Usuful Thai words and idioms

[PeteC]

⇧ The above is really good as we've taken the entire tuk-tuk phrase and broken down the parts so all of it is completely understandable by someone knowing no Thai. Pete

[BaaBaa.]

"khao suay" = she pretty = she is pretty.

That's the good white rice isn't it?

I know what you mean about the verbs etc BG. A direct translation would sound like Pidgin English.

[Bamboo Grove]

Touche, again, BaaBaa. The transliteration doesn't show us that the word "khao" as in rice has a different tone than the "khao" as in she/he or "khao" as in mountain/hill.

[PeteC]

Touche, again, BaaBaa. The transliteration doesn't show us that the word "khao" as in rice has a different tone than the "khao" as in she/he or "khao" as in mountain/hill.

I don't have it at hand at the moment but my pocket size Robertson's dictionary does have the tones listed as part of the transliteration. I'll show an example later on today. Pete

[BaaBaa.]

Touche, again, BaaBaa. The transliteration doesn't show us that the word "khao" as in rice has a different tone than the "khao" as in she/he or "khao" as in mountain/hill.

The most annoying for me is Horse and Dog. Having a nearly 3 year old who loves animals, Horses on the field behind and obviously Dogs always about, the sound of Maaaa now just confuses me.

[PeteC]

I think I mentioned this one in our earlier thread but if you want to be confused give the following a go: The tiger wearing the shirt is fighting on the mat. Pete

[BaaBaa.]

I think I mentioned this one in our earlier thread but if you want to be confused give the following a go: The tiger wearing the shirt is fighting on the mat. Pete

And "New wood doesn't burn does it?"

[Bamboo Grove]

And: who sells chicken eggs?

[PeteC]

A primer for Thai tones. Pete



EDIT: If you Google 'youtube thai language' you'll see other useful short videos by the company who made the above. Pete

[johnnyk]

kee niaow = "sticky shit" refers to a cheap person (Cheap Chaalie).
khao = rice, hill, white
mai glum (goom) jai = don't worry
sai = left
kwa = right

[Hobiecat]

Fimi kon: Burning bun

Fimi toot: Flammimg assh**l.

[PeteC]

Ok, as promised here is something from Robertson's Practical English-Thai Dictionary. Some will disagree but the best portable dictionary I've found, and I stress easily portable, 5 1/2" x 4" x 1" ISBN 974-8206-03-3. Has words transliterated with tonal sounds, and in Thai script. In example:

EGG

(fried eggs) (l)ky! dow
(hard-boiled eggs) (l) ky! (f) dtohm
(soft-boiled eggs) (l) ky! (f) loo-uk
(scrambled eggs) (l) ky! khon! or (l) ky! goo-un
(poached eggs) (l) ky! lawy (h) nahm!
(omelet) (l) Ky! jee-oh
(egg yolk) (l) ky! daang
(egg white) (l) ky! (r) kow

Enjoy your eggs. Pete

[Bamboo Grove]

Ok, prcscct, I see what you mean. To my unaccustomed eye it doesn't look too clear, though. I like the pin yin system of Chinese language, where the tone marks are marked above the syllables

hǎifēng (simplified Chinese: 海风; traditional Chinese: 海風, sea breeze); wèndá (simplified Chinese: 问答; traditional Chinese: 問答,

[PeteC]

Ok, prcscct, I see what you mean. To my unaccustomed eye it doesn't look too clear, though. I like the pin yin system of Chinese language, where the tone marks are marked above the syllables

hǎifēng (simplified Chinese: 海风; traditional Chinese: 海風, sea breeze); wèndá (simplified Chinese: 问答; traditional Chinese: 問答,

I'll have to look in Asia Books the next time in one to see if any Thai dictionary uses that system with its transliteration. It does look more user friendly, less cluttered and less printing on the pages. They could get more words in the same size book by using it. Pete

[E-Dork]

Thought I'd write a smallish list of the Thai words I use frequently, the transliteration may not be correct as I have never learnt Thai from books so I will try to get it as close as possible to the way you say it...

______= rising tone Italic = High tone Bold = Low tone

(falling tone and all the rest aren't super important in conversation, plus I can't be bothered to figure out which one I use in speech )

Het Pon - Reason

Chai welaa (short e vowel sound) - Spend time
Chai nguen - Spend money

Deeow - 'hang on', 'alright alright'- as in somebody is being impatient and hassling you. This depends on how much you stress the first syllable. If you are being rushed you can emphasize the 'Dee' as in ... ' Okay, DEEow ja set leow' ( alright alright, I'm nearly finished)
Bep nung - One minute. This is actually quite formal (and polite) and is more often than not dismissed for the above.
Lore bep nung dai mai - Can you wait a minute please.

ban Haa(arai) - problem (What is the...?)

Ja bai nai - Where do you want to go? (The 'Ja' is a very short and quick sound as if phonetically saying the two letters together. As soon as you hit that short vowel 'A'
you follow with the next word)
Bai Teeow mai - (Loose translation for 'do you want to go out (*somewhere*)

Mai Keuy - never
Mai Keuy Jer Bep Nee - I've never encountered/met this before. As in use of ' I've never had this much trouble .......before"

Koaw maa yang - Has he come yet?
Tur maa yang - Has she come yet?

Koaw/Tur tung/toong/turng (don't know how to say this damn word in English letters - Baa Baa willl help later) yang - Has he/she reached their destination yet.

Gap Baan Kii Mong - What time are you coming home?
Lerk(g) Tam ngan kii mong - What time do you finish work?

Khrai tor maa - Who called?
Phom tor maa mai na - I will call you again later?

I have to apologise. I thought it would be a nice idea to post some things that I say every day but it's gonna take all day and I can't think of which 'tones' to put things under as I never think about it. I dont think it's much good reading anyway as you don't get the proper sounds.

The ONLY way to speak Thai properly is to submerge yourself with the Thai people. I went 16 years where the only English word I said was when I would meet a foreigner in the town and chat over a beer. At one point I was getting worried I would forget my mother tongue

We are very lucky here. Unknowingly to the 'victim' we can get free Thai lessons every hour of the day by talking to people (basically using them). I have people paying the wife 1000 baht an hour for a farang to do just that.... talk. It comes under 'English Conversation Classes' and they are always full. The guy just talks... then the students talk back and ask questions... then he talks some more and encourages them to ask more questions.

I sit in the local and talk to the old Thai Guy chewing Tabacco. He talks back to me. I ask him more questions. He talks some more. I give him a cigarette.