Thai Word of the Day?
"mee maijimfun mai"? - Got any toothpicks ? Rolls off the tongue nicely.
EDITED and inserted "jim" where I'd put "gin" previously, after Roel pointed out the 'gin' is wrong.
Asked the wife and nanny to both say it to me loads of times and "mai-jim-fun" is how they pronounce it.
SJ
EDITED and inserted "jim" where I'd put "gin" previously, after Roel pointed out the 'gin' is wrong.
Asked the wife and nanny to both say it to me loads of times and "mai-jim-fun" is how they pronounce it.
SJ
Last edited by Super Joe on Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:58 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Allow me to correct you Super Joe before the taget group of this thread get confused whilst learning their very first Thai phrases.
Toothpick = ไม้ จิม ฟัน
Using the transliteration used by the Thai government (Royal Thai General System of Description)
MAI CHIM FAN
Certainly not GIN. That would mean "do not eat your tooth/teeth"
Toothpick = ไม้ จิม ฟัน
Using the transliteration used by the Thai government (Royal Thai General System of Description)
MAI CHIM FAN
Certainly not GIN. That would mean "do not eat your tooth/teeth"
We are all living in 'the good old days' of the future.
It may be only a word or two a day but it's useful and fun.
VS - please give the English meaning of your phrases, so then we have what you never can get in the dictionary; a pronunciation guide and the meaning to go with it. I know Mai Bai literally should mean I don't want to go, right? Or does that phrase have a slightly different meaning to you?
I've been looking at the electronic language translators and it seems that the Cyber Dict 10 might be the best one.....any comments or advice?
I plan to use it instead of constantly asking my wife how to say something.
VS - please give the English meaning of your phrases, so then we have what you never can get in the dictionary; a pronunciation guide and the meaning to go with it. I know Mai Bai literally should mean I don't want to go, right? Or does that phrase have a slightly different meaning to you?
I've been looking at the electronic language translators and it seems that the Cyber Dict 10 might be the best one.....any comments or advice?
I plan to use it instead of constantly asking my wife how to say something.
Mai Pai means Not Go.T.I.G.R. wrote:I know Mai Bai literally should mean I don't want to go, right? Or does that phrase have a slightly different meaning to you?
Its more of a P than a B though.
Mai infront of anything means not.
Mai Mao=Sober
Mai Hue=Not Hungry
Mai Rue=Not know
Mai Ao=Not Want
Mai Mee=Not Have
Mai Khaojai=Not Understand
Mai after a word is best thought of as a spoken Question Mark.
Khaojai Mai?
Last edited by BaaBaa. on Tue Jul 15, 2008 8:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
T.I.G.R. are you familiair with this one:
http://www.thai2english.com/
Very good site. Can be used both ways TH-EN, EN-TH.
http://www.thai2english.com/
Very good site. Can be used both ways TH-EN, EN-TH.
We are all living in 'the good old days' of the future.
Thanks Roel, yes I'm familiar with several written and computer aided learning tools. However, most of my questions arise during conversations or listening to people speak Thai, so I'm looking for something I can have with me wherever I am.....
This subject generated about three pages in the time it took my post to get online.....seems like a lot of fun for all of us. I wonder how long it will go on, but I'm hoping for a permanent thread.
Someone made an interesting comment earlier, sorry, too many pages back, but "know too mutt" is very applicable to me and I'm sure others here. Why? Not sure, but my wife of twenty years has been less than helpful generally and has openly admitted she is a lot happier with me knowing as little Thai as possible. Interesting, isn't it? We have had a wonderful marriage, still do, and yet she will revert to speaking Thai with friends or acquaintances whenever and wherever possible. Anyone else have this Thai proprietary thing going on?
I don't bring this up to change the course of the thread.....way too interesting, but it does have a bearing on at least my personal ventures into learning the language.
