Grammar errors are the worst – however they’re inevitable when studying the Thai language. For lots of English audio system, adapting to Thai grammar is tough. Messing up the phrase order and sentence construction and misusing particles and tone marks are some frequent Thai grammar errors we’ll cowl right now.
For those who’re prepared to enhance your Thai grammar, ensure to take notes and skim on!
Understanding Widespread Thai Grammar Errors
Probably the most frequent Thai grammar errors are usually with phrase order and Thai sentence construction. These two are the idea for all Thai language, which means that it’s an important half to get proper; in any other case, every part else falls aside.
One other essential but frequent mistake (typically neglected) is the usage of Thai tone marks. Thai, like many different tonal languages, makes it troublesome for a lot of English audio system to pronounce similar-sounding phrases.
The 4 sections under will define and clarify among the most typical errors that learners make:
Grammar Mistake #1 – Sentence Construction
Utilizing the flawed sentence construction is a standard mistake, particularly amongst newbie Thai learners.
Thai’s SVO (subject-verb-object) phrase order means the topic comes first, adopted by the verb, after which the article that receives the motion. Each different sentence part builds on this straightforward construction.
Right here is how the fundamental sentence parts are structured:
- Adjectives go after the noun/object that they’re describing.
- Adverbs go after the verb that they’re modifying.
- Particles go after the complete sentence (typically after the article).
- Conjunctions go between two sentences and, in some circumstances, earlier than a sentence.
Grammar Mistake #2 – Misusing Particles
For freshmen, understanding politeness particles is crucial for respectful conversations. There are three particles you completely must know:
Kráp (ครับ) And Kâ (ค่ะ)
The primary two politeness articles, kráp (ครับ) and kâ (ค่ะ), are used to convey politeness for men and women, respectively. These are generally added on the finish of sentences, however overusing them could make the politeness really feel unnatural in dialog.
Ná (นะ)
This particle is used for each politeness and emphasis. Ná (นะ) is positioned on the finish of sentences to request the listener to take motion or to recollect one thing.
A typical mistake Thai learners make is overusing this particle, which may truly give a condescending tone.
Grammar Mistake #3 – Tones And Tone Marks
Thai tones and tone marks are important to Thai pronunciation and writing since tones can fully change the which means of nouns, verbs, and different sentence parts.
Since Thai is a tonal language, many newbie learners make the frequent mistake of complicated the 5 tones in Thai: low, mid, excessive, falling, and rising.
Low, Mid, And Excessive Tones
The meanings of every time period are fairly self-explanatory, and the low, mid, and excessive tones correspond to the pitch through which you say the phrase or syllable.
Phrases like kài (ไข่, egg), fai (ไฟ, fireplace), and lín (ลิ้น, tongue), are some examples of phrases that use low, mid, and excessive tones of their pronunciation, respectively. These tones are comparatively simple to pronounce.
Falling Tone
The falling tone generally begins both at a mid or excessive pitch after which falls down.
A typical phrase that makes use of this tone is kâao (ข้าว, rice). It begins at a excessive pitch after which falls right down to a low pitch.
Rising Tone
The rising tone, very similar to the falling tone, begins at a delegated pitch after which adjustments over time.
On this case, it begins at both a low or mid-pitch after which rises to a excessive pitch. You possibly can see this within the phrase mǔu (หมู, pig/pork).
Tone Markers
Thai has 4 tone marks representing the totally different tones current within the language:
Grammar Mistake #4 – Utilizing Incorrect Classifiers
Thai classifiers are used when discussing totally different portions of nouns. It’s much like saying a pair of footwear,’ a homicide of crows,’ or a ‘flock of sheep’ in English.
Classifiers go after the quantity within the order of noun + quantity + classifier:
Thai: Nǎng sʉ̌ʉ sɔ̌ɔng lêm (หนังสือ สอง เล่ม)
English: Two books.
Which means: Nǎng sʉ̌ʉ (หนังสือ) means ‘books’, sɔ̌ɔng (สอง) means ‘two’, and lêm (เล่ม) is the classifier for books.
Many college students make the frequent mistake of not utilizing the appropriate classifier. In your reference, see the desk under:
To transcend these frequent Thai grammar errors, you need to preserve the associated vocabulary phrases under in thoughts for future use:
Ideas On Stopping Widespread Thai Grammar Errors
Now that we’ve recognized some frequent errors that many college students make, how can we go about fixing them?
Nicely, you’re in luck! That can assist you keep away from these errors, we’ve obtained some suggestions to make sure these frequent Thai grammar errors by no means occur once more:
- Like English, Thai makes use of an SVO (subject-verb-object) sentence construction. Being the spine of the language, memorizing that is simple and important so that you can assemble easy sentences in Thai.
- Use the Ling app to bolster your current data of Thai. The items offered expose you to appropriate grammar and punctuation, in addition to matters particular to totally different conditions.
- Talking Thai with different learners or native audio system is the easiest way to follow. Conversing with natives permits you to apply what you’ve discovered in real-life conditions and get instant corrections from somebody fluent within the language.
- Loads of learners use flashcards to memorize Thai particles, classifiers, and modifiers. There’s no shortcut to mastering these, however with simply quarter-hour of follow every day, you’ll discover an enchancment in your capability to make use of Thai grammar extra confidently.
By following these 4 suggestions, you’ll have the ability to keep away from probably the most frequent Thai grammar errors!
Steadily Requested Questions About Widespread Thai Grammar Errors
1. How Troublesome Is Thai Grammar?
Thai grammar is usually very simple for English audio system. The similarities within the SVO (subject-verb-object) sentence construction and lack of gendered nouns, conjugations, and tenses make studying primary grammar fairly manageable.
2. What Stage Of Problem Is Thai?
Based on the FSI (International Service Institute), the Thai language is troublesome for English audio system to grasp. Talking and listening are the simplest facets of Thai, however studying and writing are typically a lot tougher as a result of totally different writing programs and the Thai alphabet.
3. What Are The Guidelines For Writing In Thai?
Thai writing is much like English however totally different in some ways. Like English, Thai is written from left to proper and makes use of punctuation marks much like these in English. Nevertheless, the largest distinction is that Thai has its personal alphabet, and there are not any areas between phrases.
Don’t Make These Widespread Thai Grammar Errors!
Now that probably the most frequent Thai grammar errors that the majority Thai college students make, you need to have the ability to be taught Thai lots simpler.
The largest takeaway from the information we’ve given you is to work on saying your tones and follow utilizing the proper particles. For freshmen, most errors stem from this. When you’ve obtained this down, every part else turns into a lot simpler!
Be taught Extra About Thai Language And Grammar
Realizing about these most frequent Thai grammar errors and correcting them is simply the beginning of a Thai learner.
Similar to college students studying English, studying the Thai language requires you to dive even deeper into extra superior matters if you wish to improve your data to start out writing and speaking with Thai individuals with confidence.
An ideal useful resource for any individual trying to be taught the Thai language is the Ling app. The primary 20 items of the Thai course cowl every part you could construct a strong basis for studying extra Thai and beginning to communicate with native audio system.
Easy nouns, verbs, and sentences are just a few examples of among the matters you’ll be taught, together with easy methods to learn and write Thai characters.
For those who’re trying to enhance your expertise or begin your Thai studying journey, give the Ling app a attempt to see how positively it could affect your progress!