For many beginners learning Thai grammar, a common question is: how do I master Thai tenses? English grammar is full of conjugations. Think of the different words you must remember when describing something that happens in the past or future, plus how pronouns can change even when you’re in the present tense.
For beginners learning Thai, the lack of verb conjugation in the language can be confusing at first. You simply use time words and markers to indicate past or future events, while the present tense is usually implied through context clues. We’ll get more specific later on, so keep reading to see how you can really start mastering Thai tenses.
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Our Tips On Mastering Thai Tenses Quickly
Mastering Thai tenses is a complex process, but having a solid foundation in basic grammar is essential.
Once you’ve passed the initial stages of getting familiar with basic sentence structure, expanding your vocabulary of time markers, and using them in conversation, expressing yourself in Thai will be a piece of cake!
Tip 1 – Understanding Basic Thai Sentence Structure
According to Thai grammar rules on sentence structure, Thai follows a subject-verb-object (SVO) word order. This means the subject (noun) comes first in the sentence, followed by the verb, and then the object (noun), which is affected by the verb’s action.
Pretty easy, right? In fact, it’s the same structure found in English, so it should feel familiar to native English speakers.
Here’s an example of a basic Thai sentence:
Thai: chǎn gin pàt tai (ฉันกินผัดไทย)
English: I eat Pad Thai
Meaning: chǎn (ฉัน) is the subject (noun) meaning ‘I,’ gin (กิน) is the verb ‘to eat,’ and pàt tai (ผัดไทย) is the object (noun) meaning ‘Pad Thai’
Tip 2 – Using Time Markers For Present Tense
As mentioned earlier, Thai uses time words and markers to indicate past and future tense, while the verb itself implies the present tense.
But where does this time marker go?
Looking back at the Thai language’s sentence structure, you start with the subject, then the verb, then the object.
If you want to specify the verb’s tense or characteristic in the present tense, you generally place the time marker before the verb.
Below is an example with the sentence from the previous section:
Thai: chǎn gin pàt tai dtɔɔn níi (ฉันกินผัดไทยตอนนี้)
English: I am eating Pad Thai now
Meaning: chǎn (ฉัน) is the subject (noun) meaning ‘I,’ gin (กิน) is the verb ‘to eat,’ pàt tai (ผัดไทย) is the object (noun) meaning ‘Pad Thai,’ and dtɔɔn níi (ตอนนี้) is the time marker meaning ‘now’
You can see that placing the time marker, dtɔɔn níi (ตอนนี้), changes the meaning of the sentence from an implied present/future tense to a definite present tense.
Tip 3 – Use Time Markers For Past And Future Tenses
In Thai grammar, past and future tense time markers work differently from present tense markers. These markers generally go after the completed sentence, after the object.
Below is an example using a past tense marker:
Thai: chǎn gin pàt tai mʉ̂a waan níi (ฉันกินผัดไทยเมื่อวานนี้)
English: I ate Pad Thai yesterday
Meaning: chǎn (ฉัน) is the subject (noun) meaning ‘I,’ gin (กิน) is the verb ‘to eat,’ pàt tai (ผัดไทย) is the object (noun) meaning ‘Pad Thai,’ and mʉ̂a waan níi (เมื่อวานนี้) is the time marker meaning ‘yesterday’
To specify future tense in the Thai language, you can use the marker for ‘later,’ as well as just state when you’ll do something. Think ‘in one hour,’ ‘tomorrow,’ or ‘next week.’ It’s pretty on the nose!
In addition to these time markers, you also need to use an auxiliary verb to communicate future tense. Using the auxiliary verb jà (จะ) means that you will, or are planning to, do something.
See this example using a future tense marker:
Thai: chǎn jà gin pàt tai tii lǎng (ฉันจะกินผัดไทยทีหลัง)
English: I’ll eat Pad Thai later
Meaning: chǎn (ฉัน) is the subject (noun) meaning ‘I,’ jà (จะ) is the auxiliary verb meaning ‘will,’ gin (กิน) is the verb ‘to eat,’ pàt tai (ผัดไทย) is the object (noun) meaning ‘Pad Thai,’ and tii lǎng (ทีหลัง) is the time marker meaning ‘later’
Tip 4 – Pairing Auxiliary Verbs With Time Markers
To make tenses more clear, you can use one of three common auxiliary verbs in Thai grammar, one for each tense:
- For past tense, you use lɛ́ɛo (แล้ว), placed after the object.
