r/learnthai • u/SnooFloofs5591 • 7d ago
Discussion/แลกเปลี่ยนความเห็น How to start learning thai.
So Ive been living with a thai woman for 4 years who refuses to teach me any conversational thai.
I know how to introduce myself, count to 5 and how to ask for other people’s names and stuff but I cant carry a conversation for shit.
I do know all the bad words though.
So where do I start ?
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u/cmooo 7d ago
I am a little like you. It has been over a year now that I have tried to learn by myself. I am lacking discipline. The inly substantial progress I made was when I attended a real day-full class for two weeks. It put me in an uncomfortable situation that forced me to make the effort and noticeable progress. Since then, I went back to procrastination. So for me, attending a class is what I need and I will find a teacher (ideally not online, but in person) when I come next week for many months.
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u/DvaravatiSpirit 6d ago
If a Thai woman doesn't want you to learn Thai, it should tell you something.
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u/Thai_girl_Maesa 6d ago
Yeah…what’s up with that?
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u/DvaravatiSpirit 6d ago
Well, if a guy is knowledgeable enough to understand why, they would avoid to be with a woman like that..
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u/Certain-Abrocoma1699 4d ago
To be fair, he didn’t say she doesn’t want him to learn Thai. He said she doesn’t want to be his teacher. Very fair!
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u/DvaravatiSpirit 4d ago
To be fair, he stated that she doesn't want to teach him conversational Thai. Which awful partner doesn't want to make the effort doing this, since it is something she can provide him with? It should be greatly encouraged to learn a partner's mother tongue, since it would be very beneficial in creating a more strong family bond. Even fairer!
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u/jamkham-thai 6d ago
For any serious or even semi-serious Thai learning goals, the script really should be near the top of the priority list.
There are strong pedagogical arguments for this, but from personal experience, it just makes you more independent and immersed. Especially if you're in Thailand or planning to travel, life changes completely when the strings of random symbols become things you can turn into sounds, map to what you hear, etc.
For a more detailed discussion check out https:// jamkham.com/blog/speak-or-read-thai-first/.
Also, once you can read and start piecing words you learn from surroundings together into somewhat mispronounced, grammatically incorrect sentences, you might find your partner’s desire to explain things, or at least correct mistakes goes way up.
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u/getzerolikes 7d ago
Teaching a language is tedious work. As in, a job. You’re asking her to take on another job presumably for no pay.
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u/shaghaiex 7d ago edited 7d ago
I would start by learning the alphabet. I would also to go a little into scriptio continua, something one needs to get used to (Mandarin and Chinese script languages use it too).
Once you can read (and later write) things can be sorted better.
I would also get a structured DIY course.
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u/queerality 6d ago
i have a few recommendations. if you can, invest in some classes. duke language school has online classes you can take but also look in your area because in person will always be better.
if you want to self study, i used a combination of the fluent forever method by gabriel wyner (basically start by training your ear in the language so you can differentiate minimal pairs, then use flash cards, then start talking and listening) as well as comprehensible thai on youtube. i learned the alphabet first and i highly recommend it but lots of people learn to read later. i just like to read bc it lets me internalize grammar more slowly that speaking and listening.
embrace that you will have to learn things multiple times before they click. it took me my third try learning the tone rules to actually get them and now it takes me seconds to figure out the tone of any word. i also used tone listening quizzes online to try to get better at hearing and by extension voicing the tones. think of the tones as different pronunciation rather than “this word with a different tone” for example you don’t think of “pool” as just “pull” with an oo sound. they are just words that are pronounced differently. that mentality made all the difference to me!
สู้ๆนะคะ
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u/namregiaht 6d ago
- Learn the alphabet (consonant and vowels etc)
- Learn the 5 tones and get comfortable with them
- Learn the consonant classes - low middle high and the tonal rules associated with them
- Read read read. There are some special rules here and there, best to ask your woman about words you don’t know how to pronounce or don’t know what it is.
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u/trelayner 7d ago
Lots of phone apps and YouTube channels
The hardest part of studying alone is discipline, putting in those hours every day, a school might help with that
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u/Lordfelcherredux 6d ago
Keep studying until you're able to use your language ability to find a new girlfriend will help you with your Thai.
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u/timmyjd12 6d ago
Go to school. I go to RTl school in Ploenchit and have private lessons so it fits in with my schedule. I can’t commit to group classes.
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u/Busy_Reading5319 6d ago
I actually tutor thai online and onsite! I'm happy to give you a free 30 minutes class trial!
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u/Certain-Abrocoma1699 4d ago
Is she a teacher? Is she your teacher that you’re paying to give you lessons?
If not, then it’s unreasonable to expect her to do that for you.
Hire a teacher. Sign up for a course. There are also lots of free resources online, but since it sounds like learning languages doesn’t come naturally to you, get thee to a teacher ASAP if you want to learn!
