Thai expressions

[jaha]

The biggest problem in learning Thai is that a good vocabulary alone is getting you nowhere. There are thousands of expressions you also need to know and if you translate these expressions word for word back into English they don't look anything like an expression you would use in English.

 

Would it be an idea that we all share the expressions we have learnt and pin the subject so that we can all benefit from the knowledge we have acquired?

 

I'll illustrate what I mean with a few expressions many would most likely don't know:

 

The word "peung" means "just, just now" and here's a few expressions you could use with this word:

1. "ja teung tam" (don't do that)

2. "ja peung pai" (don't go now) or "yaa peung pai" (don't go yet)

3. "phom peung roo" (I just found out).

 

Others:

"roo mai wa" (Would you happen to know)

"chuai bawk dai mai wa" (Could you please tell me)

"jang leui" (really!)

"yen long" (down please)

"rawn keun" (up please)

and used as in "brap air hai yen long" (I would like the aircon colder)"

"rawn jat" (very hot)

"ka chao" (rent)

"hong nee kit ka chao taorai, krup" (How much is the rent for this room?)

"mee sing tee tam hai khun ramkan" (Is something bothering you?)

"khao yang yoo tee nan" (Is he/she still there?)

"mot ayoo" (expire)

"visa phom mot ayoo laaw" (my visa has expried already)

"kit taorai" (how much do you want?)

"tang lai krung" (many, many times)

 

These are just a few example and there's thousands of these. I would not mind learning from others as it is a real battle to collect and learn these. If you added 5 or 6 expressions As it is difficult to write phonetics with the English alphabet, we could also include the Thai script. I'm sure we'd all benefit in our effort to learn Thai. Good or bad idea?

[Panudate]

We have a learning Thai subsection of the forum with lots of other information as well, thanks for the post though. Some useful information there mate!

[Gobby]

"eek nit noi se" - comon just a bit more. se - comon

 

" jip joi ". = little / insignificant.

 

" kee lip " = insignificant (slang)

 

"jang ( go heavy on the N sound)" broken / mess up.

 

" sue-oi " mess up( say it fast ).. ( sound almost the same as (the way you say pretty " suey" ) but the tone is off) if you say it right the girl will laugh her ass off...LOL...

 

my fav (sa mong ma ben ya kwai / brain like a dog, mind like a buffolo) = dumb shit

Edited July 23, 2008 by PE.GOB