- For present tense, you use gam lang (กำลัง), placed before the verb.
- For future tense, you use jà (จะ), placed before the verb.
Time markers will stay in their usual positions, so there’s no conflicting word placement when they’re paired up.
Tip 5 – Watch Thai TV Shows And Movies To Listen To Native Speakers
Watching Thai TV shows and movies with subtitles is a perfect way to see how Thai people communicate events that happened in the past, present, and future.
You’ll also work on your Thai pronunciation, learn new vocabulary, and focus on listening comprehension!
Some of the most popular shows and movies include Girl From Nowhere, Bad Genius, and Hurts Like Hell. Out of the hundreds of pieces of Thai media, there’s something for everyone.
Vocabulary Related To Mastering Thai Tenses
Below, you’ll find some of the most common Thai time markers and auxiliary verbs to communicate tense.
Take a look and use the ones most relevant to what you’re trying to communicate:
Additional Tips On Mastering Thai Tenses
To help you with mastering Thai tenses, we’ve got some additional quick tips prepared for you to use below:
- Remember that Thai verbs don’t change regardless of tense. English has verbs that change form, like ‘find,’ ‘found,’ and ‘finding.’ In Thai, they stay the same but use time markers instead.
- In normal, everyday speech, Thai people don’t use time indicators if the context is obvious. For example, bpai dəən lên maa (ไปเดินเล่นมา, went on a walk) has the past tense already implied.
- The word kəəi (เคย) is used similarly to the phrase ‘have done’ and is placed before the verb. It’s very useful when recounting your past experiences.
- Some words and phrases are just more commonly used in formal writing and conversation rather than in casual and informal situations. Phrases like nai kà nà níi (ในขณะนี้, in this present moment) are considered very formal compared to dtɔɔn níi (ตอนนี้, now).
With these tips and some time and practice, you will be mastering Thai tenses in no time!
Frequently Asked Questions On Mastering Thai Tenses
1. What Is The Hardest Part Of Learning Thai?
The hardest part of learning Thai, by far, is reading and writing Thai. Many learners find this challenging since mastering a foreign script requires the most practice. However, with a dedicated writing schedule, you’ll be able to learn all 72 characters of the Thai alphabet and construct full sentences with ease.
2. How Many Tenses Does Thai Have?
Thai grammar does not have tenses like in English. English grammar relies heavily on verb conjugation, such as ‘he ate’ and ‘he eats.’ English words can take on many forms depending on the context. In contrast, Thai grammar uses time words to specify when an action of a verb is taking place. Words such as lɛ́ɛo (แล้ว, already), dtɔɔn níi (ตอนนี้, now), and paai lǎng (ภายหลัง, later) are added after the verb to specify when the action occurs.
3. How Can I Master Tenses?
Mastering tenses in any language is a challenge that can be overcome. The most valuable resource is listening to and conversing with native speakers of the language you’re trying to learn. This will expose you to how people recount past events and talk about the future while helping you learn important phrases along the way.
Move On To More Challenging Topics With These Tips!
Unlike many languages, Thai grammar doesn’t involve verb conjugation but instead employs various time markers, auxiliary verbs, and context clues to communicate tense.
Once you master these quirks, you can move on to other topics relevant to Thai grammar, like using prepositions, adjectives, and other sentence components.
Constructing grammatically accurate and detailed sentences is just a few practice sessions away if you’re determined enough. It also helps that the sentence structure is quite similar to English!
Learn And Improve Your Thai Grammar Skills
Whether you’re still on your way to mastering Thai tenses or if you’ve already gotten the basics of using time markers down, it can also help you get some extra practice.
Resources like textbooks and other traditional learning materials are fantastic if you want to get a solid foundation in Thai grammar.
If you want to be able to learn anywhere, online language learning apps like the Ling app are a perfect supplement to your learning routine. The Thai course provides detailed and bite-sized lessons whenever and wherever you’d like, with units 1-20 taking you through the basics of Thai grammar.
If you’d like to move towards fluency and learn the Thai language beyond basic grammar topics, try out the Ling app!
