Why Do Thais Say Same Same Instead Of Just Same?

[PATTAYAPUNTER]

Explanation

A farang visitor to Thailand will often hear the expression same same instead of the more grammatically correct same when Thais are conversing in English with them. Me you same same (translation: we are the same) or His car same same your car (his car is the same as yours). Why is it common to double it up in this manner?

I once asked a Thai about this and they gave the following explanation. The Thai word for similar, to be like (something) is KHLAI คล้าย or KHLAI KHLAI GAN คล้ายๆ กัน. Since they can double up the word in Thai, they assume (wrongly) that you can carry this over to the English - hence the same same that you often hear.

(I am reliably informed that the linguistic technical term for using native language constructs in a new language is called L1 interference, for those who wish to know!)

Interestingly, a similar thing also apparently happens in Tanzania where the locals say slow slow instead of just slow because the Swahili for slow is pole pole.

Doubling up of words (or reduplication, to give it its correct technical term) is quite common in many languages around the world and is often used to add emphasis or slightly change the meaning of a word. It is not so common in English, but there are some examples eg 'it's a no-no' or 'its hush-hush' are two examples that spring to mind.

Finally, to put some perspective on the matter, when a farang attempts to speak Thai to a native Thai speaker, the grammar is often mangled in similarly amusing ways. The important thing is I guess, to get your meaning across. Correct grammar comes later with practice and time.

http://www.geocities.com/siamsmile365/same...e/same-same.htm

[TizMe]

I don't believe that it has anything to do with the Thai language. I've heard many non-Thai Asians use the same term.

[Alf Witt]

So, in summary, "same" and "same same" are the same to a Thai but its a no no for a native English speaker to try to speak English the same as a Thai. Is that your point? Dear dear!

[britmaveric]

same same but different

[grtaylor]

I've never thought of this as an exclusively Thai expression. I first heard it whilst working in Muscat in the Sultanate of Oman, from the Indian tailors working there.

G

[boxig]

The secret is probably here: ๆ

เหมือน ๆ = Muan Muan - the same

มาก ๆ = Mak Mak - very much

ช้า ๆ = Cha Cha - very slowly

จริง ๆ = Jing Jing - very true

เร็ว ๆ = Reo Reo - very fast

เล็ก ๆ = Lek Le - very small

บ้า ๆ บอ ๆ = Ba Ba Bo Bo - crazy

box

Edited January 17, 2007 by boxig

[onebir]

I don't believe that it has anything to do with the Thai language. I've heard many non-Thai Asians use the same term.

The OPs post sort of covers this:

Doubling up of words (or reduplication, to give it its correct technical term) is quite **common in many languages around the world** and is often used to add emphasis or slightly change the meaning of a word.

The mother tongues of the non-Thai Asians you're thinking of probably have reduplication. I know Chinese has it, as does Indonesian. And of course Thai. I'd guess the languages closely related to Indonesian (Malayo polynesian languages, including Tagalog) have it too, and then there's Thai's close relatives (inc Lao) . I imagine that covers most of the non-Thai Asians you're thinking of (not to mention a huge chunk of the world's population...)

[In the Rai!]

The secret is probably here: ๆ

เหมือน ๆ = Muan Muan - the same

มาก ๆ = Mak Mak - very much

ช้า ๆ = Cha Cha - very slowly

จริง ๆ = Jing Jing - very true

เร็ว ๆ = Reo Reo - very fast

เล็ก ๆ = Lek Le - very small

บ้า ๆ บอ ๆ = Ba Ba Bo Bo - crazy

box

good point Boxig

[Briggsy]

I feel this is Asian broken English and not directly related to Thai or word repetition as I have heard it in Cambodia and The Philippines. Not sure though. And why is it always, "Same same but different (snigger)" Why the snigger?

Hey PattayaPunter, I never knew you could type Thai.

[rak sa_ngop]

I don't believe that it has anything to do with the Thai language. I've heard many non-Thai Asians use the same term.

The OPs post sort of covers this:

Doubling up of words (or reduplication, to give it its correct technical term) is quite **common in many languages around the world** and is often used to add emphasis or slightly change the meaning of a word.

The mother tongues of the non-Thai Asians you're thinking of probably have reduplication. I know Chinese has it, as does Indonesian. And of course Thai. I'd guess the languages closely related to Indonesian (Malayo polynesian languages, including Tagalog) have it too, and then there's Thai's close relatives (inc Lao) . I imagine that covers most of the non-Thai Asians you're thinking of (not to mention a huge chunk of the world's population...)

In Vietnamese (if I remember correctly) reduplication can also be used to 'reduce' the meaning of the word for example the colour red (do) would be reduced to 'reddy' by repeating the word (do do) i.e. not quite red in colour.

[Rikker]

To สรุป:

1. Thai uses reduplication to emphasize an adjective.

2. เหมือน ๆ กัน is a common phrase.

3. Thais "translate" the grammar of เหมือน ๆ and thus say "same same."

Whether this is reinforced by their contact with other non-native English speakers from other Asian countries who use the same phrasing is probably a case-by-case thing.

[boatguy]

My Thai lady friend was an english teacher and speaks pretty good english as well as our understanding jokes respectively.

But she also uses 'same same' as well as 'surely surely' that I find very cute

[Briggsy]

"same same" is a well-established term in bar Tinglish as often heard in Pattaya, Nana, Ko Samui, etc. However there is some crossover and it is possible to hear this term in other registers other than the bar one.

Perhaps it would be useful to contrast this term with another "repeater". "Pam Pam" is a much firmer indicator that the speaker is a confident user of bar Tinglish, irrespective of their native tongue. Unlike "same same" this term is very rarely heard in other Tinglish registers and thus is very useful for "labeling" people.

Briggsy offers thesis writing services to students of linguistics up to doctorate level.

[Rikker]

What does "pam pam" mean?

[PeaceBlondie]

I am very, very perplexed that you guys could be so, so insistent that this is just an Asian or a Thai thing. Mama repeatedly told me, "If I've told you once, I've told you 100 times." It's really a very small, tiny, eensy-teensy insignificant little nothing of a problem. Nada, zilch, zero.

[Briggsy]

What does "pam pam" mean?

ปั๊มปั๊ม Obviously you are not a user of bar Tinglish.

[loong]

If you write it "Boom Boom" I think that you will recognise it.

[boatguy]

"Pam Pam" actually was an international distress signal at one time, particulary on the sea.

It referred to Pulse-amplitude modulation, acronym PAM, is a form of signal modulation where the message information is encoded in the amplitude of a series of signal pulses.

Pulse-amplitude modulation is now rarely used, having been largely superseded by pulse-code modulation, and, more recently, by pulse-position modulation.

Edited January 22, 2007 by boatguy

[Briggsy]

If you write it "Boom Boom" I think that you will recognise it.

This is a synonym. You too have mastered this tricky dialect!

[Rikker]

What does "pam pam" mean?

ปั๊มปั๊ม Obviously you are not a user of bar Tinglish.

True, very true. It's Greek to me!

[In the Rai!]

What does "pam pam" mean?

ปั๊มปั๊ม Obviously you are not a user of bar Tinglish.

I thought I did but I obviously don't. It has been many years since my last lesson..

[Briggsy]

What does "pam pam" mean?

ปั๊มปั๊ม Obviously you are not a user of bar Tinglish.

True, very true. It's Greek to me!

Good on you. Don't go there. It's a slippery slope to rack and linguistic ruin.

Boatguy. Trippy.