Easy Thai-English Cognate Dictionary: Learn Thai Fast!
The Original Thai-English Language Cognate Dictionary & Learning Tool is loaded with entertaining easy Thai sample sentences and figurative + literal English translations that will quickly get you speaking the Thai language more like a native speaker and less like a tourist. Available now in paperback, eBook, and a workbook version for Thailand residents.
There are a lot of Thai Dictionaries and phrasebooks for sale for foreigners. Some are quite good; others not so good. But the drawback that most Thai-English dictionaries share is that they do not have sample sentences, thus they are not really good as tools for learning Thai. In other words, trying to learn Thai vocabulary without a sample sentence is like trying to remember a Thai recipe without making the dish.
Although there are few Thai language dictionaries that do have sample sentences, these tend to be littered with mistakes, both in the English and the Thai. So, unless your level of Thai is quite good, you are not going to pick up on the mistakes. Thus you could end up ingraining incorrect Thai language within your head, or as we say in linguistic circles, fossilizing bad habits.
The following is an excerpt from the introduction to this new easy Thai dictionary. Whether you are a tourist visiting Thailand, a Thailand expat, or a retiree thinking about moving to Thailand, you’ll want to include this book in your arsenal of Thai language books.
The Original Thai-English Language Cognate Dictionary & Learning Tool is an essential supplementary resource for speaking, reading, and understanding the Thai language in the quickest possible time. Written for both beginners and intermediate learners, it is the first English-Thai loanword dictionary and learning tool. Over the years, the Thai people have adopted hundreds of English words into their language. For example, a common Thai word for a cook is gúk (กุ๊ก), which as you can see is pronounced much like the English word from which it is borrowed.
In this book, you’ll quickly learn the most commonly used English loan words, as well as Thai words that rhyme with, or sound similar to, their English counterpart or a related word. For example, the Thai word for bell is grìng (กริ่ง), which is similar to what a bell does: ring.
For the beginning student, these similar words make it much easier to dive into the Thai language without experiencing that common feeling that you’re drowning in a sea of strange sounds. Learning Thai becomes less intimidating and more fun. It also makes all those Thai words which aren’t similar sounding easier to remember.
With this book you’ll also learn how English words sometimes change when pronounced by Thai people. These differences are important to know when having conversations with new Thai friends, acquaintances, and colleagues. While some Thais do speak “standard” English, many others do not. Their non-standard pronunciation results from the fact that the Thai language has different sound rules and lacks certain English sounds. You will often hear this non-standard English when talking to Thais, but if you don’t know how they’ve changed the pronunciations, you often will not understand what they are saying.
The colloquial Thai sentences make this book a valuable tool for intermediate students. Humorous and useful examples are combined in equal measure, so that you can better communicate and enjoy the authentic sanúk (fun) Thai lifestyle. The loanword (cognate) vocabulary provides easy practice for students who are starting to read Thai, while the sample sentences offer excellent reading practice for those further along. In addition, useful language notes are provided covering areas such as grammar, pronunciation, and additional vocabulary, as well as valuable tips on speaking the Isaan dialect.
Lastly, this book will help all learners better recognize the ways in which many Thai words are formed. Minus the polysyllabic words adopted from foreign languages, Thai is a monosyllabic language. More complicated ideas/words are thus formed by putting together one syllable root words to form new words. For example, the Thai word for refrigerator dtôo-yen (ตู้เย็น) is formed by the words dtôo (cabinet) + yen (cool). When such words occur in this book, they are broken down for you. Paying attention to how these root words are put together will help you build your vocabulary even faster. When reading these break-downs, though, do be aware that Thai root words often have quite a few meanings depending how they are used in a sentence. From the range of potential meanings, only those best suited to the entry have been chosen.
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Add 100s of Thai words to your working vocabulary in a week’s time with our easy Original Thai-English Language Cognate Dictionary & Learning Tool.
Buy the PDF eBook version for only $3.99*
Buy the Trade Paperback edition from our Bookstore for $8.99
For Buyers in Thailand: Purchase the workbook version for only 225 baht. Contact us at living(at)livinghour.org to receive the ATM transfer details.
*All proceeds from book sales go to the development of lessons and course materials at the Ysaan Institute.
