We use the word dâi to express ability, to say that we are able to do something, that we can do something.
dâi · can
| go | bpai |
| can go | bpai dâi |
| come | maa |
| can come | maa dâi |
dâi is simply added at the very end of the sentence. Make your positive sentence as usual, then tag it on the end. It’s as easy as that!
One of the most common questions you’ll hear in Thailand is ‘can you speak Thai?’, so a couple of new words will be useful here.
phaa-săa
language
phaa-săa thai
Thai language
phaa-săa ang-grìd
English language
Examples using dâi:
phŏm bpai dâi
I can go
ther maa dâi
she can come
chăn phûud phaa-săa ang-grìd dâi
I can speak English
Peter phûud phaa-săa thai dâi
Peter can speak Thai
khun gin gàp phûuak rao dâi
you can eat with us
phŏm tham dâi
I can do it
khăo nâng gàp phûuak rao dâi
he can sit with us
A quick review with the videos before the short exercise.
Exercise 10
| 1 | I can sit here |
| 2 | you can go there |
| 3 | he can wait |
| 4 | Peter can speak Thai |
| 5 | she can write English |
| 6 | we can swim here |
| 7 | Jane can speak English with you |
| 8 | we can go to Phuket |
| 9 | he can read Thai |
Scroll down for the answers …
| 1 | phŏm/chăn nâng thêe nêe dâi |
| 2 | khun bpai thêe nân dâi |
| 3 | khăo raw dâi |
| 4 | Peter phûud phaa-săa thai dâi |
| 5 | ther khǐian phaa-săa ang-grìd dâi |
| 6 | phûuak rao wâai nám thêe nêe dâi |
| 7 | Jane phûud phaa-săa ang-grìd gàp khun dâi |
| 8 | phûuak rao bpai Phuket dâi |
| 9 | khăo àan phaa-săa thai dâi |