Sunday, December 12, 2010

Kat teaches Thai Episode 3 (ma-jarg-nai, ma-narn-reur-young)

Listen to Kat teaches Thai Episode 3

On the last episode, I taught you how to say kob-koon, which means thank you.  I also taught you how to say pobe-gun-mai, which means to meet again.  Remember not to get the two words of mai and mai confused.  One has a lower tone and means new.  The other one has a higher tone and you add it at the end of the sentences to form questions.

On this episode, I teach you how to say ma-jarg-nai, which means where did you come from?  Ma is exactly like the word "ma".  Jarg uses the a sound in "shark".  Nai uses the i sound in "lie".

The word ma means come.  The word jarg means from; also means going away or depart.  The word nai means where?  When you put the meanings together, you form a phrase, "come from where?" or where did you come from?

If you notice the differences in Thai language and English language, our grammars are different.  We don't really use nouns in the sentences.  Most of the time, the conversations are between person 1 and person 2. 

To reply to the question, you would answer, "ma-jarg-America; ma-jarg-Spain; ma-jarg-Italy, etc."  Basically you fill in the name of the place in place of the word nai at the end of the sentence.  If you haven't noticed, we put our question words at the end of the sentences rather than at the beginning of the sentences like English.

I also teach you, ma-narn-reur-young, which means have you been here for long?  Ma is like the word "ma".  Narn uses the a sound in bahn.  Reur uses the u sound in "blur."  Young is like the word "young." 

The word ma means come.  The word narn means long length of time.  The word reur means or.  The word young means not yet.  When you put the meanings together, you form a phrase, come for long length of time, or not yet?  Another way of saying, have you been here for long?

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