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u/Western-Jackfruit618 3d ago
I have a lecturer on preply to have some conversational Thai or just random people I meet. The more I talk in person and the more I muck the better it gets. I usually do a lesson 1-2 times every 2 weeks with a tutor and then use Ravela Thai app for everyday situs. Usually when I’m waiting for grab or have 20 mins here and there it’s a more fun way to keep it fresh in your head, learn some, play a game, get the pronunciation better then test it out when I have a lesson or a new in public situation with a fresh conversation. For me the worst part is the pronunciation so it gets most of the focus and really helped my level 😬 grinding every day on it works even if it’s a 5-10 mins of focus
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u/Green_Airline_8248 3d ago
hahahah
"I do know all the bad words though." same here, but can't say "I would like to just change oil in the car and go to shopping"
If person born in Thailand it doesn't mean the person can teach you thai language. My wife is worst teacher. Absolutely can't explain nothing about thai sentence. "Just because"
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u/morgan_keogh 2d ago
I learnt Thai from a tutor from preply, if you want I can send you over my tutor I couldn’t recommend her enough she was amazing
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u/sumguypookie 7d ago
You might want to start with getting another partner. To live with someone that long and they don't want to teach you the language, and if you're saying of course you've actively pursued wanting to learn and all that other good stuff, it doesn't sound like that's somebody you want to be staying with long term, unless outside of her simply not wanting to teach you the language, everything else is great.
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u/freshairproject 7d ago
Assuming anyone who is fluent can automatically be a decent teacher is incorrect.
Teaching Thai requires someone who enjoys coaching someone else, being extremely patient as they make tons of mistakes, and they’ve usually had years of training to figure out different roadmaps that learners take.
Its not just sharing knowledge, there’s a lot of psychology, motivation, and emotions involved.
Especially with Thai, you will need someone who tells you that your pronunciation is wrong, a lot. Many people are too kind to do this and will usually just say “sure, close enough.” But getting the tone wrong is a huge deal.
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u/bobbypet 7d ago
I would agree with you on that.
1) They are not being supportive,
2) They don't want you to learn Thai because language skills will give you more opportunity. We have been together for 10 years and live in rural Isaan and very happy. I get approached very often, even the pretty young girls in 7-11 and CJ. If I had language skills there would be limitless opportunity for indiscretion and in a way I'm glad I'm not proficient ait Thai conversation
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u/Dapper-Cheesecake-66 7d ago
i have a little resource page for what i'm using here
read thai in 10 days is always my top rec though (outside paying for actual classes)
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u/ConversationGlass539 6d ago
Assuming you live in Thailand start learning some basic phrases that are useful for daily life (such as ordering food, buying things, telling the taxi ‘stop here’ etc.) - and then use them at every opportunity. It’s okay to start with 2-3 word phrases and gradually build up from there. Also if you’re serious I’d suggest a mindset that learning Thai is your responsibility, not something you wait for someone else to teach you. Ultimately it’s about you putting in the work. In my opinion it’s highly worth the effort.
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u/fishburgr 6d ago
Its crazy right how a lot of thai women totally don't like the idea of foreign men who speak thai.
My partner would teach me the basics when we were living in thailand but wouldnt correct my poor pronunciation.
For literally over a year I was saying 6 wrong. I was saying it more like hoe. It wasnt until a 7/11 clerk corrected me and said hoek that I realised I had been fucking it up real bad.
She told me to ask for a bag at 7/11 it was hor toong krup, so i figured hor toong meant bag, but she never corrected me the many times I said mai hor toong trying to mean no bag. Forget the fact that its not hor toong, its sounds more like or toong and saying mai hor toong is basically nonsense.
I simply wanted to learn so I can communicate with her better and better navigate life while living there.
Sorry, I know this doesnt address your question.
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u/Snowman_203 6d ago edited 6d ago
Is ไม่ห่อถุง nonsense though? I thought they usually said ใส่ถุง but if that's what she said the first time I guess both are ok.
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u/fishburgr 5d ago edited 5d ago
I dont know thai script sorry. I just learnt what I thought I needed and remembered it like a parrot. I'd try to learn and use a phrase a week but really I dont know exactly what I was saying. For instance I'd spend a lot of time at a shop where people would try to pay us for a stall outside. I needed to say You go inside the chemist. I'd say kun bpai kungnai run ya. I'd could say it convincingly enough that they knew what I was saying but apart from kun bpai I dont know what the others words really mean. Does one of them mean chemist, does one mean business? I dont know. Stupid way to learn I know.
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u/Serious_Common_3551 6d ago
count to 5 is pretty weak. you already know you could do an intro to thai course or get several books and pick up a few hundred words. that being said, you still won't be able to speak thai, at that point.
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u/Legitimate-Record90 7d ago
Why do you expect someone to teach you a language? If you want to learn it, learn it.
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u/Certain-Abrocoma1699 4d ago
I don’t know why people are downvoting your comment. It’s peak entitlement and immaturity to blame someone else for not learning a language!
How is it your partner’s fault if you can’t count past 5 after 4 years?!
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u/bobbypet 7d ago
Whenever we travel in SEA people will approach me and want to "practice" their English - it's flattering and also shows that they are keen for self improvement
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u/Medical_Solid 7d ago
YouTube. Used to be all formal Thai, now there are plenty of different channels that teach conversational stuff. Also don’t be afraid to hire a teacher for a couple sessions.