In the previous lesson we used dâi to express ability. To express inability or say that we are unable to do something, or that we cannot do something we simply add the negative word mâi in front of dâi .
mâi dâi · cannot
| he can go | khăo bpai dâi |
| he cannot go | khăo bpai mâi dâi |
| she can come | ther maa dâi |
| she cannot come | ther maa mâi dâi |
The sentence construction is the same. We add mâi dâi at the end, just as we added dâi.
These are the same examples from the previous lesson, but this time using mâi dâi:
phŏm bpai mâi dâi
I cannot go
ther maa mâi dâi
she cannot come
chăn phûud phaa-săa ang-grìd mâi dâi
I cannot speak English
Peter phûud phaa-săa thai mâi dâi
Peter cannot speak Thai
khun gin gàp phûuak rao mâi dâi
you cannot eat with us
phŏm tham mâi dâi
I cannot do it
khăo nâng gàp phûuak rao mâi dâi
he cannot sit with us
Review again in the videos.
Exercise 11
| 1 | you cannot go there |
| 2 | he cannot sit here |
| 3 | we cannot wait for you |
| 4 | Jane cannot speak English |
| 5 | Peter cannot write Thai |
| 6 | we cannot swim here |
| 7 | Peter cannot speak Thai with us |
| 8 | he cannot go to Karon |
| 9 | you cannot phone him |
Scroll down for the answers …
| 1 | khun bpai thêe nân mâi dâi |
| 2 | khăo nâng thêe nêe mâi dâi |
| 3 | phûuak rao raw khun mâi dâi |
| 4 | Jane phûud phaa-săa ang-grìd mâi dâi |
| 5 | Peter khǐian phaa-săa thai mâi dâi |
| 6 | phûuak rao wâai nám thêe nêe mâi dâi |
| 7 | Peter phûud phaa-săa thai gàp phûuak rao mâi dâi |
| 8 | khăo bpai Karon mâi dâi |
| 9 | khun thoo-hǎa khăo mâi dâi |