Russian and English Together
On every page of the site, meanings are shown in two languages simultaneously: first in your own, and next to it—in the second language, smaller and in italics. This is done intentionally, and here is why.
Why it is this way
There are hundreds of times more materials on Thai in English than in Russian. Textbooks, tone breakdowns, forums, ready-made flashcard sets, videos—almost all of this is English-Thai. A Russian speaker is left with a choice: either read in English or make do with very little.
We cannot change this, but we can make the transition smooth. While you are analyzing a Thai word in Russian, the English formulation of the same meaning is right there beside it. You see it dozens of times a day, in a context you already understand—and gradually, you stop stumbling over English descriptions.
In other words, one pass provides two things: the Thai you came for, and the English that opens up everything else.
How it looks
Everything substantive is shown bilingually:
- word meanings and specific meanings by part of speech;
- translations of examples;
- etymology notes;
- breakdowns generated by AI;
- additional AI sections;
- articles and guides—like this one.
The order is determined by the interface language. If the interface is in Russian, the Russian text comes first; if in English, the English text comes first. The content itself does not change when switching; only the order changes.
An important detail: AI breakdowns are generated immediately in two languages, rather than being translated from one to another later. The English and Russian versions of a breakdown are two independent texts about the same word, not a text and its translation. Sometimes they complement each other, and it is worth reading both.
The exception is guides (including this one): they are written in Russian, and the English version is translated. Here, the Russian text is primary.
How to use this
A few techniques, from the simple to the less obvious.
Read the Russian, glance at the English. You don't need to do anything special. Just don't skip the second line with your eyes—it is short.
Test yourself with examples. Examples also have double translations. Read the Thai phrase, then the English translation, and only then the Russian. If the English was clear, the Russian is only needed for verification.
Pay attention to grammatical terms. In the meanings by part of speech and in AI breakdowns, you will constantly encounter classifier, particle, formal, colloquial, onomatopoeia. This is the very vocabulary used in all English-language Thai textbooks. Twenty such words, and English-language materials become accessible.
Switch the interface to English when you feel ready. Russian will remain on the page, it will just move to the second line—the safety net is still there, but your eyes begin to work with English. Profile → interface language. You can switch back at any time; nothing will be lost.
How to switch the language
The interface language is determined in this order:
- the language selected in the Profile, if you are logged in;
- otherwise, the choice made on the site previously (remembered in the browser);
- otherwise, the browser language;
- otherwise, English.
That is, if your browser is set to Russian, you will get a Russian interface immediately without configuring anything. A conscious choice in the profile always overrides the browser language.
Articles and guides also have a language switcher on the page itself—this can be used to view the English version of a specific page without changing the language of the entire site.
What is not here
We do not currently support Thai as an interface language: the site is for those learning Thai, not for those who already read it. The Thai language is the content, not the shell.
Other interface languages are not currently planned.
Next steps
- Getting Started
- How to read a dictionary entry — exactly where each language is located on the page
- AI word analysis — why breakdowns are made in two languages simultaneously