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Peppy
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Posts posted by Peppy
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The phonetic alphabet is indeed a useful system if you're serious about learning several languages, or even just one other language that's written in Roman script. The problem with it, though, is that it isn't Roman script--it's a whole other alphabet, and a lot of people can't be bothered to learn that. Particularly if you're only studying a single foreign language written in a non-Roman script--it's easier just to learn the script the language is usually written in. For the people doing this, and for the people who'd like to see what's written but can't read the native script, some form of transcription/transliteration is necessary, preferably one based on a script they're familiar with.
Most British people, I think, would agree that ขอ sounds like khor--but then, most Americans would say it sounds like khaw. The problem is that British people don't pronounce the final "r", so the British "or" in fact sounds more or less like the American "aw". It might be confusing, but it's still easier than backwards c's, IMO. Of course, with "y", there's really no debate: In English, "y" followed by a vowel sounds like ย. (Well, except for "eye", but you get my drift.)
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They're Teochew Chinese pronouns, so you'd only want to use them if you're of Teochew Chinese heritage, or want to pretend to be. Also, they aren't considered particularly polite: they're not nearly as vulgar as กู-มึง or even ข้า-เอ็ง, but you'd still only use them informally, with people who you either know aren't going to be offended, or people you don't care about offending.
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Apostrophes are not a part of Thai script.
True, but that doesn't stop people from using them occasionally.
The logo for the TV show "ซุป'ตาร์ on stage" has one, and it shows up in around a third of websites talking about the show:
As I mentioned before, it's quite commonly used to write "มหา'ลัย". Here are some examples:
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I quite like the look of these bikes myself, and the price is certainly right... but they aren't getting very good reviews on the Thai forums. Here's a sample:
[Original is here, in the third post. Actually, that isn't the original; it was copied from the pantip.com forum, but I can't find it there. The translation is mine.]
Keeway Superlight 200 Review
Pros:
1. Looks - the big, fat tires look great, and overall it's a really nice looking bike.
2. Quiet - but then, it's only 200cc.
3. Good ground clearance - along with the big tires, rough ground is no problem for this machine.
4. It's light - only 120-130kg, for responsive turning and easy pushing.
5. Long warranty - 30,000km. Pretty good for this price, but it's only for the engine, nothing else.
Cons:
1. Footpegs too high - and not in a position where you can stretch your legs out. The driving position is tiring, and the positioning of the gearshift makes shifting difficult. If you're going on a long trip, expect cramps.
2. Confusing turn switch positioning - instead of being on one side, the left signal switch is on the left, and the right switch is on the right, and you have to hit the button twice to turn the signal off. No idea why they made it like this.
3. All kinds of switches and buttons on the handlebars, who knows what they're all for - there must be at least six. I forgot to ask what they do when I picked up the bike, but isn't a simple high/low beam switch enough? The wiring for this bike must be a nightmare.
4. It's slow - somewhere between "very slow" and "extremely slow". If you don't really twist it, you'll hardly realize you're moving. It isn't too bad if you just like piddling along, and looking at it positively, it's a smooth, easy ride. But it'll take all day just to pass granny on her scooter. Is this really a 200cc? I've never driven a bigger bike before, but it really isn't much different from my old Suzuki Beat 125. Actually, I think the Suzuki was a little faster.
5. The unique design - it does look good, but it's probably hard to get parts from anywhere but the service center.
6. Durability - the bike's only seen rain a couple times, but there's already rust on exhaust pipe. Who knows how the rest of it'll hold up.
If a Thai guy thinks the riding position is cramped, I doubt the average-size westerner will fit very well on it. And if you're going to do any highway riding, you'll probably be better off with a scooter even. But still, it does look nice!
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Yes.
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I must admit I'd never heard this before, so I googled "ขอยาด", with the quote marks... the seventh out of 76,000 results had it with an apostrophe before ยาด, like this: ขอ'ยาด. This got me thinking: shortened Thai words are (very) occasionally written with an apostrophe, for example, มหาวิทยาลัย -> มหา'ลัย. So, could ขอยาด be a shortened form of ขออนุญาต? It appears it is: Google gives 45,000 hits for "ขอญาต", and another 31,000 for "ขอญาติ" (since อนุญาต is frequently misspelled as อนุญาติ). While some of the ขอญาติ results might refer to requesting something from relatives and not be misspellings at all, most seem to be in the context of asking for permission, or ขออนุญาต.
Incidentally, "ขอโทษ" returns nearly 35 million results.
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Akarawat or Akrawat - อัครวัฒน์ = one of great prosperity (ผู้เจริญอย่างยอดเยี่ยม)
Source: http://horoscope.thaiorc.com/fortunename/bestname.php?contentID=6e49d25d173a91d3b38de9e4d5677ade8
Yingyai - ยิ่งใหญ่ = great, excellent, superior
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About the transit visa... it's nothing to do with going to Cambodia or Laos per se; it's for people passing through Thailand on their way to other places. The visa itself is valid for three months, and gives you 30 days in the country with each entry. Athletes, as well as captains and drivers of ships and buses that may be docking or passing through Thailand, are also categorized under this visa.
