นึก และ คิด (to Think)

[pufferfish]

Hi,

นึก and คิด, meaning 'to think'

Are these words exactly the same or do they have slightly different meanings or uses?

คิด seems to be more common, is that the only difference?

[soundman]

Hi,

นึก and คิด, meaning 'to think'

Are these words exactly the same or do they have slightly different meanings or uses?

คิด seems to be more common, is that the only difference?

Allthough the two words appear to have the same meaning - it has been explanied to me as such:

คิด - to think about something.

นึก - to recall something from the past.

Hope this is some help,

Soundman.

[pufferfish]

Thank you Soundman.

Is there a word in Thai that can be used like 'to wonder' in English?

For example:

I wonder if it will rain.

(as opposed to "I think it will rain")

or:

I wonder what it means.

[soundman]

Thank you Soundman.

Is there a word in Thai that can be used like 'to wonder' in English?

For example:

I wonder if it will rain.

(as opposed to "I think it will rain")

or:

I wonder what it means.

I may be corrected by other members here but I don't think this a litteral translation for the word wonder.

The closest I can come up with is คาดว่า - kaht wah - to guess

Eg ผมคาดว่าฝนจะตก - pom kaht wah fon ja dtok - I guess its going to rain.

Cheers,

Soundman.

[meadish_sweetball]

Soundman is right, there is no exact equivalent to the verb 'to wonder' but there are other alternatives expressing more or less the same thing. Here's a few phrases about rain:

สงสัยว่า ฝนจะตกหรือเปล่า = I wonder if it is going to rain or not.

สงสัย ฝนจะตกแล้ว = I suspect it's going to rain (shortly)

ท่าทางเหมือน ฝนจะตก / ดูเหมือนฝนจะตก = It looks as if it's going to rain

ไม่แน่ใจว่า ฝนจะตกหรือเปล่า = I wonder if (i.e. I am not sure if) it's going to rain or not.

[p_brownstone]

Hi,

นึก and คิด, meaning 'to think'

Are these words exactly the same or do they have slightly different meanings or uses?

คิด seems to be more common, is that the only difference?

Allthough the two words appear to have the same meaning - it has been explanied to me as such:

คิด - to think about something.

นึก - to recall something from the past.

Hope this is some help,

Soundman.

(Sorry – can’t type Thai on this Computer)

The word “neuk” by itself does not really translate to “recall” - as in a past incident.

It is used in the sense of “feeling” , harbouring a doubt or fear, “I felt that might / would happen”.

As an example, you’re playing a short Golf shot to the Green with a bunker in between; the ball lands short and goes into the sand - you could say “neuk laew” .

“neuk ork” specifically means to recollect or recall.

Patrick

[pufferfish]

Thank you all, there are two or three points of interest here for me!

Firstly my experience of the word นึก does seem to imply 'to think' with some emotional conotation, although I can't imagine myself using it easily yet.

คาด - to expect, guess, estimate is a new one for me, thanks soundman.

But what is really getting my head in a twist at the moment is the meaning and use of สงใส mentioned in Meadish's post.

Various dictionaries I've looked at seem to define it both as 'to suspect' and also 'to doubt'. The reason I'm confused is because these two verbs can have opposite meanings.

e.g. 'I doubt it will rain' ---- I don't think it will rain.

'I suspect it will rain' ---- I think it will rain.

Yet as an adjective 'suspect' can be like 'suspicious' and therefore quite alike to 'doubtful'.

I've heard thai speakers say phrases using it more like 'suspect'

e.g. song sai ja bpen wat iik leeo (I suspect I'm getting a cold again)

Which makes me wonder why the dictionaries come up with 'to doubt'

Can anyone help my 'wondering' ??

Apologies for no thai script and also if สงใส has been covered previously in this context.

[meadish_sweetball]

Your dictionaries are right, but as you see in English, the terms 'doubt' and 'suspect' are quite close in meaning, sometimes overlapping, sometimes not.

The important distinction in สงสัย is the one of not being sure - and both 'to suspect' and 'to doubt' have this element. 'Wonder' can also overlap there.

The usage of สงสัย in some cases overlaps with one connotation of 'doubt' and sometimes with one of 'suspect', etc.

My translations above are just approximations to show usage, not by any means absolutes - also remember English is not my mother tongue, so sometimes my English approximations will be incorrect.

Further, I spelt the word incorrectly. It should be spelt สงสัย and nothing else.

[pufferfish]

Thank you Meadish, I absolutely agree that the key similarity between 'to doubt' and 'to suspect' is that both imply that the truth is uncertain.

But let's imagine a scenario where someone is critically ill is being examined by the doctor who then says:

สงสัยเค้าจะตาย

song sai khao ja dtaai.

Is that good news: I doubt he will die

or bad news: I suspect he will die.

Or is it the case that the degree of 'uncertainty' that สงสัย implies is variable according to context and therefore could be translated as 'to doubt' or 'to suspect' depending on the circumstances (in which case the doctor's statement as it stands would give little information beyond that the outcome is still not yet clear)

It's still a conundrum for me!

[meadish_sweetball]

สงสัยเค้าจะตาย

song sai khao ja dtaai.

Is that good news: I doubt he will die

or bad news: I suspect he will die.

I would definitely say it corresponds to 'I suspect he will die' in that construction, although with the slight modification that I think in polite British English 'I suspect he will die.' actually indicates a high degree of certainty, and the certainty level in Thai สงสัยเค้าจะตาย is not quite as high, i.e. it is a real suspicion with more uncertainty, not an understated strong likelihood as it might be in polite British English.

Does that make sense to you native speakers?

[withnail]

Suspect = believe something to be probable or possible.

I wouldn't be so specific with the definition of this word meadish, I'd take meaning from the tone of the person saying it as much as anything. "I suspect ________, but I'm not sure"

A pretty good description of สงสัย though I'd say. It's probably not common though amongst young people who would more likely say I reckon (UK) or I figure (US). You could change the meaning of both of these by adding the word 'might'.

Edited June 3, 2007 by withnail

[stonybonytony]

Just to clarify, <“neuk ork” specifically means to recollect or recall.> is this spelt นึก ออก ?

[meadish_sweetball]

Yes.

[soundman]

Does that make sense to you native speakers?

Your written English, meadish, appears to be of better quality than most of us native speakers.

You may have a little trouble with pub speak in a group of Aussies who have had ten beers each discussing AFL football though...

Cheers,

Soundman.

[meadish_sweetball]

Throw sports into the equation (apart from skateboarding) and you'll lose me regardless what language we're talking.

As for Aussie idioms and slang, well, I think I can hold my own fairly well although I'm far from an expert - I've had a few schooners with Aussies over the years.