Nuance and politeness

Linking words: ของ, ที่, กับ, แต่

Join parts of a sentence: whose, which, with, and, but.

Thai has only a few linking words, and they never change form. Put the right one between the parts you want to join. The most common, ของ, is often left out in everyday speech: บ้านผม and บ้านของผม both mean my house.

ของkɔ̌ɔng
of, belonging to
บ้านของผม, my house
ที่tîi
that, which, who
adds a describing clause
กับgàp
with; and
between nouns
และlɛ́
and
more formal; also joins clauses
แต่dtɛ̀ɛ
but
เพราะprɔ́
because
ถ้าtâa
if

บ้านbâanhouseของkɔ̌ɔngofผมpǒmmeอยู่yùuis locatedใกล้glâinearทะเลtá-leethe sea
My house is near the sea.
ผมpǒmIไปbpaigoกับgàpwithเพื่อนpʉ̂ana friend
I'm going with a friend.
ผมpǒmIหิวhǐohungryแต่dtɛ̀ɛbutไม่mâinotมีmiihaveเงินngəənmoney
I'm hungry, but I don't have any money.
อาหารaa-hǎanfoodที่tîithatผมpǒmIชอบchɔ̂ɔplikeคือkʉʉisส้มตำsôm-dtamsom tam
The food I like is som tam.

Practise

Kai says

555 in a Thai message is laughter. Five is ห้า, hâa, so a row of fives reads like haa, haa, haa.