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1.4 ผู้ถือหนังสือเดินทางที่ประทับตรา Visa ดังต่อไปนี้ไม่อนุญาตให้เปิดบัญชี
(Holders of passports stamped with the following visas are not permitted to open accounts.)
1.4.1 (Transit Visa)
1.4.2 (Tourist Visa)
JAS21 is correct.
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I am confused. The example of น้ำแข็ง would not seem to be a case of idiomaticity since its semantic structure is indeed more or less available from its components. i.e. what else could "hard water" be but "ice?" Similarly with น้ำไฟฟ้า.
Everything in language is idiomatic; words only mean what we agree for them to mean, and hard, fixed meaning is an illusion.
Thais don't take the phrase "hard water" to mean "water that is hard" any more than English speakers take "cupboard" to mean "a board for cups". To Thais, "hard water" is "ice", just as "cupboard" in English means "a cabinet for storing dishes or food".
These meanings only arise because they're agreed upon by the community of speakers. They could refer to anything at all, so long as everybody agrees on what it is.
(Incidentally, since you ask what else "hard water" could mean: In English, it refers to water with a high mineral content, as distinguished from "soft water", or water with reduced mineral content. See http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Hard_water for more info.)
EDIT: Whoops, I see Bytebuster beat me to it on the hard water.
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It doesn't forbid loog-krueng from at all, it merely puts them in the same competition category as students enrolled in EP (English Program), MEP (Mini English Program) and GIFTED (talented student) classes.
Admittedly I skim read except for the most pertinent paragraph because I'm using a netbook, but so far as I read it says absolutely nothing about surnames.
Yes, that's what I found as well, and that's why I'm still confused as to why the child wasn't allowed to compete.
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Regarding the ongoing debate on the offensiveness of "luuk-kreung": As Katana says, the best translation is indeed "mixed-race". Is that offensive? Is it offensive to be labelled "white" or "old" or "fat"? In my opinion, labeling people based on race, age, sex or physical characteristics isn't offensive at all if it's done in order to differentiate them from a group, and then only if giving them that label is the easiest way to do that. But such labels are offensive, and ignorant, when they're used not to differentiate between people, but to group them together, as if their race, age, sex or physical characteristics somehow make them similar to others who share those traits.
Not offensive: "This hamburger's for the black man at table three."
Offensive: "Look, Mom! That man's black!"
It's not the words that are offensive, it's how they're used. (Somebody please pass this on to the word police over in the USA.) You want to point me out? Go ahead and describe what I look like. But don't think that just because I look like that, it means I'm somehow the same as other folk who look like that. That's what's offensive!
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Here is my translation of the relevant section from the document posted in the OP:
2.1 Categories of competitors
Category 1. Students at schools under the OBEC [Office of the Basic Education Commission]. Includes students in Prathom 1 to Mathayom 3 at schools under the OBEC.
Category 2. Students at schools not under the OBEC (i.e. OPEC [Office of the Private Education Commission] schools). Includes students in Prathom 1 to Mathayom 6.
Category 3. Students enrolled in English programs. Includes students in Prathom 1 to Mathayom 6 in schools under OBEC and OPEC who are studying in EP/MEP programs, students studying in "gifted" English classrooms, students who have studied or lived in an English speaking country for more than four months, and students whose mother, father, or legal guardian is a foreigner.
A few points:
1. There's nothing anywhere in the document regarding students' surnames.
2. The word "luuk-kreung" is likewise nowhere to be found; in an official context such as this it would be quite offensive, hence the wording "students whose mother, father, or legal guardian is a foreigner".
3. It seems there would be nothing stopping the student in question from competing as a "category 3" student. (According to the rules, schools may send three category 1 students--one each from P. 1-3, P. 4-6, and M. 1-3, one category 2 student, and one category 3 student to the competition.)
4. I wonder if students whose mother or father is Burmese would be forced to enter under category 3.
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ไวเท่าความคิด from the context I saw this in, I'd say a fast foot idea is when in a bad situation, it's one who does not stick around
to think of a solution but just runs away instead.
เท่า not เท้า
"Quick as thought", I think.
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เมื่อก่อนมีแฟนคนไทย isn't really wrong, but it would sound more natural to me to say, เมื่อก่อนเคยมีแฟนเป็นคนไทย, "I used to have a Thai boyfriend/girlfriend."
เมื่อก่อนแฟนฉันเป็นคนไทย would be "My boyfriend/girlfriend used to be Thai". (Implying, of course, that they no longer are.)
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Sakon Nakorn in red:
If that isn't Isaan, I'm not sure what is.
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Ah, I get it now...
