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Grammar Guide
Grammar Guide
Subjects:
Only three verbs can be used at the start of a sentence w/o a subject:
-A /mee1/ ;ก10 /gerd2/ กK=L40 /gam1nod2/
They usually mean “there is/are”.
Objects:
Verbs:
Prepositions
In /nai1/ d4 On /bon1/ \4
At /tee3/ XAB By /douy1/ h0S
To (left out in many cases) For /sam5rab2/ ]K=LH3\
Near /glai3/ dกcZ Far from /glai1/ Wกc
In front of /kaang3 naa3/ <Z=[L4Z= Behind /kaang3 lang5/ <Z=[Lc3[
Before /gorn2/ กU?4 After /lang5/ Lc3[
Above /nuuea5/ ;L4V? Below /dtaai3/ dYZ
From /jaag2/ e=ก Between /ra4waang2/ HjLFU=[
Opposite /dtrong1 kaam3/ YH[<Z=- Beside /kaang3/ <Z=[
Past /paan2/ ,U=4 About /giaw2 gab2/ ;กABSFก3\
Adjectives
When used to before the word (e.g. big book): NOUN + ADJECTIVE
Too ... ... + /bpai1/ ... WQ ... enough ... + /por1/ ... E?
Not ... /mai3/ + ... W-U ... very ... ... + /maag3/ ... -=ก
Possession
Colour
Negation
Negation
/mai3/ (W-U) is the best word to describe negation. It is placed in front of any word we want to make
negative. Thus, a negative sentence is in the form of:
E.g., It is not in the house. /man1 mai3 dai3 yoo2 nai1 baan3/ -34W-UW0Z?STdU 4\Z=4
He does not eat vegetable. /kao5 mai3 taan1 pag2/ ;<=W-UX=4,3ก
She does not have a daughter. /ter1 mai3 mee1 loog3 saao5/ ;>?W-U-cA Tก]=F
I do not live near the station. /pom5 mai3 dai3 yoo2 glai3 sa2taa5nee1/ ,-W-UW0Z?STdU กcZ]b=4A
Interrog
Interrogation
E.g., Does she have a daughter? /ter1 mee1 loog3 saao5 mai3/ ;>?-AcTก]=FWL-?
Do you live near the station? /kun1 yoo2 glai3 sa2taa5nee1 shai3 mai4/ 789?STUdกcZ]b=4Ad^U-3CS?
Question Words
There are some cases where Question word are put at the beginning of the sentences.
Quantifiers
Hardly any nouns in Thai are countable. Therefore we quantify almost everything as you do in
English for two glasses of milk. The format is:
If you can remember the quantifier required, the most common one is /an1/ ?34. Many Thais also
use this when they don’t know what the quantifier is.
E.g., I have two pens. /pom5 mee1 bpaag2gaa1 sorng5 daam3/ ,--AQ=กก=]?[0Z=-
I would like to buy one stamp. /pom5 yaag2 suue4 sa2dtaem1 nueng2 duuang1/
,-?S=กfVC?o]Y-Q{L4|B[0F[
There are two forks. /mee1 sorm3 sorng5 kan1/ -A]Z?-]?[734
Past Tense
Perfect Tense
Perfect Tense that mentions the past that affects the present has the same from as Simple Present
Tense. E.g.,
He loses his wallet. /kao5 tam1 gra2pao5 ngern1 kong5 kao5 haai5/ ;<=XK=กHj;Qx=;[14<?[;<=L=S
He has lost his wallet. /kao5 tam1 gra2pao5 ngern1 kong5 kao5 haai5/ ;<=XK=กHj;Qx=;[14<?[;<=L=S
Otherwise, the simplest form of perfect tense is to place /laew4/ ocZF, meaning already at the end of
... meaning since ..., or /maa1 ...
the sentence. Alternatives are /maa1 tang3taae2 ... / -=Y3[C oYU...,
...
