Thai · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 1
สวัสดีครับHello
Reading Thai is the steepest gate in this set, because the tone is "computed" from the letters. This chapter starts with mid-class consonants, long vowels, live syllables, and the 5 tones, plus greetings and the polite particles ครับ/ค่ะ. No other grammar yet — this is a reading-and-tone foundation chapter.
Dialogue
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ทักทาย— Saying Hello
- Somchaiสวัสดีครับ!Hello! (male speaker)
- Maleeสวัสดีค่ะ!Hello! (female speaker)
Dialogue
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ใช่ หรือ ไม่— Yes or No
- Somchaiโอเคนะครับ?Okay, right?
- Maleeใช่ค่ะ!ได้ค่ะ.Yes! That's fine.
- Somchaiไม่นะ...โอเคครับ!No, wait — okay!
Vocabulary
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- สวัสดี
interjectionhello
- ครับ
particle(polite particle, male)
- ค่ะ
particle(polite particle, female)
- ใช่
adverbyes; that's right
- ไม่
adverbno, not
- ได้
verbcan, okay
- โอเค
adjectiveokay
- นะ
particle(softening particle)
Grammar
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ครับ / ค่ะ — the polite particles
Explanation
Thai ends nearly every sentence with a polite word, and it is "gendered": men say ครับ (kráp), women say ค่ะ (kâ, falling tone) for statements and คะ (káh, high tone) for questions. These are not optional — leaving them off sounds blunt. They mark the level of politeness, not grammar, and you hear them dozens of times in one conversation.
Examples
- สวัสดีครับ.Hello. (male speaker)
- สวัสดีค่ะ.Hello. (female speaker)
- ใช่ครับ.Yes. (male speaker)
- ไม่ค่ะ.No. (female speaker)
Script
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อักษรไทย: พยัญชนะกลางและสระยาว— Thai Script: Mid Consonants and Long Vowels
The mid class has 9 letters with the simplest tone behaviour. Each Thai letter has a "name" (e.g. ก ไก่ = chicken) to help recall it. Today, meet the common ones:
- กkunaspirated "g/k" — like the "g" in "go", no puff
- จclike "j" in "jar" but unaspirated
- ดdlike "d" in "do"
- ตtunaspirated "t" — like the "t" in "stop"
- บblike "b" in "boy"
- ปpunaspirated "p" — like the "p" in "spin"
- อsilent / ɔɔa silent consonant base, or the vowel "aw"; like ㅇ / alif
Vowels are written around the consonant — before, after, above, or below it. Today learn the most common long vowels ("–" marks where the consonant goes):
- aalong "a" as in "father" — มา (maa) = come
- iilong "ee" as in "see" — ดี (dii) = good
- uulong "oo" as in "boot" — ดู (duu) = look
- eelong "e" as in "they" — เท (thee) = pour; written before, said after
- oolong "o" as in "go" — โต (too) = big; written before, said after
A "live" syllable ends in a long vowel or an ม/น/ง/ย/ว sound — the sound can flow on. "Dead" syllables (ending in a stop) come on the next card in this set. Your first key rule: mid consonant + live syllable + no tone mark = mid tone (the level tone).
Let's spell out "สวัสดี" one syllable at a time (ส is a high consonant — taught fully next card; for now just hear the sounds):
Script & tones
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วรรณยุกต์ทั้ง 5— The Five Tones
The five tones, with their Thai names and pitch shapes, referenced on the syllable "khaa":
- khaaคา · flat, mid-level — start in the middle of your range and hold it
- khàaข่า · low and level (or slightly falling) — kept down at the bottom
- khâaข้า · starts high, drops sharply — like a firm "NO!"
- kháaค้า · high and rising-then-tight — pushed up, almost strained
- khǎaขา · dips then rises — like a surprised English "really?"
One syllable, five tones, five meanings — wrong tone, and you said a different word:
- คาkhaato be stuck
- ข่าkhàagalangal (a root)
- ข้าkhâaservant; I (archaic)
- ค้าkháato trade
- ขาkhǎaleg
Listen to the tones in the greeting and the particles:
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