So หนู should be "you", then, right?ป้ากบ: ตอนดาวเข้าวงการ หนูยังผูกคอซองอยู่เลยมั้ง
"Auntie Gop: When Dao started modelling, you were in, what, Junior High?"
(I'm assuming, here, that Gop is talking to the young model, though she could be talking about her, in which case หนู would be "she"...)
Of course it doesn't change the meaning of ผูกคอซอง, but it's nice to know the full context of the example.
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Here's what the bullet points on the notice say:
- Please order food or beverages for each individual occupying our premises, and do not consume outside food or beverages
- Please do not sit at separate tables, or conduct classes with large groups, in order to leave space for our other customers
- Do not use our premises as a regular teaching location, since space is limited and we have other customers to serve
- Please cooperate in not "reserving" tables by placing items on them, or simply sitting and waiting for your tutor to arrive. We will collect any items left in this manner in order to provide space for other customers, and we will take no responsibility for these items.
And here are the first five comments from the Pantip.com webboard where it was originally posted:
#1: Serves them right. I see five people sitting there with one cup. Do you think this is appropriate behavior?
#2: I'm ashamed for them. For the people who've done this and think nobody cares, read it and weep.
#3: Every single location has tutors using it as their classroom.
#4: This is great, it'll make it easier to find a seat. To all the private tutors out there: Teach your students in your own home!
#5: They should've done this ages ago.
Seems like it's a popular move with Thai and farang alike.
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Re. "ผูกคอซอง".
"คอซอง" is the neckerchief worn by girls in senior Prathom or junior Mathayom (grades 4 to 9).
ตอนดาวเข้าวงการ หนูยังผูกคอซองอยู่เลยมั้ง
"When I first got into the industry... I guess I was still in Junior High. [in my schoolgirl neckerchief]"
วงการ can mean the circles of any particular industry, be it the fashion circuit, the entertainment industry, the publishing industry, etc. (Though it is most commonly used to talk about the entertainment or modelling industries.)
หนู doesn't necessarily mean "upcoming fashion model"--I think here it's just the pronoun the speaker is using to refer to herself.
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Yes, พระเอก can mean an actor who often takes leading roles, but when people talk about the พระเอก of a particular movie or drama, they're usually talking about the character, not the actor. It does seem ambiguous, but context usually makes it clear. And if it isn't clear, you can always use นักแสดงนำ and ตัวเอก/ตัวละครเอก to talk about the lead actor and main character, respectively.
Edit: Cross-posted with Klons. His link is a good example of how it works, using นักแสดงนำ to talk about Tom Cruise, but พระเอกของเรื่อง for Ethan Hunt. Of course you could also say Tom Cruise is a พระเอกชื่อดัง, a well-known actor who plays leading roles.
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Yes, I guess it can mean ดัดจริต too.
There's some debate about it here: http://guru.google.co.th/guru/thread?tid=503749d74c0b6b30
Most posters say it means แรด, but quite a few mention ดัดจริต (affected, phony) as well. The third post on the page says แรด is too strong--สลิด is apparently softer, and cuter-sounding. Though the last post says "อีสลิด" is just a strong as แรด.
As for the girl who used it to mean something like "whatever", perhaps she was just using it as an interjection, the way we might say "dam_n" in English, without actually intending to dam_n anybody to anywhere.
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I assume they are talking about English tutors....why then write a sign in Thai?
I think you've assumed wrong... this is Thailand after all, and most tutors are Thai. (Who woulda thunk it?) And they give lessons in all kinds of subjects, not just English.
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It's the Northern equivalent of แรด -- promiscuous and slutty, basically.
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รับบทเป็น means to take the role of, or play the character of.
ตัวละคร is "character".
พระเอก is the leading man or male protagonist, while นางเอก is the leading lady or female protagonist. ตัวเอก is a gender neutral alternative used mainly in literary or academic contexts. นักแสดงนำ is also used for "leading actor/actress".
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Saa-mun is rising-mid.
Chuut-chaat is low-low.
Kee-oh is falling-low.
Gaan sa-daeng ork means "expression", as in self-expression... I don't think that's exactly what the OP was looking for.
As for the final example about not saying thank you to servers in a restaurant or bar, yes, that would be mai su-paap (falling, low-falling) or sia maa-ra-yaat (rising, mid-high-falling)--impolite, rude--in a western context, but I don't think it's expected here.
So หนู should be "you", then, right?
คน - Nationality Or Ethnicity?
in Thai Language
Posted
This isn't really so much of a language issue as it is one of awareness. I used to work with a white South African, and he always got the same look of confusion when he told people where he was from. While "Siampreggers" says you're Korean, I'd say that if you were born in Canada, or identify as Canadian (and have Canadian citizenship), then you're Canadian. Simply explaining that your parents are/were Korean, but you're Canadian, and leaving it at that, is really the best you can do. If some people have trouble getting their heads around this, so be it.