This subject generated about three pages in the time it took my post to get online.....seems like a lot of fun for all of us. I wonder how long it will go on, but I'm hoping for a permanent thread.
Someone made an interesting comment earlier, sorry, too many pages back, but "know too mutt" is very applicable to me and I'm sure others here. Why? Not sure, but my wife of twenty years has been less than helpful generally and has openly admitted she is a lot happier with me knowing as little Thai as possible. Interesting, isn't it? We have had a wonderful marriage, still do, and yet she will revert to speaking Thai with friends or acquaintances whenever and wherever possible. Anyone else have this Thai proprietary thing going on?
I don't bring this up to change the course of the thread.....way too interesting, but it does have a bearing on at least my personal ventures into learning the language.
100% TIGR, I have to pay her by the word, it's usually delivered at 5 times the normal speed and so quiet the CIA couldn't pick it up in their own foyer. Any word repeated is charged at 50% the standard rate.Anyone else have this Thai proprietary thing going on?
Back to topic: Something I've always struggled with ...... "I live permanently in Thailand", can anyone help ??
Thanks,
SJ
Interesting observations, please have a look at this old thread (7 January 2008):
T.I.G.R. wrote:
I replied:
Heard this argument quite often. Sometimes jokingly said, sometimes seriously meant. As a matter of fact many farang girlfriends/wives do not encourage their spouses to learn Thai. They are not stimulating it and are not eager to help. From my personal experience I would say that this is because of the pressure from other people. More than once I experienced that my Thai girlfriend got reprimanded by other Thais because I spoke Thai so well. Do other members share this experience?
And the replies:
Nobody else replied but as we can all see on the new thread:
T.I.G.R.:
T.I.G.R. wrote:
the fact that my wife preferred to keep her language to herself.....no doubt so I wouldn't know when she was calling me an A***hole.
I replied:
Heard this argument quite often. Sometimes jokingly said, sometimes seriously meant. As a matter of fact many farang girlfriends/wives do not encourage their spouses to learn Thai. They are not stimulating it and are not eager to help. From my personal experience I would say that this is because of the pressure from other people. More than once I experienced that my Thai girlfriend got reprimanded by other Thais because I spoke Thai so well. Do other members share this experience?
And the replies:
(buksida)My experience has been the opposite and many Thais I know are more than impressed by my proficiency in their language - I get so many asking me to teach them English to the same standard.
(Vital Spark)I'm with Buksida - most attempts I make are usually greeted with warm smiles and they are genuinely impressed.
Nobody else replied but as we can all see on the new thread:
T.I.G.R.:
Super Joe:Someone made an interesting comment earlier, sorry, too many pages back, but "know too mutt" is very applicable to me and I'm sure others here. Why? Not sure, but my wife of twenty years has been less than helpful generally and has openly admitted she is a lot happier with me knowing as little Thai as possible. Interesting, isn't it? We have had a wonderful marriage, still do, and yet she will revert to speaking Thai with friends or acquaintances whenever and wherever possible. Anyone else have this Thai proprietary thing going on?
And BaaBaa:100% TIGR, I have to pay her by the word, it's usually delivered at 5 times the normal speed and so quiet the CIA couldn't pick it up in their own foyer. Any word repeated is charged at 50% the standard rate.
Absolutely. I get virtually no help whatsoever.
We are all living in 'the good old days' of the future.
I stick to my previous comment, I would always be suspicious of anyone not wanting me to speak and comprehend the language of the country I live in. Maybe another thread here!
SJ, for "I live permanently in Thailand" you could use "pom yuu muang Thai dtalort welah" which is "I stay in Thailand all of the time" or "baan yuu muang Thai", "my home is in Thailand".
SJ, for "I live permanently in Thailand" you could use "pom yuu muang Thai dtalort welah" which is "I stay in Thailand all of the time" or "baan yuu muang Thai", "my home is in Thailand".
Last edited by buksida on Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:47 am, edited 3 times in total.
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson