Thai is a fascinating language....

Thai is a fascinating language

Thai is a fascinating language. Many visitors to Thailand are captivated by the exotic sounds of the words, the melody of the rising and falling tones, and the eye-catching variety of the letters and characters.
The Thai language is spoken throughout the country. Many areas have their own local dialects but the official standard Thai is used everywhere in daily life and is also taught in all the schools in Thailand.
Thai is only remotely related to the Khmer language. Sanskrit and Pali had a strong influence on the Thai language through the Buddhist mission in SE Asia and this effect can be seen in hundreds of words used in present day Thai language. Most words of Sanskrit or Pali origin can be recognised by their complicated orthography, while authentic Thai words are mono or bi-syllabic. More and more English words adapted to Thai can be found in the modern every day language as well.

Writing the Thai Language

Thai writing covers a large amount of letters: 44 consonants, 21 vowels, 10 double and triple vowels, 4 tone marks and 4 special marks. Some vowels are written before the consonant, some behind and some over, under or around. Experts disagree as to the exact origins of the script, but it was apparently developed around 700 years ago (fairly recent in comparison to the spoken language) from the South Indian, Mon and Khmer models. Like these language models, written Thai proceeds from the left to the right. Learning the Thai alphabet is not difficult but the writing system is complex.

Grammer in the Thai Language

In contrast to the rather difficult writing, Thai grammar is very easy compared to English, and other European languages. There is no declension at all. A word remains without any other grammatical elements to add, no matter if in the singular or plural, present or past tense. Even the syntax is quite easy at the basic level. Nevertheless it would be wrong to judge Thai as a primitive language. On the contrary, Thai is a language with a high cultural level, and a rich and uniquely picturesque expressiveness. It takes some time though until you are able to understand and use it completely.

Use of Tones in the Thai Language

Thai is a language that differs from European languages in many ways, not least in terms of pronunciation. Every syllable has its own tone: mid tone, low tone, falling tone, rising tone or high tone. The tone of every word is not a matter of the speaker’s mood but is strictly regulated. These five tones must be learned accurately with each new word. To pronounce a word with a wrong tone means to change its meaning. Somebody using wrong tones will not be understood. The rules of the tone system are extremely complicated, so it is best to memorize tones and words step by step, and listen carefully to Thai people’s pronunciation.

Speech levels in the Thai Language

A special feature of the Thai language is the possibility of adapting the level of politeness to the person one is speaking to. This allows a more or less formal touch to the conversation. You can even express the social rank you are giving somebody by choosing higher or lower words while speaking to him or her. These speech levels are historic remains of former conveniences in the society of older times but they are still used in the modern Thai language of daily life. Thai people among friends will not use the same words as they may with business partners. Talking to their boss, they will speak differently than when giving orders to a servant. The age of partners is also significant for the choice of vocabulary.

Learn to Speak Thai

Naturally the more language you pick up during your travels the closer you get to Thailand’s culture and people. Foreigners who speak Thai are so rare in Thailand that it doesn’t take much to impress most Thais. Thai is not an easy language but one you are able to learn. You should rely on the friendly cooperation of Thai people which will help make success easier and quicker. Listening to native speakers and repeating what they say is the most natural technique of learning and very important with such an exotic language as Thai. Your first attempts to speak the language will probably meet with mixed success, but keep trying. Don’t let laughter put you off; this amusement is simply an expression of appreciation. If you wish to learn how to speak Thai when you are in Thailand you will find many eager tutors.