กว่า, ขึ้น And ลง

[wasabi]

I'm confused about กว่า ขึ้น and ลง, my understanding is กว่า is used to indicate more in comparison to something else, like กรุงเทพร้อนกว่าเชียงใหม่ ขึ้น to indicate an increase in comparison to itself

ปีนี้กรุงเทพร้อนขึ้นปีที่แล้ว

Does ลง indicate a decrease in comparison to something else?

What are examples of ลง to say colder would I say เย็นลง? And is my understanding about the difference between ขึ้น and ก่วา correct? Is there a version of ลง to be used when comparing the decrease of something to itself?

[aanon]

I'm confused about กว่า ขึ้น and ลง, my understanding is กว่า is used to indicate more in comparison to something else, like กรุงเทพร้อนกว่าเชียงใหม่ ขึ้น to indicate an increase in comparison to itself

ปีนี้กรุงเทพร้อนขึ้นปีที่แล้ว

Does ลง indicate a decrease in comparison to something else?

What are examples of ลง to say colder would I say เย็นลง? And is my understanding about the difference between ขึ้น and ก่วา correct? Is there a version of ลง to be used when comparing the decrease of something to itself?

hi wasabi.

first let me say these three words are all used in lots of different ways, so let's just limit the question to how you use the words to talk about comparison.

ร้อนขึ้น means hotter (than before)

แสงแดดทำให้น้ำในขวดร้อนขึ้น

the sun made the water in the bottle hotter (than before)

or, the sun made the water in the bottle heat up

เย็นลง means cooler (than before)

พัดลมทำให้อาหารเย็นลง

the fan cooled the food down

or, the fan made the food cool down

both of these words imply a forward time direction. something either getting hotter or cooler. note: 'getting hotter' in english implies the same thing.

i think this is an important distinction with the word กว่า, which can be used backwards in time, forward in time, or irrespective of time. for example:

ร้อนกว่า means hotter (than something else)

กรุงเทพ ฯ ร้อนกว่า เชียงราย

Bangkok is hotter than Chiangrai

ปีที่แล้วคะแนนสูงกว่าปีนี้

last year, scores were higher than this year

ปีนี้คะแนนสูงกว่าปีที่แล้ว

this year, scores are higher than last year

________

separate bit:

which words go with ขึ้น and which words go with ลง? In the examples above, the words corresponded closely to 'up' and 'down' in english. however, they won't always. for example, if something gets worse, you say แย่ลง. if better, you say ดีขึ้น. if someone gets older they are แก่ลง but if they get taller they are สูงขึ้น.

in general, if something physically or numerically increases use ขึ้น, for the opposite use ลง

if something gets better use ขึ้น, if it gets worse or deteriorates use ลง, hence the getting old example.

there are exceptions to both of these guidelines. perhaps someone can offer better guidelines, but actually i think you learn mostly from experience which word to use.

all the best.

[tgeezer]

.

in general, if something physically or numerically increases use ขึ้น, for the opposite use ลง

if something gets better use ขึ้น, if it gets worse or deteriorates use ลง, hence the getting old example.

there are exceptions to both of these guidelines. perhaps someone can offer better guidelines, but actually i think you learn mostly from experience which word to use.

all the best.

Ageism!! when you are in a group of oldies you definitely say แก่ขึ้น many a good tune is played on an old fiddle. But as you say it depends on what you want to convey.

[In the Rai!]

Yes the best way for me to remember is กว่า is just like adding er to the end of adjectives in English.(more than)

ขึ้น and ลง are used with feeling or when something happens like ดีขึ้น or เกิดขึ้น also used with up and down.

ขึ้น makes up alot of Thai words ขึ้นสวรรค์ go to heaven (double meaning there, for those who dont know be careful) or เครื่องบินขึ้น

There are heaps more words.

ITR

[wasabi]

How about น้อยกว่า less, why not น้อยลง?

[aanon]

How about น้อยกว่า less, why not น้อยลง?

Hey wasabi,

Both are used, in line with the description above.

น้อยกว่า less than (something else)

ความรู้เราน้อยกว่าเพื่อน (my knowledge is less than my friend's)

น้อยลง less than (before)

ปีนี้ปัญหาทางด้านการเมืองน่าจะน้อยลง (this year political problems should be less (than before))

All the best.

[Johpa]

Lest we not forget the usage applicable to some of us aging curmudgeons, and apologies for lack of Thai fonts,

hua laan long (getting balder)

[aanon]

Lest we not forget the usage applicable to some of us aging curmudgeons, and apologies for lack of Thai fonts,

hua laan long (getting balder)

hey johpa, i'm one of those aging curmudgeons at 30!

how about in english?

going blind, going deaf, going senile....& going bald.

all the best.

[In the Rai!]

Lest we not forget the usage applicable to some of us aging curmudgeons, and apologies for lack of Thai fonts,

hua laan long (getting balder)

hey johpa, i'm one of those aging curmudgeons at 30!

how about in english?

going blind, going deaf, going senile....& going bald.

all the best.

