Language/Thai/Vocabulary/Isan-basic-phrases

Basic Phrases in the Isan Language

What's the Isan Language?

The Isan language, also known as Isan Thai or Northeast Thai, is spoken in the northeast of Thailand, in the Isan region, which gave it its name. No matter where you are in Thailand, you will always meet people from this region. If you live in Bangkok, you can be sure that a large part of your friends or colleagues are from Isan.

If you are able to speak a few words or phrases of this dialect, you will earn their respect in seconds.

Thai is one thing, but if you can get a little Isan as well, that will be great. Now you can get closer to Isan Thai in a whole different way. Joking becomes much easier and they will open up more to welcome you. You don't have to, but it will help you move forward and build friendships.

Basic words and phrases in Thai-Isan

English	Isan (pronunciation)	Isan (writing)
beautiful	ngaam	งาม
Breakfast	KHAO NGAI	ข้าวงาย
Can you speak Lao (Isaan)?	WAO LAO DAI BAW	วาวลาวได้บ๊อ
Cute, lovely	NA-HAK	น่าฮัก
DAWK is a particle tacked on to the end of sentences. It adds politeness and makes things sound softer and more friendly.	DAWK	ดอก
delicious	sɛ̂ɛp	แซ่บ
DER is a polite particle tacked onto the end of a sentence, roughly equivalent to NA KHRAP	DER	เด้อ
Do you like it?	MAK BAW	มักบ๊อ
Does it hurt?	JEP BAW	เจ็บบ๊อ
From	DTAE	แต่
fruit	bàk	บัก
handsome	lɔ̀ɔ / lɔ̀ɔh hɛ̌ɛng	หล่อ / หล่อแฮง
He/She	PERN (respectful)	เพิ่น
Hello (the standard greeting in Isaan)	SABAI DEE	สบายดี
How are you?	sam-baai dii bɔ̀ɔ	ชำบายดีบ่อ
How are you? (for friends)	bpeeng-jang-dǎi	เปงจังได๋
How are you? Can reply: SABAI DEE - I'm fine	SABAI DEE BAW	สบายดีบ๊อ
How old are you?	JAO AH-YOO TAO DAI	เจ้าอายุเท่าใด
I (Pronoun) used by male or female	KHOI	ข่อย
I love you	KHOI HAK JAO	ข่อยฮักเจ้า
I miss you	KHOI KHIT HAWT JAO	ข่อยคิดฮอดเจ้า
I, me (both male and female)	kɔ̀ɔi	ข่อย
Is it fun?	MUAN BAW	มวนบ๊อ
Lie, to lie (not tell the truth)	KHEE DTUA	ขี้ตั๊ว
Lunch	KHAO SUAY	ข้าวสวย
Man	PHOO-BAO	ผู้บ่าว
nice, cute	bpen dtaa hák / dtaa hák	เป็นตาฮัก / ตาฮัก
no	bɔ̀	บ่
No, not (used to form the negative)	BAW (Low tone)	บ่อ
It does not matter; that's all right; it's OK	BAW PEN NYANG	บ่อเป็นหยัง
Question word placed at the end of a sentence equivalent to MAI in Thai.	BAW  (High tone; sometimes mid tone)	บ๊อ
Really	IH-LEE	อิหลี
Really delicious	SAEP EE-LEE	แซ่บอิหลี
strong, power	hɛɛng	แฮง
Thank you very much. In Thai, KHAWP JAI is only used to children/inferiors/intimates.	KHAWP JAI LAI LAI	ขอบใจหลายๆ
They	KHA-JAO	คะเจ้า
to eat	gin kàao	กินเข่า
To hate	SANG	ซัง
to like	mák	มัก
to love	hák	ฮัก
to miss	kít hɔ̂ɔt	คิดฮอด
To stop; Stop!	SAO	เซา
To work	HET WEE-UK	เฮ็ดเหวียก
Very delicious	SAEP LAI LAI	แซ่บหลายๆ
very, much	lǎai	หลาย
We	HAO	เฮา
Westerner (Farang in Thai)	bàk-sǐi-daa	บักสีดา
What are you doing?	hét-ì-yǎng yùu	เฮ้ดอิหยังอยู่
What time is it?	jàk moong (lɛ́ɛo)	จักโมง (แล้ว)
What?	EE-YANG	อีหยัง
What's your name?	JAO SEU NYANG	เจ้าซื่อหยัง
Where are you going?	bpai sǎi	ไปไส
Where have you been?	PAI SAI MA	ไปไสมา
Where will you go, where are you going?	SI PAI SAI	ซิไปไส
Why; what's the matter?	PEN NYANG (NYANG is rising tone)	เป็นหยัง
Woman	PHOO-SAO	ผู้สาว
yes	mɛ̂ɛn	แม่น
You	jáo	เจ๊า

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isan_language
• https://www.thaiguide.dk/download/Straight-To-The-Point-Emil-Vohlert.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0yoUAagls_67jPH-dCdHquWbtiBEtGL7YJlwDBpBbCYdffvec2onbK3wg

Other Lessons

• Colors
• How to say “for example” in Thai
• Directions
• Count from 1 to 10
• Clothes
• Animal
• Drinks
• Shopping
• Time
• Education