Although Thai is quite a logical language, there are some exceptions. Our first exception is in the way we say cannot for some actions.
There are a number of exceptions using dâi with some verbs. The following are from the vocabulary we have learned so far. Exceptions always use a pair of words.
| verb | literal meaning | can | cannot |
|---|---|---|---|
| nawn | lay down | nawn làp | nawn mâi làp |
| hĕn | see | mawng hĕn | mawng mâi hĕn |
| khíd | think | khíd àwk | khíd mâi àwk |
To understand the construction above we need to know the meaning of the new words:
| làp | sleep |
| mawng | look |
| àwk | come out, exit |
If we look at the literal meaning of the expressions it will become easier to understand:
| can | literal meaning | actual meaning |
|---|---|---|
| nawn làp | lay down and sleep | to sleep |
| mawng hĕn | look and see | to see |
| khíd àwk | think and come out | to know the answer |
| cannot | literal meaning | actual meaning |
|---|---|---|
| nawn mâi làp | lay down but not sleep | cannot sleep |
| mawng mâi hĕn | look but no see | cannot see |
| khíd mâi àwk | think but not come out | don’t know |
We ask questions in a similar way:
| verb | question | yes | no |
|---|---|---|---|
| nawn | khun nawn làp măi? | nawn làp | nawn mâi làp |
| hĕn | khăo mawng hĕn măi? | mawng hĕn | mawng mâi hĕn |
| khíd | ther khíd àwk măi? | khíd àwk | khíd mâi àwk |
You will come across more of these exceptions as you learn new vocabulary.