If and so

In conversation, clauses often come in pairs: if it rains, we won't go; I'm late because of the traffic. Thai links them with a small set of words. Three of them work much like English if, when and because. The fourth, เลย, sits in a different place from English so.

ถ้า comes before the condition, just like if. Thai has no word that has to mark the second half, but ก็ often appears there, meaning then or so. ก็ has other uses too, covered in its own topic. When the event is certain to happen or has already happened, use พอ, when or as soon as, instead of ถ้า.

• ถ้าtâaifร้อนrɔ́ɔnhotก็gɔ̂ɔthenเปิดbpə̀ətturn onแอร์ɛɛair conditioning

  If it's hot, turn on the air conditioning.

• ถ้าtâaifฝนตกfǒn-dtòkit rainsก็gɔ̂ɔthenไม่mâinotไปbpaigo

  If it rains, I won't go.

• พอpɔɔas soon asถึงtʉ̌ngreachบ้านbâanhomeก็gɔ̂ɔthenนอนnɔɔnsleep

  As soon as I get home, I'll go to bed.

  This uses พอ rather than ถ้า because getting home is certain.

เพราะ introduces a reason and stands where English puts because, right before it. เลย introduces a result, and the order is different from English so. The reason comes first, often without any linking word, and เลย goes before the result: ฝนตก เลยไม่ไป. This is a very common pattern in conversation. In books and the news, จึง often takes the place of เลย.

• ผมpǒmIมาmaacameสายsǎailateเพราะprɔ́becauseรถติดrót-dtìttraffic jam

  I was late because of the traffic.

• ฝนตกfǒn-dtòkit rainedก็เลยgɔ̂ɔ-ləəisoไม่ได้mâi-dâididn'tไปbpaigo

  It rained, so I didn't go.

  The reason comes first without a linking word, and ก็เลย introduces the result. ไม่ได้ rather than plain ไม่ is the usual way to say something didn't happen; see “ไม่ได้: didn't and can't”.