Karma

[JimmyTheMook]

The Thai word for karma ?

[taxexile]

กรรม

gam ...... karma , action , deeds

ผลกรรม

pongam .... consequences of ones actions.

กรรมตามสนอง

gamdtaamsanong ..... "the wages of sin" , you get what you deserve.

Edited May 6, 2007 by taxexile

[JimmyTheMook]

กรรม

gam ...... karma , action , deeds

ผลกรรม

pongam .... consequences of ones actions.

กรรมตามสนอง

gamdtaamsanong ..... "the wages of sin" , you get what you deserve.

Cheers !

[Johpa]

And remember, when translating in the opposite direction, to address your local Thai teacher as guru.

[sbk]

Where I live they say waynegam. Is that Thai south or another meaning of karma? (sorry no idea of the spelling in Thai).

[Richard W]

Where I live they say waynegam. Is that Thai south or another meaning of karma? (sorry no idea of the spelling in Thai).

เวรกรรม means 'bad karma'. It can also mean 'bad deeds'.

[cali4995]

The Thai word for karma ?

i was just listening to some of palapon's songs on ethaimusic and that phrase, well, "kraow-gum"

is in one of the songs and they have a talking dict example

audio example

maybe that is a slightly different meaning? interesting topic

[taxexile]

เวรกรรม

wayngam

can this be translated as "fate" ?

เคราะห์กรรม

"kraow-gum"

i think is just a longer way of saying กรรม , their may be some nuance implied to the meaning by the embellishment , but i dont know.

the dictionary gives fate,destiny,misfortune,luck and bad luck as the meanings for เคราะห์กรรม

and thanks cali4995 for that song translation site , thats a new one for me.

Edited May 7, 2007 by taxexile

[ZEAK]

Thai saying:

"Tum dee dai dee, Tum chua dai chua"

Make good, good comes back, make bad, bad comes back.

My girlfriend and myself often say this to each other when we have been wronged or ripped off in any manner. It seems to put us to ease at once knowing that it will all be taken care of it. I.E being charged an extra 5 baht at a street vender selling young coconuts just because im "farung", when we knew what the price should have been. Instead of making a fuss, we remind ourselvs of the above.

Best

[Richard W]

"kraow-gum"

i think is just a longer way of saying กรรม , their may be some nuance implied to the meaning by the embellishment , but i dont know.

the dictionary gives fate,destiny,misfortune,luck and bad luck as the meanings for เคราะห์กรรม

กรรม has an implication of just desserts, but เคราะห์ refers to astrological influences, so I think it is distinct from karma.

[taxexile]

นพเคราะห์ is the word for the solar system

[sbk]

"kraow-gum"

i think is just a longer way of saying กรรม , their may be some nuance implied to the meaning by the embellishment , but i dont know.

the dictionary gives fate,destiny,misfortune,luck and bad luck as the meanings for เคราะห์กรรม

กรรม has an implication of just desserts, but เคราะห์ refers to astrological influences, so I think it is distinct from karma.

Thats interesting, perhaps the meaning is different in the south then. As my mother-in-law frequently uses wayngum เวรกรรม in reference to the errant son of her errant son. "Just desserts" fits to what she is talking about better than bad karma or fate.

[katana]

I think colloquially เวรกรรม (sometimes shortened to just GAM) is often used as an exclamation meaning something like Jesus! Dam.n! How Awful! etc

Edited May 8, 2007 by katana

[mangkorn]

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oh yeah, that is appropriate in so many cases: "you reap what you sow."

[sbk]

I think colloquially เวรกรรม (sometimes shortened to just GAM) is often used as an exclamation meaning something like Jesus! Dam.n! How Awful! etc

No, it doesn't come across that way to me. I can give you all the gory details but basically my husband's brother has always been the black sheep; gambling, women, debt that kind of thing. Now, his son is following in his footsteps and my mother-in-law will talk about her grandson's latest antics and then say, wayngum เวรกรรม, and refer to her son. Hence the idea of "just desserts" suiting the conversation

[sabaijai]

I think colloquially เวรกรรม (sometimes shortened to just GAM) is often used as an exclamation meaning something like Jesus! Dam.n! How Awful! etc

No, it doesn't come across that way to me. I can give you all the gory details but basically my husband's brother has always been the black sheep; gambling, women, debt that kind of thing. Now, his son is following in his footsteps and my mother-in-law will talk about her grandson's latest antics and then say, wayngum เวรกรรม, and refer to her son. Hence the idea of "just desserts" suiting the conversation

Sounds like they could be commenting on the bad karma (เวรกรรม) the son is accumulating, too.

