'cute' In Thai

[stonybonytony]

How can I say 'cute' in Thai? My dictionary suggests 'ฉลาด' but I thought this was more like 'clever', or 'สวย' which I thought was more like 'beautiful'. It wanted to describe a toddler dancing, 'aaah isn't she cute'.

[Totster]

narak - น่ารัก

totster

[meadish_sweetball]

Agree with Totster, น่ารัก is by far the most common, and the most suitable in your example.

As for 'beautiful in a cute/pretty way', (a pretty girl) use เก๋, which is also a common nickname.

Sounds like a Scotman saying 'gay' with a rising intonation. Mind the intonation, with a mid tone, it means 'gay' in Thai too.

[Tywais]

Sounds like a Scotman saying 'gay' with a rising intonation. Mind the intonation, with a mid tone, it means 'gay' in Thai too.

Pronounce this one and you may get funny looks from a farang > เก๋ไก๋ BTW means cute but like in being chic.

[Neeranam]

QUOTE(meadish_sweetball @ 2007-03-08 11:06:14)

Sounds like a Scotman saying 'gay' with a rising intonation. Mind the intonation, with a mid tone, it means 'gay' in Thai too.

Pronounce this one and you may get funny looks from a farang > เก๋ไก๋ BTW means cute but like in being chic.

Not sure what you mean meadish about a Scotsman saying it. Do you mean the phonetic sound of the 'เ' or the length of the vowel?

[NaiGreg]

QUOTE(meadish_sweetball @ 2007-03-08 11:06:14)

Sounds like a Scotman saying 'gay' with a rising intonation. Mind the intonation, with a mid tone, it means 'gay' in Thai too.

Pronounce this one and you may get funny looks from a farang > เก๋ไก๋ BTW means cute but like in being chic.

Not sure what you mean meadish about a Scotsman saying it. Do you mean the phonetic sound of the 'เ' or the length of the vowel?

I think he is referring to how "gay" is pronounced by a man in a kilt

[Neeranam]

Nothing gay about a man wearing a kilt!

[meadish_sweetball]

QUOTE(meadish_sweetball @ 2007-03-08 11:06:14)

Sounds like a Scotman saying 'gay' with a rising intonation. Mind the intonation, with a mid tone, it means 'gay' in Thai too.

Pronounce this one and you may get funny looks from a farang > เก๋ไก๋ BTW means cute but like in being chic.

Not sure what you mean meadish about a Scotsman saying it. Do you mean the phonetic sound of the 'เ' or the length of the vowel?

Yes - exactly, the sound of the vowel which is constant as in Thai. Most (all?) Scottish dialects do not have vowel glides, whereas English ones usually do.

[sutnyod]

How can I say 'cute' in Thai? My dictionary suggests 'ฉลาด' but I thought this was more like 'clever', or 'สวย' which I thought was more like 'beautiful'. It wanted to describe a toddler dancing, 'aaah isn't she cute'.

Depends on whom you want to address as being cute. Saying "narak" for a baby is not polite, especially in rural areas. There you should not draw the attention of hovering spirits to the child by calling it cute. In that case you would have to say that the baby "ben ta ti" (difficult to translate, suggest "slappable") or "na sang" (hateful). Na sang is the opposite of na rak and the relatives of the baby will understand immediately and be very happy about you finding it cute.

[sabaijai]

How can I say 'cute' in Thai? My dictionary suggests 'ฉลาด' but I thought this was more like 'clever', or 'สวย' which I thought was more like 'beautiful'. It wanted to describe a toddler dancing, 'aaah isn't she cute'.

Depends on whom you want to address as being cute. Saying "narak" for a baby is not polite, especially in rural areas. There you should not draw the attention of hovering spirits to the child by calling it cute. In that case you would have to say that the baby "ben ta ti" (difficult to translate, suggest "slappable") or "na sang" (hateful). Na sang is the opposite of na rak and the relatives of the baby will understand immediately and be very happy about you finding it cute.

Very true.

[sbk]

How can I say 'cute' in Thai? My dictionary suggests 'ฉลาด' but I thought this was more like 'clever', or 'สวย' which I thought was more like 'beautiful'. It wanted to describe a toddler dancing, 'aaah isn't she cute'.

Depends on whom you want to address as being cute. Saying "narak" for a baby is not polite, especially in rural areas. There you should not draw the attention of hovering spirits to the child by calling it cute. In that case you would have to say that the baby "ben ta ti" (difficult to translate, suggest "slappable") or "na sang" (hateful). Na sang is the opposite of na rak and the relatives of the baby will understand immediately and be very happy about you finding it cute.

Very true.

For the younger generation, at least where I live, that is considered an old fashioned belief.

[Grover]

How can I say 'cute' in Thai? My dictionary suggests 'ฉลาด' but I thought this was more like 'clever', or 'สวย' which I thought was more like 'beautiful'. It wanted to describe a toddler dancing, 'aaah isn't she cute'.

Depends on whom you want to address as being cute. Saying "narak" for a baby is not polite, especially in rural areas. There you should not draw the attention of hovering spirits to the child by calling it cute. In that case you would have to say that the baby "ben ta ti" (difficult to translate, suggest "slappable") or "na sang" (hateful). Na sang is the opposite of na rak and the relatives of the baby will understand immediately and be very happy about you finding it cute.

Very true.

For the younger generation, at least where I live, that is considered an old fashioned belief.

