Rian Thai Kruu Cherry: Thai Casual Sentences

Rian Thai Kruu Cherry

This article was originally posted on WomenLearnThai.com.

Thai Casual Sentences…

Thai is a language that uses different words for formal and informal situations. The words we use can also show the relationship between people.

Today I will teach you how to make a sentence sound more casual, like a native speaker would say it. All of the sentences we learn today can be used with family and friends. Sound good? Ok, let’s begin!

1) I don’t want to bother you.

To bother
Formal: รบกวน
Informal: กวน

So to make it more casual, you can say “ฉันไม่อยากกวนคุณ” instead “ฉันไม่อยากรบกวนคุณ”. Anyway, if you want someone to do something for you and you want to start the sentence with “I don’t want to bother you, but..”, you can use the phrase “โทษนะ”, which is from ขอโทษนะ.

Do You Want to Speak Thai Fast?

With ThaiPod101, you can a comprehensive Thailand course for all types of learners. Here's an exact list of what you get:

A structure lessons to help you effectively learn Thai
Thousands of Thai language lessons with lesson notes, podcast, and quizzes
Learn Thai on the go through their mobile application
Personalized program to learn exactly on what you need
Affordable price starting at only $8 a month
60-day moneyback guarantee

Sorry (excuse me)
Formal: ขอโทษนะ
Informal: โทษนะ

*to say นะ in this phrase, makes it sound more natural, in my opinion.

Example:

Sorry to interrupt, but this is very important.
โทษนะ แต่(เรื่อง)นี้สำคัญมาก

Sorry to interrupt, but there’s someone to see you.
โทษนะ แต่มีคนรอพบคุณอยู่

I don’t want to bother you, but can you open the window.
โทษนะ ช่วยเปิดหน้าต่างให้หน่อยได้ไหม

I don’t want to bother you, but can you help me with one thing.
โทษนะ คุณช่วยอะไรผมสักอย่างได้ไหม

Sorry if I come across as rude, but I’m a little confused.
โทษนะ แต่ฉันงงนิดหน่อยว่า…

2) No offense

You can start the sentences with “ไม่ได้ว่านะ” (no offense), when giving negative comments such as, “are you getting fat?!?” (I know it’s weird, but it is okay in Thailand).

Example:

No offense, but did you get fat?
ไม่ได้ว่านะ แต่แกอ้วนขึ้นเปล่าเนี่ย

No offense, but your boyfriend is ugly.
ไม่ได้ว่านะ แต่แฟนแกขี้เหร่อ่ะ

3) Can I ask you…?

To ask about personal information or sensitive details, you can start with a casual sentence “ถามอะไรหน่อย.”

Example:

Can I ask you something personal?
ถามอะไรหน่อย / ฉันถามอะไรหน่อย

The word “personal” is “เรื่องส่วนตัว.”

You don’t need to say “เรื่องส่วนตัว” before asking the question like “ฉันขอถามเรื่องส่วนตัวหน่อย.” If someone starts asking me questions with sentences like this, I will be very tense and won’t want to answer.