I' 30 also and I fit the first 3 perfectly and I know that going bald will come..

[aanon]

Lest we not forget the usage applicable to some of us aging curmudgeons, and apologies for lack of Thai fonts,

hua laan long (getting balder)

hey johpa, i'm one of those aging curmudgeons at 30!

how about in english?

going blind, going deaf, going senile....& going bald.

all the best.

I' 30 also and I fit the first 3 perfectly and I know that going bald will come..

hey ITR,

no worries แค่ทำใจนิดหนึ่งก็หมดเรื่องแล้ว

anyway ผมมันยิ่งเหลือน้อย เราก็ยิ่งรวยขึ้นเรื่อย ๆ (เพราะหัวล้าน)

all the best

[meadish_sweetball]

เห็นด้วยว่าต้องพยายามมองโลกในแง่ดีว่า หัวล้านก็ยังดีกว่าหัวขาด

[In the Rai!]

anyway ผมมันยิ่งเหลือน้อย เราก็ยิ่งรวยขึ้นเรื่อย ๆ (เพราะหัวล้าน)

Nice one

Is that a Thai saying or something you came up with yourself? I have never heard it, but I like it.

I am sure you get a few laughs.

ITR

[aanon]

anyway ผมมันยิ่งเหลือน้อย เราก็ยิ่งรวยขึ้นเรื่อย ๆ (เพราะหัวล้าน)

Nice one

Is that a Thai saying or something you came up with yourself? I have never heard it, but I like it.

I am sure you get a few laughs.

ITR

hey ITR,

just made that up but i have heard lots of puns on หัวล้าน. like หัวน่าจะได้สัก ๙ แสนกว่า ๆ แล้ว...

most of the quips about baldness in thailand play on the idea of the head as a shiny reflective surface...perhaps someone can think of an example.

i just explained the 'solar panel for a sex machine' motto to a thai friend...went down ok.

all the best.

[tgeezer]

anyway ผมมันยิ่งเหลือน้อย เราก็ยิ่งรวยขึ้นเรื่อย ๆ (เพราะหัวล้าน)

Nice one

Is that a Thai saying or something you came up with yourself? I have never heard it, but I like it.

I am sure you get a few laughs.

ITR

hey ITR,

just made that up but i have heard lots of puns on หัวล้าน. like หัวน่าจะได้สัก ๙ แสนกว่า ๆ แล้ว...

most of the quips about baldness in thailand play on the idea of the head as a shiny reflective surface...perhaps someone can think of an example.

i just explained the 'solar panel for a sex machine' motto to a thai friend...went down ok.

all the best.

Many years ago in the I heard a comment from a girl in the back of a pickup stopped in traffic who noticed my bald head, โอ้วันนี้มีพระจันหร์สองดวง that's how I remember it. someone had to explain what it meant.

[loong]

โอ้วันนี้มีพระจันหร์สองดวง

พระจันทร์ just a small spelling error I think.

But I like that - 2 moons!

[In the Rai!]

เห็นด้วยว่าต้องพยายามมองโลกในแง่เดีว่า หัวล้านก็ยังดีก่วาหัวขาด

Meadish I think you have a little spelling mistake.

เห็นด้วยว่าต้องพยายามมองโลกในแง่เดีว่า หัวล้านก็ยังดีก่วาหัวขาด

I think you meant ดี not เดี

as in เห็นด้วยว่าต้องพยายามมองโลกในแง่ดีว่า หัวล้านก็ยังดีก่วาหัวขาด

sorry if I am wrong!

P.s your are right anything is better than losing your head

cheers ITR

[meadish_sweetball]

Thanks ITR, my mistake - in this case more of a typo than a spelling mistake. The text entering box makes the Thai letters very small, so I often make typos.

[In the Rai!]

Thanks ITR, my mistake - in this case more of a typo than a spelling mistake. The text entering box makes the Thai letters very small, so I often make typos.

Sorry I meant typo not mistake..

The sad thing is all my posts are full of them and they are usually in English.

I have a bad habbit of just hitting send and not checking until its too late to edit.

I will learn one day I hope.

cheers

ITR

[loong]

เห็นด้วยว่าต้องพยายามมองโลกในแง่เดีว่า หัวล้านก็ยังดีก่วาหัวขาด

Meadish I think you have a little spelling mistake.

เห็นด้วยว่าต้องพยายามมองโลกในแง่เดีว่า หัวล้านก็ยังดีก่วาัหัวขาด

I think you meant ดี not เดี

as in เห็นด้วยว่าต้องพยายามมองโลกในแง่ดีว่า หัวล้านก็ยังดีก่วาหัวขาด

sorry if I am wrong!

P.s your are right anything is better than losing your head

cheers ITR

Also, I think it's ดีกว่า not ดีก่วา and yes I'll agree. I'll stick with going bald over the other option

EDITE I managed a spelling mistake in that little post!!!

[meadish_sweetball]

Guilty as charged - that was an actual spelling mistake, too. I can never seem to remember where to place that pesky maai eek.