Pancake Stand © Kashfia Rahman

Before leaving for your first (or next) Thailand trip, learn some useful expressions. The locals will appreciate if you make an effort to speak in their language.

Various phrases

Good morning = Sawadd ton chow

Good day/ Hello = Sawadii

Good night =  Sawadd ton yin

Good bye = Lagawn

See you = Påbb gann mai

My name is = Chue

How are you? = Sabai dii mai?

Thank you = Kåb kunn

Do you speak English? = Kunn pood pasaa Angritt die mai?

It was nice to meet you. = Yin dii tii daai roo djack

Good luck! = Chååk dii!

I am fine = Sabai dii

Shopping

How much does this cost? = Tao rai

Can you lower the price? = Lod dai mai

I like this = Chawp aun nee

I like that = Chawp aun nun

Do you have any other colour? = Mee see aeun bang mai

Shop = Ran kaa

Toilet = Hong nam

Clothes = Sier par

Shoes = Rong tao

Watch = Nar ri ka

How much? = Tao Rai?

Restaurant = Ran ar harn

Directions

Where is the clothing shop? =  Ran kaa Sier par u tee nai

Where is the toilet? = Hong nam u tee nai

Where is the restaurant? = Ran ar harn u tee nai

Update: A big thanks to Matt who helped me correct some of the phrases. I started learning Thai a while ago and am by no means an expert. If anyone find another error, don’t hesitate to let me know.

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Modified from a post from 2007.

Practise these phrases before your next trip to Spain.

Mas vales tarde que nunca = Better late than never

Me muero de hambre = I am starving

No es moco de pavo = Pretty impressive

No tiene ni pies ni cabeza = It doesn’t make sense

El mundo es un pañuelo = It’s a small world

Más vale una vez rojo que 20 amarillo = It’s better to sort things out now than let them keep annoying you over and over.

Tener el corazón en un puño = To be super worried about something

Hacer de tripas corazón = To make an effort to do something you don’t like/to be brave

Tener enchufe = To have a useful contact that helps you get ahead of the rest

No me entero de la misa la mitad = I don’t understand a thing!

Es un buen partido = He’s a good catch

Me ha dado plantón = He/she hasn’t turned up

Dar en la diana = To get something right

¡La moto va de escándalo! = This bike goes like a dream!

La tarta está de muerte = This cake is incredible

¡Estoy que peto! = I’m totally full up!

Lo hago en un pispás = I’ll do that in a flash

¡Eres un pesado! = You are a total pain!

Me mola mogollón = That is soooo cool

Ese chico es un zumbado = That guy is crazy

Nos hemos zampado todo = We’ve eaten the lot!

Ya era hora! = It was about time

Donde hay confianza da asco = Familiarity breeds contempt

En boca cerrada no entran moscas = Sometimes it’s better to keep your mouth shut

¡Te voy a dar! = I’m going to kick you

¡No me des más la lata! = Leave me in peace!

Más majo que la mar salada = You’re a really nice person

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Recently, Digital Plow Partners, LLC, a mobile technology company, launched Codetalker® – a “Real Voice Language Interpretation” service accessible through mobile wireless devices.

Users of Codetalker have access to 2,600 interpreters and more than 175 languages and dialects. For example, if you are in China and need to ask for directions to a certain place, simply select a language and press enter to be connected to an interpreter. Codetalker will connect you to an available interpreter within seconds without requesting a pin number or account verification information.

Codetalker’s new service comes in very handy if you need to get vital information across when travelling abroad, but don’t know the language.

For more information and to sign up, visit www.codetalkerinc.com

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Hanoi from the Sofitel © Neil Ta

A few years ago I had a dream about Hanoi. I knew where I was because I saw a sign saying Hanoi. I believe all dreams mean something and remember I thought the dream must mean that I should travel there… even though I didn’t even know anything about the city. I even went to the library to lend a book on how to learn Vietnamese. Later I realized the dream probably meant I will travel to Hanoi someday, not that I have to make it happen within the next few months.

Below are some phrases I learnt before I decided to give up on my impulsive idea. But since then I have always been very curious about Hanoi, just as curious as I am about Bangkok, Sydney, Rio and Buenos Aires.

Hello (to an older man) = Ong

(to a younger man) = Anh

(to an old woman) = Ba

(to an older woman) = Chi

(to a younger lady) = Co

How are you? = Bac co Khoe Khong?

Well, thanks = Cam on binh thuong

Thank you = Cam on

Goodbye = Tam biet

Where’s the bathroom = Cau tieu o dau?

Yes = Da (ya in north)

No = Khong (khum)

Excuse me = Xin Toi

I want/need = Toi can/toi muon

I don’t dream about traveling especially often. Since my Hanoi dream I have only dreamt about Chile, that I was walking out from a hotel in East Village in New York a rainy spring day, and that I was meeting some friends in Finsbury Park in north London. I wonder what will be next. Maybe Australia. When I lived in London last year, my flatmate’s friend who is a palmist said that I will travel in Australia, and Brazil and Ecuador in the future. He also said I will be going to California and San Francisco for short periods. I remember he spoke about my past life as well. I doubt it, but according to him I was living on a vineyard in south France during the 1800th century, followed by a life as a painter near St. Petersburg in Russia. Who knows what’s true?

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Brevweb, Interpals Penpals, eTandem and United Friendship are good sites for finding a penpal in another country.

I remember my last Greek penpal learned me how to say:

Me leme = My name is

Ime apo Suecia = I come from Sweden

Agapaw ti thalassa/okeano = I love the ocean

Kaliméra = Good morning

Kalispéra = Good evening

Kalinichta = Good night

Chére = Good bye

Yásou = Hi

Efcharistó = Thank you

Parakaló = You are welcome

Ne = Yes

Óchi = No

Poo íne…? = Where is…?

Póso káni…? = How much costs…?

Tha íthela = I want

Milate angliká = Do you speak English?

Then miló elliniká = I don’t speak Greek

A few weeks later I got a Portguese penpal who teached me:

Eu soua / Chamo – me = My name is

Venho da Suécia = I come from Sweden

Até breve = See you soon

Escreve quando puderes = Write when you can

Por agora é tudo = Bye for now

De sejo te uma boa semana = I wish you a great week

Boa noite = Good night

Obrigado = Thank you

Como estás hoje? = How are you today?

Olá = Hello

Espero receber notícias tuas em breve = I hope to receive news from you soon

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Visit South African English is lekker! for a good South African word list.

Black and white 3 © Andrew Mogridge

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