Language/Thai/Vocabulary/Isan-basic-phrases
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The Isan language, also known as Isan Thai or Northeast Thai, is spoken in the northeast of Thailand, in the Isan region, which gave it its name.
No matter where you are in Thailand, you will always meet people from this region. They have their own dialect (just like the people of the North and South), and you also have to learn the basics of Isan.
| English | Isan (pronunciation) | Isan (writing) |
|---|---|---|
| beautiful | ngaam | งาม |
| Breakfast | KHAO NGAI | ข้าวงาย |
| Can you speak Lao (Isaan)? | WAO LAO DAI BAW | วาวลาวได้บ๊อ |
| Cute, lovely | NA-HAK | น่าฮัก |
| DAWK is a particle tacked on to the end of sentences. It adds politeness and makes things sound softer and more friendly. | DAWK | ดอก |
| delicious | sɛ̂ɛp | แซ่บ |
| DER is a polite particle tacked onto the end of a sentence, roughly equivalent to NA KHRAP | DER | เด้อ |
| Do you like it? | MAK BAW | มักบ๊อ |
| Does it hurt? | JEP BAW | เจ็บบ๊อ |
| From | DTAE | แต่ |
| fruit | bàk | บัก |
| handsome | lɔ̀ɔ / lɔ̀ɔh hɛ̌ɛng | หล่อ / หล่อแฮง |
| He/She | PERN (respectful) | เพิ่น |
| Hello (the standard greeting in Isaan) | SABAI DEE | สบายดี |
| How are you? | sam-baai dii bɔ̀ɔ | ชำบายดีบ่อ |
| How are you? (for friends) | bpeeng-jang-dǎi | เปงจังได๋ |
| How are you? Can reply: SABAI DEE - I'm fine | SABAI DEE BAW | สบายดีบ๊อ |
| How old are you? | JAO AH-YOO TAO DAI | เจ้าอายุเท่าใด |
| I (Pronoun) used by male or female | KHOI | ข่อย |
| I love you | KHOI HAK JAO | ข่อยฮักเจ้า |
| I miss you | KHOI KHIT HAWT JAO | ข่อยคิดฮอดเจ้า |
| I, me (both male and female) | kɔ̀ɔi | ข่อย |
| Is it fun? | MUAN BAW | มวนบ๊อ |
| Lie, to lie (not tell the truth) | KHEE DTUA | ขี้ตั๊ว |
| Lunch | KHAO SUAY | ข้าวสวย |
| Man | PHOO-BAO | ผู้บ่าว |
| nice, cute | bpen dtaa hák / dtaa hák | เป็นตาฮัก / ตาฮัก |
| no | bɔ̀ | บ่ |
| No, not (used to form the negative) | BAW (Low tone) | บ่อ |
| Nothing's the matter; its all right; its OK | BAW PEN NYANG | บ่อเป็นหยัง |
| Question word placed at the end of a sentence equivalent to MAI in Thai. | BAW (High tone; sometimes mid tone) | บ๊อ |
| Really | IH-LEE | อิหลี |
| Really delicious | SAEP EE-LEE | แซ่บอิหลี |
| strong, power | hɛɛng | แฮง |
| Thank you very much. In Thai, KHAWP JAI is only used to children/inferiors/intimates. | KHAWP JAI LAI LAI | ขอบใจหลายๆ |
| They | KHA-JAO | คะเจ้า |
| to eat | gin kàao | กินเข่า |
| To hate | SANG | ซัง |
| to like | mák | มัก |
| to love | hák | ฮัก |
| to miss | kít hɔ̂ɔt | คิดฮอด |
| To stop; Stop! | SAO | เซา |
| To work | HET WEE-UK | เฮ็ดเหวียก |
| Very delicious | SAEP LAI LAI | แซ่บหลายๆ |
| very, much | lǎai | หลาย |
| We | HAO | เฮา |
| Westerner (Farang in Thai) | bàk-sǐi-daa | บักสีดา |
| What are you doing? | hét-ì-yǎng yùu | เฮ้ดอิหยังอยู่ |
| What time is it? | jàk moong (lɛ́ɛo) | จักโมง (แล้ว) |
| What? | EE-YANG | อีหยัง |
| What's your name? | JAO SEU NYANG | เจ้าซื่อหยัง |
| Where are you going? | bpai sǎi | ไปไส |
| Where have you been? | PAI SAI MA | ไปไสมา |
| Where will you go, where are you going? | SI PAI SAI | ซิไปไส |
| Why; what's the matter? | PEN NYANG (NYANG is rising tone) | เป็นหยัง |
| Woman | PHOO-SAO | ผู้สาว |
| yes | mɛ̂ɛn | แม่น |
| You | jáo | เจ๊า |