"la Gun" What Does It Mean ?

[mads]

"la gun" what does it mean ?

Thanks

[Maestro]

In the context you have given it, ie no context at all, “la Gun” has no meaning.

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Maestro

[OxfordWill]

la-gorn could be "goodbye". ?

la-gun is an informal addon particle.. kinda like na-ka

Edited May 26, 2007 by OxfordWill

[endure]

I suspect it may mean 'goodbye'

[mads]

How about "pai doo TV na talk later la gun"

does that make sense ?

In the context you have given it, ie no context at all, “la Gun” has no meaning.

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Maestro

[mads]

Ok thanks, didnt see the last replies before I posted again. It makes sense. thanks, just trying to learn the language hehe

[OxfordWill]

yea that just means nothing.. she is being friendly. Not quite as sweet as saying 'naja' but not as polite as saying 'naka'

[meadish_sweetball]

"la gun"

The complete phrase in your context is 'gor laeow gan', but in shortened speech it sounds as you have written. It is a particle that indicates a degree of finality, sort of like 'to get this over and done with'.

You can use it in bargaining as well:

60 baat, gor laeow gan = Let's make it 60 baht.

[withnail]

Not that it exactly translates but think of how you'd end a phone conversation in English 'Speak to you later then'.

[thailanguagestudent]

ลาก่อน (laa gaawn) can mean goodbye, from what I have read in my studies.

This does bring up a good question though. I have used ลาก่อน (laa gaawn) to say goodbye and I was told by a thai person that it is a strong "goodbye" and that I am better off saying สวัสดีครับ (sawatdee khrap) instead to mean "goodbye". When I have used ลาก่อน (laa gaawn) to say "goodbye", I soften it and make it polite bye saying ลาก่อนนะครับ (laa gaawn na khrap) and this thai person still said I should not use it, that it sounds harsh. The thai person said it sounds like a final farewell, like something you would say if you are going away for a while. Anyone care to share their opinion on using ลาก่อน (laa gaawn) to say "goodbye"?

[withnail]

The original expression we were talking about was ก็แล้วกัน not ลาก่อน but to answer the latest question I think it appears in dictionaries as a way to differentiate goodbye and hello for Thai students of English. It is used only by the person leaving and is definately more final. Maybe you could translate it to 'I bid you farewell'.

[meadish_sweetball]

ลาก่อน (laa gaawn) can mean goodbye, from what I have read in my studies.

This does bring up a good question though. I have used ลาก่อน (laa gaawn) to say goodbye and I was told by a thai person that it is a strong "goodbye" and that I am better off saying สวัสดีครับ (sawatdee khrap) instead to mean "goodbye". When I have used ลาก่อน (laa gaawn) to say "goodbye", I soften it and make it polite bye saying ลาก่อนนะครับ (laa gaawn na khrap) and this thai person still said I should not use it, that it sounds harsh. The thai person said it sounds like a final farewell, like something you would say if you are going away for a while. Anyone care to share their opinion on using ลาก่อน (laa gaawn) to say "goodbye"?

I agree fully with your Thai referent. For informal chats, you can just say 'pai laeow na", "laeow jer/phob kan na" and for a bit more formal circumstances, with 'waiable' people, finish with a wai and 'sawad dii khrap'.

I never use 'laa kawn' myself.

[CSS]

ลาก่อน (laa gaawn) can mean goodbye, from what I have read in my studies.

This does bring up a good question though. I have used ลาก่อน (laa gaawn) to say goodbye and I was told by a thai person that it is a strong "goodbye" and that I am better off saying สวัสดีครับ (sawatdee khrap) instead to mean "goodbye". When I have used ลาก่อน (laa gaawn) to say "goodbye", I soften it and make it polite bye saying ลาก่อนนะครับ (laa gaawn na khrap) and this thai person still said I should not use it, that it sounds harsh. The thai person said it sounds like a final farewell, like something you would say if you are going away for a while. Anyone care to share their opinion on using ลาก่อน (laa gaawn) to say "goodbye"?

I agree fully with your Thai referent. For informal chats, you can just say 'pai laeow na", "laeow jer/phob kan na" and for a bit more formal circumstances, with 'waiable' people, finish with a wai and 'sawad dii khrap'.

I never use 'laa kawn' myself.

Agreed with what's said before, that is ลาก่อน is used for long term leave taking and only by the person leaving.

Another slightly formal good-bye used primary with superiors or those with whom you want to show respect is ขอตัวหน่อย kŏr dtua nòi

[meadish_sweetball]

Good one CSS - another close variant is '(phom[R]) khaw[R] tua[M] kawn[L] na[H]' - also used when leaving the table for the bathroom.

[mangkorn]

ลาà¸à¹ˆà¸­à¸™ (laa gaawn) can mean goodbye, from what I have read in my studies.

This does bring up a good question though. I have used ลาà¸à¹ˆà¸­à¸™ (laa gaawn) to say goodbye and I was told by a thai person that it is a strong "goodbye" and that I am better off saying สวัสดีครับ (sawatdee khrap) instead to mean "goodbye". When I have used ลาà¸à¹ˆà¸­à¸™ (laa gaawn) to say "goodbye", I soften it and make it polite bye saying ลาà¸à¹ˆà¸­à¸™à¸™à¸°à¸„รับ (laa gaawn na khrap) and this thai person still said I should not use it, that it sounds harsh. The thai person said it sounds like a final farewell, like something you would say if you are going away for a while. Anyone care to share their opinion on using ลาà¸à¹ˆà¸­à¸™ (laa gaawn) to say "goodbye"?

