Bookverse
English
Bookverse - Get started

Thai · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 27

สิ่งที่ชอบและเวลาว่างLikes and free time

sìŋ nʉ̀ŋ chɔ̂ɔp lɛ́ wee-laa wâaŋ

Hobby vocabulary: งานอดิเรก, เพลง, หนัง, กีฬา, ฟุตบอล, ชอบ, ว่ายน้ำ, อ่าน, ร้องเพลง, มาก. Key grammar: "ชอบ + noun/verb" — "ชอบเพลง" (like music), "ชอบว่ายน้ำ" (like to swim). Say you like it a lot with "มาก" placed at the END — "ชอบมาก" (like a lot). English speakers, used to "very much like", tend to put "มาก" first — "มากชอบ" ✗ → "ชอบ...มาก" ✓. Culture corner: free time and Thai fun (sanuk). Tone corner: ชอบ (falling) vs มาก (falling).

Help improve this content. If something looks off,let us know →

Dialogue

i

Study this section in the Bookverse app

  • Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
  • Practice tasks with pass tracking
  • A teacher on every study screen
  • Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
  • Audio playback for dialogues and words
  • Speaking practice with feedback
  • Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app

You will be asked to register first.

Study

มากชอบ? ชอบมาก?— มากชอบ? or ชอบมาก?

  1. Somchaiเจมส์Jamesชอบchɔ̂ɔpเพลงphleeŋไทยthaiไหมmǎiครับkrápJames, do you like Thai music?
  2. Jamesชอบchɔ̂ɔpครับkrápผมphǒmมากmâakชอบchɔ̂ɔpเพลงphleeŋไทยthaiI like it; I very-much like Thai music. (slip: "มาก" goes at the end → "ผมชอบเพลงไทยมาก")
  3. Somchai"มากmâak"อยู่yùuท้ายtháaiครับkráp:"ผมphǒmชอบchɔ̂ɔpเพลงphleeŋไทยthaiมากmâak""มาก" comes at the end: "ผมชอบเพลงไทยมาก".
  4. Jamesอ๋อɔ̌ɔผมphǒmชอบchɔ̂ɔpเพลงphleeŋไทยthaiมากmâakครับkrápOh, I like Thai music a lot.

Dialogue

i

Study this section in the Bookverse app

  • Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
  • Practice tasks with pass tracking
  • A teacher on every study screen
  • Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
  • Audio playback for dialogues and words
  • Speaking practice with feedback
  • Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app

You will be asked to register first.

Study

วันหยุดชอบทำอะไร— What do you like to do on your day off?

  1. Maleeเจมส์Jamesวันwanหยุดyùtคุณkhunชอบchɔ̂ɔpทำthamอะàไรraiคะkháJames, what do you like to do on your day off?
  2. Jamesผมphǒmชอบchɔ̂ɔpว่ายwâaiน้ำnáamกับkàpอ่านàanหนังnǎŋสือsǔueครับkrápแล้วlɛ́ɛwคุณkhunล่ะlâครับkrápI like swimming and reading. And you?
  3. Maleeฉันchǎnชอบchɔ̂ɔpดูduuหนังnǎŋมากmâakค่ะkâI like watching movies a lot.
  4. Jamesผมphǒmก็kɔ̂ชอบchɔ̂ɔpหนังnǎŋเหมือนmǔueanกันkanครับkrápI like movies too.

Vocabulary

i

Study this section in the Bookverse app

  • Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
  • Practice tasks with pass tracking
  • A teacher on every study screen
  • Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
  • Audio playback for dialogues and words
  • Speaking practice with feedback
  • Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app

You will be asked to register first.

Study
งานอดิเรกngaan-à-dì-rèek

nounhobby

เพลงphleeŋ

nounsong, music

หนังnǎŋ

nounfilm, movie

กีkiiฬาlaa

nounsport

ฟุตfútบอลbɔɔn

nounfootball, soccer

ชอบchɔ̂ɔp

verbto like

ว่ายwâaiน้ำnáam

verbto swim

อ่านàan

verbto read

ร้องrɔ́ɔŋเพลงphleeŋ

verbto sing

มากmâak

adverbvery, a lot

Grammar

i

Study this section in the Bookverse app

  • Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
  • Practice tasks with pass tracking
  • A teacher on every study screen
  • Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
  • Audio playback for dialogues and words
  • Speaking practice with feedback
  • Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app

You will be asked to register first.

