Most people start Thai by learning the alphabet and give up three weeks later. Start here instead, with the words that get you a reaction from a real person, which is the only thing that has ever kept anybody learning a language.
Thai has no verb tenses to conjugate, no plurals, no genders and no "a" or "the". What it does have is tones: the same syllable at a different pitch is a different word. That is why every phrase here has the pronunciation written out, and why you should tap the speaker and copy what you hear rather than read it off the page.
1The first ten
If you learn nothing else, learn these.
| สวัสดี | sà-wàt-dii | Hello | |
| ขอบคุณ | khàwp-khun | Thank you | |
| ใช่ | châi | Yes | |
| ไม่ | mâi | No | |
| ขอโทษ | khǎaw-thôot | Sorry / Excuse me | |
| สบายดีไหม | sà-baai-dii mǎi | How are you? | |
| สบายดี | sà-baai-dii | I'm fine | |
| ลาก่อน | laa-gàawn | Goodbye | |
| ไม่เป็นไร | mâi-bpen-rai | No worries | |
| ยินดีที่ได้รู้จัก | yin-dii thîi dâai rúu-jàk | Nice to meet you |
2When you do not understand
You will need these on day one.
| เข้าใจ | khâo-jai | I understand | |
| ไม่เข้าใจ | mâi khâo-jai | I don't understand | |
| พูดช้าๆ หน่อย | phûut cháa-cháa nàwy | Please speak slowly | |
| คุณชื่ออะไร | khun chûue à-rai | What's your name? | |
| ผมชื่อ… | phǒm chûue… | My name is… | |
| มาจากไหน | maa jàak nǎi | Where are you from? | |
| พูดอีกทีได้ไหม | phûut ìik thii dâai mǎi | Can you say that again? | |
| ไม่รู้ | mâi rúu | I don't know | |
| อาจจะ | àat-jà | Maybe | |
| ช่วยผมหน่อยได้ไหม | chûay phǒm nàwy dâai mǎi | Can you help me? |
3Small talk
Enough to be a person rather than a customer.
| อากาศดี | aa-gàat dii | Nice weather! | |
| เป็นยังไงบ้าง | bpen yang-ngai bâang | How's it going? | |
| สบายๆ | sà-baai sà-baai | Chill / relaxed | |
| จริงเหรอ | jing rǒoe | Really?! | |
| ล้อเล่น | láaw lên | Just kidding! | |
| ไม่แน่ใจ | mâi nâae-jai | Not sure | |
| แล้วคุณล่ะ | láaeo khun lâ | And you? | |
| โอเค | oo-khee | Okay | |
| ได้ | dâai | Sure! (can do) | |
| ไม่ได้ | mâi dâai | Can't (not possible) |
4The little words that glue Thai together
Small, unglamorous, used constantly.
| ครับ | khráp | Polite word (men) | |
| ค่ะ | khâ | Polite word (women) | |
| ไหม | mǎi | Question word (yes/no) | |
| แล้ว | láaeo | Already | |
| จะ | jà | Will (future) | |
| กำลัง | gam-lang | Right now (-ing) | |
| ที่สุด | thîi-sùt | The most (superlative) | |
| มาก | mâak | Very / a lot | |
| นิดหน่อย | nít-nàwy | A little bit | |
| ด้วย | dûay | Also / too |
The app has a teacher you can actually talk to. You say it, it tells you what landed and what didn't. 27 languages, no account needed, nothing to download.
Open STKD WRLD →Questions people ask
How do you say hello in Thai?
สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii). Men add ครับ (khráp), women add ค่ะ (khâ): sà-wàt-dii khráp.
How do you say thank you in Thai?
ขอบคุณ (khàwp-khun). Same rule: khàwp-khun khráp or khàwp-khun khâ.
How do you ask someone's name in Thai?
คุณชื่ออะไร (khun chûue à-rai). And your answer: ผมชื่อ… (phǒm chûue…)
Is Thai hard to learn?
The grammar is easier than most European languages: no tenses, no plurals, no genders. The hard part is the tones and the alphabet. Speaking comes much faster than reading.
What does mai pen rai mean?
ไม่เป็นไร (mâi-bpen-rai), "no worries", "never mind", "it is fine". You will hear it constantly.