Thai · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 2

ขอบคุณค่ะThank you

khɔ̀ɔpkhun kâ

The high consonant class, and a key rule: the same syllable gets a different tone when the consonant class changes. High consonant + live syllable = rising tone. Learn the polite words thank you, sorry, goodbye. No full grammar yet — the second reading-foundation chapter.

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ขอบคุณ— Saying Thanks

  1. Somchaiขอบkhɔ̀ɔpคุณkhunครับkráp!Thank you!
  2. Maleeไม่mâiเป็นpenไรraiค่ะ!ยินyinดีdiiค่ะ.You're welcome! My pleasure.
  3. Somchaiสบายดีsà-baai-diiนะครับkráp.Take care.
  4. Maleeค่ะ,สบายดีsà-baai-diiค่ะ.Yes, I'm well.
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ขอโทษ และ ลาก่อน— Sorry and Goodbye

  1. Somchaiโอ๊ะóh,ขอkhɔ̌ɔโทษthôotครับkráp!Oh, sorry!
  2. Maleeไม่mâiเป็นpenไรraiค่ะ.It's okay.
  3. Somchaiลาlaaก่อนkɔ̀ɔnครับkráp!Goodbye!
  4. Maleeลาlaaก่อนkɔ̀ɔnค่ะ!สบายดีsà-baai-diiนะคะkhá.Goodbye! Take care.
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ขอบkhɔ̀ɔpคุณkhun

v. / interj.thank you

ขอkhɔ̌ɔโทษthôot

v. / interj.sorry / excuse me

ไม่mâiเป็นpenไรrai

phraseit's okay / never mind

ยินyinดีdii

adjectiveglad, pleased

ลาlaaก่อนkɔ̀ɔn

interjectiongoodbye

สบายดีsà-baai-dii

adjectivefine, well

ขอkhɔ̌ɔ

verbto ask for, request

หน่อยnɔ̀i

adverba bit (softener)

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อักษรสูง และหมู่เปลี่ยนวรรณยุกต์— High Consonants and How Class Shifts Tone

The high class has 11 letters. Notice many are aspirated ("puff of air": ข ถ ผ) or fricatives (ส ห). Today, meet the common ones:

  • khaspirated "k" with a puff — like "k" in "kite"
  • thaspirated "t" — like "t" in "top" (NOT "th")
  • phaspirated "p" — like "p" in "pen" (NOT "f")
  • slike "s" in "see"
  • hlike "h" in "hat"; also a silent "tone leader" (below)
  • chaspirated "ch" — like "ch" in "chair"

Compare: คา (mid consonant ก + –า = mid tone "khaa") with ขา (high consonant ข + –า = rising tone "khǎa" = leg). Same vowel, no tone mark — but a different class, so a different tone. This is why the consonant class is the key to reading.

A trick you'll use a lot: a silent ห placed before certain low-class consonants (e.g. น → หน, ม → หม) "raises" them to behave like the high class. The words "หน่อย" and "หมา" (dog) work this way — taught fully in later chapters.

Spell out "ขอบคุณ" — it starts with the high consonant ข:

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