[pufferfish]

Also there is the very common expression "som naam naa" used like "Serves you right!" in English. I hear that all the time.

(Sorry no thai script. Word by word I think it means 'appropriate / water / face')

[mangkorn]

Also there is the very common expression "som naam naa" used like "Serves you right!" in English. I hear that all the time.

(Sorry no thai script. Word by word I think it means 'appropriate / water / face')

I used to think the phrase meant "appropriate amount of water in your face," which creates some nice mental imagery, but I believe that is not correct. The word "naam" has another definition, which means: the essence of what is being talked about. That one seems more appropriate in this case. Cheers.

[meadish_sweetball]

This expression has been discussed a number of times. This thread will shed some more light on things:

Som nam naa

[sutnyod]

and my mother-in-law will talk about her grandson's latest antics and then say, wayngum เวรกรรม, and refer to her son. Hence the idea of "just desserts" suiting the conversation

I think she uses the phrase in resignation. It's fate, what can she do about it.

I also have yet to come across a native speaker who used Gam alone. Usually it goes together with Vehn. Pen Vehn, pen gam. And a BIG *sigh* should be added for the effect.

[sabaijai]

and my mother-in-law will talk about her grandson's latest antics and then say, wayngum เวรกรรม, and refer to her son. Hence the idea of "just desserts" suiting the conversation

I think she uses the phrase in resignation. It's fate, what can she do about it.

I also have yet to come across a native speaker who used Gam alone. Usually it goes together with Vehn. Pen Vehn, pen gam. And a BIG *sigh* should be added for the effect.

I've heard native speakers use กรรม alone in a couple situations, ie, monks when talking about Buddhism and Thai laypeople when talking about death, in fact in the latter context กรรม is almost synonymous with death. Otherwise it's always เวรกรรม.

It's best not to use the term กรรม (alone, that is) when talking with Thais as it comes across sounding rather ominous.

[meadish_sweetball]

Agree with Mind-at-Ease.

To paraphrase, the Western notion of good/bad karma is not really reflected in Thai speech, where กรรม is almost always used in negative contexts.

For positive contexts, 'bun' (or 'boon' to make the pronunciation clearer, often translated as 'religious merit') is the word used, i.e. 'mii bun', 'dai bun' etc.

[mangkorn]

It's best not to use the term ???? (alone, that is) when talking with Thais as it comes across sounding rather ominous.

Or it might have sexual connotations, if pronounced wrong...

[katana]

Got the following from a native Thai speaker. Hope I transcribed it correctly:

มันใช้ได้หลายความหมายนะ เป็นอุทานก็ได้ เช่น เวลาเราลืมของสำคัญ หรือของจำเป็นต้องใช้ไว้บ้าน เราก็จะอุทานว่าเวรกรรม ไม่น่าลืมเลย. [it can have many meanings. Its can also be used as an exclamation eg if you forget something important/necessary at home you may exclaim WENGAM! (dam.n!/shit!/jesus! etc). I shouldn't have forgotten that!].

I often see it shortened to just GAM in internet chat rooms. Apparently it can in speech too. Seems to be a popular word amongst teenagers.

But am not a native thai speaker so may well be wrong on this explanation lol.

Edited May 26, 2007 by katana

[sbk]

and my mother-in-law will talk about her grandson's latest antics and then say, wayngum เวรกรรม, and refer to her son. Hence the idea of "just desserts" suiting the conversation

I think she uses the phrase in resignation. It's fate, what can she do about it.

I also have yet to come across a native speaker who used Gam alone. Usually it goes together with Vehn. Pen Vehn, pen gam. And a BIG *sigh* should be added for the effect.

Believe me, the sigh is included