Study

"ชอบ" + noun/verb, and "มาก" at the end

Explanation

Talk about what you like with "ชอบ" followed by a noun or a verb: "ชอบเพลง" (like music), "ชอบฟุตบอล" (like football), "ชอบว่ายน้ำ" (like to swim), "ชอบอ่านหนังสือ" (like to read). "Don't like" is "ไม่ชอบ". To say you like it "a lot", put "มาก" at the very end: "ชอบมาก" (like it a lot), "ชอบเพลงไทยมาก" (like Thai music a lot). English speakers, thinking "very much like", often say "มากชอบ" ✗ — wrong place. The correct form is "ชอบ...มาก" ✓. Ask whether someone likes something with "ชอบ...ไหม": "คุณชอบกีฬาไหม" (do you like sport?).

Examples

  • ผมชอบฟุตบอลI like football.
  • ฉันชอบว่ายน้ำมากI like swimming a lot.
  • คุณชอบหนังไหมDo you like movies?
  • เขาชอบร้องเพลง แต่ไม่ชอบกีฬาHe likes singing but does not like sport.

Culture

i

Study this section in the Bookverse app

  • Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
  • Practice tasks with pass tracking
  • A teacher on every study screen
  • Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
  • Audio playback for dialogues and words
  • Speaking practice with feedback
  • Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app

You will be asked to register first.

Study

เวลาว่างและความสนุกแบบไทยFree time and Thai fun (sanuk)

Thai has a small but very important word: "สนุก" (sanuk, fun). Thai people like everything — work, study, eating, going out — to have some "fun" in it. So free time is not just resting alone; it is usually about being with others and laughing together.

Sanuk: the heart of free time

If you ask a Thai friend how a party or a trip was, the most common question you hear is "สนุกไหม" (was it fun?), not "was it good?". Fun is the measure of whether an activity succeeded. Being with friends, eating together, cracking jokes, laughing, singing karaoke — all of this is many people's ideal free time. Thai people usually dislike doing anything too "เครียด" (stressful) or too serious in their free time; being relaxed and smiling matters more.

Sport and exercise

Football is the sport Thai people most love to watch and play, both the Thai team and English teams. Another truly Thai sport is "ตะกร้อ" (takraw) — kicking a rattan ball over a net without using the hands; it is fun to watch and takes great skill. In the evening, in parks like Lumphini Park in Bangkok, people come to run, do aerobics in big groups, play badminton or play takraw. The air cools down and you meet your neighbours, so exercise is also a social thing, not only about health.

Eating out and meeting friends

For many Thai people, the best free time is eating with friends or family. Food is usually placed in the middle of the table and shared, not one plate each. Eating this way is itself fun, because you get to chat and try many things. At night, night markets and roadside shops are full of people sitting to eat and talk for a long time. On long holidays, many Bangkok people travel back to their home provinces to be with family. Being all together is one of the simplest and most important joys.

In short: Thai free time usually has "fun" and people at its centre — whether it is football in the evening, takraw in the park, or a shared meal with friends. Try asking a Thai friend "วันหยุดชอบทำอะไร" (what do you like to do on your day off?) and you will see what makes them smile.

Script & tones

i

Study this section in the Bookverse app

  • Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
  • Practice tasks with pass tracking
  • A teacher on every study screen
  • Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
  • Audio playback for dialogues and words
  • Speaking practice with feedback
  • Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app

You will be asked to register first.

Study

วรรณยุกต์: ชอบ กับ มาก (โททั้งคู่)— Tones: ชอบ and มาก (both falling)

Read the words and sentence aloud, keeping the tones:

Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?

Study in the app →

Report an issue

Spotted an error or have a suggestion? Every report helps us improve this content.