Thai Word of the Day?

Thai language section, ask your language questions here.
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lomuamart
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Post by lomuamart »

Thinking about it, this could help untold people here - myself included. So, maybe it might be an idea for a good Thai speaker to correct all the mistakes that are sure to be made?
Who's up for it?
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PeteC
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Post by PeteC »

Sorry VS. I thought your post was from Lomu. Before we do anything further, please lead me to the opticians....LOL.

My thought was to simply post Thai words in English with the definition as a starter. IE: (f)my!=no, (f)chai!= yes. (f) equals the tone sound - rising, falling, high, low.

Anyway, we're spinning our wheels unless we hear from some folks that this is useful to them. Pete :cheers:
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STEVE G
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Post by STEVE G »

It was useful to me VS, I’m a bit of a dunce at languages. I appreciate your explanation of the usage, but what is the actual difference between “Mai ao” and “Mai bai”?
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Vital Spark
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Post by Vital Spark »

Apologies accepted guys, no offence taken.

'Mai ao' = Don't want
'Mai bai' = Don't go

I have no idea of the tones, it's obviously useful if you can use the right tones, but I find that I'm understood in context.
It's hard enough remembering the words, but trying to remember the tones aswell makes it more difficult. Most of my limited Thai is learnt by listening and copying the locals. I probably speak with a broad Petchaburi accent. :)

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STEVE G
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Post by STEVE G »

OK VS, thank-you for that, I shall give it a try; it has to be better than waving my car keys at the taxi drivers!
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Post by BaaBaa. »

Vital Spark wrote: 'Mai bai' = Don't go
I pronounce it pai but the B and P is a tricky one.

Takiab/Takiap for example.

Certainly the endless "go where?" when walking in any bar area is more Pai nai? than Bai nai?

Mai BPen Rai.
Last edited by BaaBaa. on Mon Jul 14, 2008 8:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by BaaBaa. »

STEVE G wrote:OK VS, thank-you for that, I shall give it a try; it has to be better than waving my car keys at the taxi drivers!
Just say "Mee Roht" (Have Car)

Also "Mee Layow" (Have already) tends to get rid of hawkers better. :mrgreen:
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Post by lomuamart »

..............kin cow mai?

Kin.

Kin meaning eat and cow meaning rice.

All you have to do with interrogative questions is repeat the verb to agree with the question. A "mai" in front of it will be a negative comment:

Mai kin - havn't eaten.

I also get the following words from my family:

"riang".
So, "kin riang".
I think that means " have you eaten - or not?"
"Riang" seems to do the trick and that's what I've been advised to say.

I am definitely not the best teacher of Thai, but the above are everyday words that I use and I'm still alive :thumb:
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Post by BaaBaa. »

Gin Khao Mai?

Would be an offer to eat there and then.

Mai Gin would be refusing that offer, Not Eat.

I dont know Riang, but I would say "Gin Layow Mai" (Eat Already?)

So, I havent Eaten would be Mai Gin Layow.

Pom Hue (Im hungry) would do the trick though :mrgreen:
Last edited by BaaBaa. on Tue Jul 15, 2008 2:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by VincentD »

With the many different accents of English, what someone may pronounce based on spelling will sound completely different when someone else says it. You may want to set the general English phonetics rules first before running around in circles.

BTW, VS.. Bai means dumb, as in deaf and dumb. To 'go', you'll need the 'pbai' - it's a 'hard' p...

BaaBaa posted something not so long ago that was very useful, I'll copy and re-post it here..

http://www.teachthai.com/assignments/C0 ... _intro.swf
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Post by Roel »

And so we are back to the links to online resources although it was OP's idea to offer an alternative approach.
Of course the idea is very social and well meant but I really cannot see how someone who does not know one single word of Thai can benefit from such an unstructured approach by layman (definitely including myself here!).

The transliteration issue will be an insurmountable aspect to begin with.
I think Robertson was given too much credit to appoint his method to be used here. There are hundreds of systems you can choose from.
And how are posters who cannot read Thai script (and I can safely assume that will be the vast majority) supposed to transliterate a word based on what they think they are hearing only?

There are some transcriptions posted on this thread already and because I know what the posters meant to say - and only because of that - I can read it. But completely useless for people who do not know any Thai.

Okay another link then for the people who believe it is worth while to continue this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Thai ... nscription
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STEVE G
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Post by STEVE G »

...but I really cannot see how someone who does not know one single word of Thai can benefit from such an unstructured approach by layman
I can’t really see how it can do any harm Roel, if you don’t know a single word and you learn one you will have benefited already.
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Post by BaaBaa. »

STEVE G wrote:I can’t really see how it can do any harm Roel, if you don’t know a single word and you learn one you will have benefited already.
I agree, everybodys got to start somewhere.
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Post by VincentD »

Steve, learning just a word or two may impress the young (or maybe not-so-young) ladies in the places where many of us like to lift a glass or three, but I've seen most people stop there once the novelty value wears off.

I've been at both ends of the spectrum, where I was completely in the dark about the language - think Bangkok twenty-five years ago at a friend's place somewhere behind Don Muang... Wipawadee Rangsit Road looked very similar to what the road past Samut Songkram looked like before they did it up.

Everything was in Thai script, and nobody spoke any English. You got stared at, but usually with a smile. I stayed with Thai work friends, and my motivation to start really learning was to be able to communicate with their children.

I tried the phrase-book thing first - it won't get you anywhere.

I then went for special classes - for written, spoken and conversation - at a private tutor's place. It cost a fair amount, but I was then able to read the primary two grammar book. You need to be able to read the Thai script to get the correct accent.

Only when you have this background will you be able to listen, and perhaps participate, in Thai. But this only happened once I moved over here permanently, about twenty years ago.

Colleagues and friends are happy with my grasp of the language, but in certain circles I 'know too mutt'. :mrgreen:

A book I will recommend - "Easy Thai" by Gordon H. Allison. Both of the copies I bought went out on permanent loan. One is still with Mum. It gently introduces you to conversation and the Thai script.

Pete, perhaps a discussion of 'What did I say wrong?' would be a better topic?
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Post by BaaBaa. »

You were right Lomu.

"Gin khao ru yang?"

It was also used as a greeting before Sawatdee was introduced.

:cheers:
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