I wonder if this means that it would be inappropriate to use "na sang"

or should I stick with the "narak krup" default response

[meadish_sweetball]

I dont think it would be inappropriate. Everybody will be aware of the custom, even the younger generation. Where I have been around babies, people seem to use both...

[sabaijai]

How can I say 'cute' in Thai? My dictionary suggests 'ฉลาด' but I thought this was more like 'clever', or 'สวย' which I thought was more like 'beautiful'. It wanted to describe a toddler dancing, 'aaah isn't she cute'.

Depends on whom you want to address as being cute. Saying "narak" for a baby is not polite, especially in rural areas. There you should not draw the attention of hovering spirits to the child by calling it cute. In that case you would have to say that the baby "ben ta ti" (difficult to translate, suggest "slappable") or "na sang" (hateful). Na sang is the opposite of na rak and the relatives of the baby will understand immediately and be very happy about you finding it cute.

Very true.

For the younger generation, at least where I live, that is considered an old fashioned belief.

I'd say it's still true for most rural areas. Ko Pha-Ngan doesn't count ....

[katana]

I was talking to a Thai about this recently. They said this superstition tends to be believed more by older generation Thais.

[sutnyod]

I was talking to a Thai about this recently. They said this superstition tends to be believed more by older generation Thais.

Well, I think it's not a matter of "believing". Of course, the roots of this custom are in the "belief area". However, it is a custom now. I have never heard anybody referring to my kids as "na rak"; only "ta sang" or worse . Knowing, however, how it was meant, it made me quite happy. Some people even say they want to slap the kid (yak tja ti man). It is also a matter of expression: usually those phrases are brought about in the most friendly manner. So even if you don't understand the language you know they find this kid adorable.

[KhunMarco]

I was talking to a Thai about this recently. They said this superstition tends to be believed more by older generation Thais.

Well, I think it's not a matter of "believing". Of course, the roots of this custom are in the "belief area". However, it is a custom now. I have never heard anybody referring to my kids as "na rak"; only "ta sang" or worse . Knowing, however, how it was meant, it made me quite happy. Some people even say they want to slap the kid (yak tja ti man). It is also a matter of expression: usually those phrases are brought about in the most friendly manner. So even if you don't understand the language you know they find this kid adorable.

I surely would kick your kid's @sses.

Aaah it's polite and it feels so good

[sbk]

How can I say 'cute' in Thai? My dictionary suggests 'ฉลาด' but I thought this was more like 'clever', or 'สวย' which I thought was more like 'beautiful'. It wanted to describe a toddler dancing, 'aaah isn't she cute'.

Depends on whom you want to address as being cute. Saying "narak" for a baby is not polite, especially in rural areas. There you should not draw the attention of hovering spirits to the child by calling it cute. In that case you would have to say that the baby "ben ta ti" (difficult to translate, suggest "slappable") or "na sang" (hateful). Na sang is the opposite of na rak and the relatives of the baby will understand immediately and be very happy about you finding it cute.

Very true.

For the younger generation, at least where I live, that is considered an old fashioned belief.

I'd say it's still true for most rural areas. Ko Pha-Ngan doesn't count ....

Outside the tourist industry locals still live very rural lives, I'll have you know

[NaiGreg]

How can I say 'cute' in Thai? My dictionary suggests 'ฉลาด' but I thought this was more like 'clever', or 'สวย' which I thought was more like 'beautiful'. It wanted to describe a toddler dancing, 'aaah isn't she cute'.

Depends on whom you want to address as being cute. Saying "narak" for a baby is not polite, especially in rural areas. There you should not draw the attention of hovering spirits to the child by calling it cute. In that case you would have to say that the baby "ben ta ti" (difficult to translate, suggest "slappable") or "na sang" (hateful). Na sang is the opposite of na rak and the relatives of the baby will understand immediately and be very happy about you finding it cute.

I may be wrong but isn't it "na chang" (similar to na gliat) ??? ... if one were to misread ช as ซ then it would be "na sang" ...

[meadish_sweetball]

Isaan/Lao vs. Standard Thai?

[sutnyod]

Isaan/Lao vs. Standard Thai?

*blush*

[stonybonytony]

I asked about the Na Chang/Na Rak thing here (Koh Phangan) and my Thai friend (though he's from Nakhon si thammarat) claimed never to have heard of it, said 'the internet is crazy for telling me this'. And he's not an urban sophisticate, but fairly young I guess.

[MiG16]

narak-nachang definitely is an expression used for new born babies when u wanna say they are narak. stonytony...your friend obviously has no clue what hes talking about

'the internet' in this case is not crazy

now as to the OP's question.....how to say cute...if to a gal or a guy you like you simply will use Narak (no need to add the nachang!!! and infact you better not ...that only applies for use with babies....kinda what western say so as not to jinx? hope thats the right expression Im trying to think of)

cheers.

(And hey...dont argue wiff me, I got an A in thai language studies ) )

[kojac_phx]

My wife was initially offended when those here in Faranland referred to our son as 'cute' which I translated as naa rak. Naa chang and naa gliat were advised as preferrable in Thailand. I took naa chang to mean 'elephantlike' therefore 'unattractive' and naa gliat to mean 'ugly'. Inviting evil spirits in no longer a worry here and even she's telling parents that their children are 'so cute'.

Back to the OP, naa rak is the general, all-purpose 'cute' that I've always used and always been understood.

[sabaijai]

I was talking to a Thai about this recently. They said this superstition tends to be believed more by older generation Thais.

It's still cross-generational in the sticks, at least here in the north.