but it does imply you have moved beyond a beginning level.

[Greg Nixon]

I say. pom yak reang pu Thai. Pom pu thai nit noi. Pom mae koujai Thai. POM PU THAI NIT NOI.

many Thais understand this. Sometimes i have to repeat because they think I am speaking English. They are not tuned to listening to Thai from a farang.

[dao16]

Good thread, for once. All these comments are great. The most important thing is to keep speaking with people without worrying about making mistakes. A lot of people will go from zero to sixty with you once you say the slightest thing, but don't let that bother you.Understand what you understand and just be honest if you don't know words...Thais tend to like teaching people words in their language (not all of them, eh! but you can ignore those people).

When you remember the word two or three days later they will be ecstatic, as they have taught you something. I have had guys actually "quiz" me on words they taught me and they just love it when I can remember....if I don't remember, they go back into teaching mode.

Have fun. Learning Thai will really change your life here.

[fire2rescue99]

Matt,

One of the difficulties of learning Thai from English is that comparing the respective grammars may be misleading. In English the word "learning" can be either a present participle ("I am learning Thai") or a gerund (Learning Thai is difficult.) The Thais, as you might expect, have a different construction for each of these uses.

The phrase you quote "การเรียนรู้" ('gaan riian ruu') is a gerund and is not what you want for what you are trying to express. You want to say, "ผมกำลังเรียนภาษาไทยอยู่" (pŏm gam-lang rian paa-săa tai yòo ). The Thai word "kam-lang" is equivalent to the "-ing" form in English.

Best of luck in your studies.

Thank you for the easy to understand and complete response. Your transliteration is in the form(ear) that makes sense to me. So often, I see someone's interpretation and say "What?"

[gemguy]

For example: The word for Glass...is Gaa-ow..........but you have to ask the person to repeat the word several times and listen carefully to the sound and then spell the word the way it sounds.

Gaa-ow with no rising or falling sound.

แก้ว has a falling tone.

I stand corrected...but it is subtle.

Or you could explain to a new learner the word is spoken as a short word........so to speak.

Cheers.

[dotpoom]

I'm usually asked that question on a daily basis. They ask when they hear me speaking a little Thai. My usual answer is "Nig Noi"

[surfinglife]

Matt,

One of the difficulties of learning Thai from English is that comparing the respective grammars may be misleading. In English the word "learning" can be either a present participle ("I am learning Thai") or a gerund (Learning Thai is difficult.) The Thais, as you might expect, have a different construction for each of these uses.

The phrase you quote "การเรียนรู้" ('gaan riian ruu') is a gerund and is not what you want for what you are trying to express. You want to say, "ผมกำลังเรียนภาษาไทยอยู่" (pŏm gam-lang rian paa-săa tai yòo ). The Thai word "kam-lang" is equivalent to the "-ing" form in English.

Best of luck in your studies.

Hmm....I think when you say "gamlang....yu" it means "at this very moment", which I guess is not what the guy wants to say to whomever asks him if he speaks Thai.