วลีทั่วไป
wali thua pai
The English phrase "common phrases" is translated into Thai as วลีทั่วไป (wali thua pai).
This term refers to expressions that are frequently used by people in everyday conversation.
What does it mean word for word?
วลี (wali) means 'phrase' and ทั่วไป (thua pai) means 'common' or 'general'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In formal introductions, the phrase Phom/chán chue + your name is used, where Phom is used by males and chán is used by females to mean "My name is". To ask a name, you use Khun chue A-rai to mean "What's your name?"
How do you pronounce it?
wali thua pai
Did you know?
- The concept of 'common phrases' in Thai includes specific terms for different social ranks, where the word for 'eat' changes based on whether you are speaking to a monk, a royal or a friend.
- Many common conversational phrases in Thai are borrowed from Pali and Sanskrit, languages that are no longer spoken as primary tongues but remain central to formal and religious speech.
- If you want to say a phrase is 'popular' rather than just 'common', you would use ฮิต (hit) instead of ทั่วไป, which is a loanword from the English 'hit'.
Examples in context
- เราควรจดจำวลีทั่วไปไว้ใช้rao khuan jot-jam wa-lee tua-pai wai chaiWe should memorize common phrases to use.
- หนังสือเล่มนี้รวมวลีทั่วไปไว้เยอะมากnang-sue lem nee ruam wa-lee tua-pai wai yoe makThis book contains many common phrases.
Example conversation
Teerapat is helping Nicha study a new language.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatณิชา ลองท่องวลีทั่วไปเหล่านี้ดูนะni-cha long thong wa-li tua-pai lao-ni du naNicha, try reciting these common phrases.
- ณิชา Nichaมันจำยากไหมคะ ธีรภัทรman jam yak mai kha thi-ra-phatAre they hard to remember, Teerapat?
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatไม่ยากหรอก เพราะเป็นคำที่ใช้บ่อยmai yak rok phro pen kham thi chai boiIt's not hard because they are words used often.
- ณิชา Nichaขอบคุณที่ช่วยสอนนะคะkhop-khun thi chuay son na khaThank you for helping me learn.
