15. A little/a few - How Thai people use “nidnoi & niddiaw” in different contexts The Beauty of Thai Podcast

The words “a little, a little bit, a few” can be spoken in Thai language as the words “nidnoi (นิดหน่อย) and niddiaw(นิดเดียว)”

นิดหน่อย (nidnoi) = use in the abstract concept when you want to focus on “fact”
For example:
ฉันกินเผ็ดได้ นิดหน่อย
[chan gin ped dai nidnoi]
I can eat spicy a little bit

ฉันพูดภาษาไทยได้ นิดหน่อย
[chan pood paasaa Thai dai nidnoi]
I can speak Thai a little bit.

นิดเดียว (niddiaw) = use in the abstract concept and you think that thing is less than your expectation/the standard, here is focused on “your opinion which is less than your expectation”
For example:
ฉันอยู่ไทย 5 ปี (แล้ว) แต่ พูดภาษาไทยได้ นิดเดียว
[chan yoo Thai 5 bpee (laew), dtae pood paasaa Thai dai niddiaw]
I lived (have been living) in Thailand for 5 years but I can speak Thai a little bit (less than expectation)

ผมกินเผ็ดได้ นิดเดียว
[pom gin ped dai niddiaw]
I can eat spicy a little bit (less than expectation)

นิดเดียว (niddiaw) = also use in “concret concepts” (which you see/touch) to explain as “little, a little bit, a few”
For example:
ผมไม่หิว เลยกิน นิดเดียว
[pom mai-hiw loey gin niddiaw]
I was not hungry, so I ate a little bit.

ร้านกาแฟนั้น มีคนนั่งอยู่ นิดเดียว
[Raan-gaafae nan, mee kon nang yoo niddiaw]
That coffee shop, there are a few people sitting in the coffee shop.

———
To enquire for “Thai Private Lessons (tailor-made lessons)” both online and face-to-face lessons, please contact: thebeautyofthailanguage@gmail.com; visit our website www.btthai.net