I have never heard a Thai person say "laa gaawn."

Never.

There are many ways to take your leave, but that's not one of them.

This seems a classic case of the danger of seeking for a "direct" translation of a word that you would use in your language, instead of listening to how people actually express themselves in their own language.

Oftentimes, it is best to just sit back, and observe the people around you very closely. Listen carefully to how they say things, and register it.

Cheers.

[Padkapow Guy]

[quote name='mangkorn' date='2007-05-28 02:02:48' post='1327219'

I have never heard a Thai person say "laa gaawn."

Never.

There are many ways to take your leave, but that's not one of them.

My wife has said this many of times, to her family and friends. She usally adds a chok dee with it.

I don't know if it is proper thai or not. I kind of doubt it because she has only had 3 years of schooling in the sticks of Prachin buri.

PKG

[mangkorn]

[quote name='mangkorn' date='2007-05-28 02:02:48' post='1327219'

I have never heard a Thai person say "laa gaawn."

Never.

There are many ways to take your leave, but that's not one of them.

My wife has said this many of times, to her family and friends. She usally adds a chok dee with it.

I don't know if it is proper thai or not. I kind of doubt it because she has only had 3 years of schooling in the sticks of Prachin buri.

PKG

I'm curious: does she say it because she is talking from far away, and thus will not be seeing them anytime soon?

Or could it be that she has become "Americanized" and is back-translating in a fashion, from English? (Some immigrants do that, I've noticed.)

Or, maybe I'm wrong, and some Thai people do say that to each other?

Whatever the case, I don't think it has anything to do with her amount of formal schooling. She is Thai, and without any doubt, she speaks Thai far better than I ever will.

[Padkapow Guy]

[quote name='mangkorn' date='2007-05-28 02:02:48' post='1327219'

I have never heard a Thai person say "laa gaawn."

Never.

There are many ways to take your leave, but that's not one of them.

My wife has said this many of times, to her family and friends. She usally adds a chok dee with it.

I don't know if it is proper thai or not. I kind of doubt it because she has only had 3 years of schooling in the sticks of Prachin buri.

PKG

I'm curious: does she say it because she is talking from far away, and thus will not be seeing them anytime soon?

Or could it be that she has become "Americanized" and is back-translating in a fashion, from English? (Some immigrants do that, I've noticed.)

Or, maybe I'm wrong, and some Thai people do say that to each other?

Whatever the case, I don't think it has anything to do with her amount of formal schooling. She is Thai, and without any doubt, she speaks Thai far better than I ever will.

I think you hit the nail on the head. Now that you mention it it usually is when we are leaving Thailand, and won't be back for a couple of years.

PKG

[ThaiGoon]

"la gun"

The complete phrase in your context is 'gor laeow gan', but in shortened speech it sounds as you have written. It is a particle that indicates a degree of finality, sort of like 'to get this over and done with'.

You can use it in bargaining as well:

60 baat, gor laeow gan = Let's make it 60 baht.

Khun Meadish is spot on imo.

[OxfordWill]

I think many of you are confusing "la gun" with "jer gun".

[CSS]

I think many of you are confusing "la gun" with "jer gun".

The OP wrote of "la gun" but the thread later split as someone thought he might have meant "la gone" ลาก่อน instead. From there we've had two threads running. One discussing ก็แล้วกัน shortened to ละกัน and one discussing ลาก่อน. Generally I think the posters writing on the la gun half have done an excellent job explaining la gun/gaw leow gan ละกัน/ก็แล้วกัน

Which situations do you think confused la gun with jer gun?

[CSS]

I have never heard a Thai person say "laa gaawn."

Never.

There are many ways to take your leave, but that's not one of them.

My wife has said this many of times, to her family and friends. She usally adds a chok dee with it.

I don't know if it is proper thai or not. I kind of doubt it because she has only had 3 years of schooling in the sticks of Prachin buri.

PKG

I believe it is proper Thai and if I understand the context for the word's use I expect she was using it at times when the gap in time or gap in distance traveled between the time she said it and the time she would see the people she was talking to was considerable because she was taking her leave. May I ask what the context surrounding her use of laa gaawn was?

[sniffdog]

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I have never heard a Thai person say "laa gaawn."

Never.

There are many ways to take your leave, but that's not one of them.

===============================================================================

Nonsense. There's even a song of 'XYZ' (a kid pop group from the 80s) which ends with 'la gawn'.

[mangkorn]

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I have never heard a Thai person say "laa gaawn."

Never.

There are many ways to take your leave, but that's not one of them.

===============================================================================

Nonsense. There's even a song of 'XYZ' (a kid pop group from the 80s) which ends with 'la gawn'.

My simple sentence said "I have never heard..."

No doubt the rest of your post is true, although "I" don't listen to 80s kiddie pop groups.

Re: the previous poster, of course it is correct in the context you mention, but "I" have never bid farewell to a Thai who was travelling far away for a long time, and it wasn't even relevant to the discussion at the time. If you read the post from thailanguagestudent, he was specifically addressing the taking of a casual leave, when someone is going home or to work or to wherever, but absolutely not leaving the country, nor bidding a long farewell. I was responding directly to his query of how to say "see ya later" in the casual context.

Edited May 30, 2007 by mangkorn