...ocZF, meaning for ....
laew4/ -=...
-=...ocZ
For negation, place /yang1 mai3 dai3/ S3[W-UW0Z, meaning not yet, before the verb.
I have not eaten. /pom1 yang1 mai3 dai3 taan1 (aa1harn5)/ ,-S3[W-UW0ZX=4(?=L=H)
I have not been to Thailand. /pom1 yang1 mai3 koey1 bpai1 muueang1tai1/ ,-S3[W-U;7SWQ;-V?[WXS
I have not gone to England. /pom1 yang1 mai3 dai3 bpai1 ang1grid2/ ,-S3[W-UW0ZWQ?3[ก~w
I have never learned Thai. /pom1 mai3 koey1 rian1 paa1saa5tai1/ ,-W-U;7S;HAS4y=w=WXS
For interrogation, place /ruue5 yang1/ LHV?S3[, or not yet, at the end of the sentence.
How long /(maa1) naan1 tao3rai2 laew4/ is placed at the end of the sentences.
How long have you lived in Thailand? /kun1 yoo2 muueang1tai1 maa1 naan1 tao3rai2 laew4/
789?STU;-V?[WXS-=4=4;XU=WLHUocZF
How long has he eaten? /kao5 taan1 maa1 naan1 tao3rai2 laew4/ ;<=X=4-=4=4;XU=WLHUocZF
Continuous Tense
Affirmative:
Subject + /gam1 lang1/ + Verb + Object/Complement ( + /yoo2/ )
Negative:
Subject + /mai3 dai3 gam1 lang1/ + Verb + Object/Complement ( + /yoo2/ )
Interrogative:
Subject + /gam1 lang1/ + Verb + Object/Complement + /yoo2 ruue5/ ( + /mai3/ or /plaao2/ ) ?
Question:
Subject + /gam1 lang1/ + Verb + Question Word ( + /yoo2/ ) ?
For example,
Future Tense
Adverbs
Adverbs describing manner are usually the same as their adjective counterparts. Some however,
has the word /yaang2/ ?SU=[ placed in front of it.
Adverbs describing probability are usually placed at the end of sentences. (except ‘never’)
Commands
Requests
Advice
/kuuan1/ 7FH or /kuuan1 ja2/ 7FHej is placed in front of the verb to indicate advice. The latter is
used for an advice to do something in the future.
Uncertainty
/aad2 ja2/ ?=eej or /kong1 ja2/ 7[ej is placed in front of the verb to indicate uncertainty.
To combine sentences, conjunctions are added where the sentences are combined.
Complex Sentences
If ... then ... /taa3 ... gor3ja2 .../ bZ=...กlej... ... if ... /ja2 ... taa3 .../ ej...bZ=...
If it rains, I will not go to school. bZ=4Yก234กlejW-UWQhH[;HAS4
/taa3 fon5dtog2 shan5 gor3ja2 mai3 bpai1 roung1rian/
If there were vegetables, I would eat them. bZ=-A,3ก234กlejX=4-34
/taa3 mee1 pag2 shan5 gor3ja2 taan1 man1/
I will go to school if it does not rain. 234ejWQhH[;HAS4bZ=4W-UYก
/shan5 ja2 bpai1 roung1rian1 taa3 fon5 mai3 dtog2/
because of ... /proh4 .../ ;EH=j ... Because /proh4 wa3 .../ ;EH=jFU=
Usually sentences with ‘because’ are constructed in the form of: result + because + cause.
when ... /dtorn1 tee3/ Y?4XAB while ... /ka2na2 tee3/ <9jXAB
before ... /gorn2 tee3/ กU?4XAB after ... /lang5 jaag2 tee3/ Lc3[e=กXAB
In the same way, sentences are usually constructed such that these conjunctions are in the middle
of the sentences. Any repeated words may be left out.
In sentences the with one even happening before another, the later event is put in the future tense.