Hi,

A friend of my girlfriend got totally wasted the other night and was screaming the words

"Fak Tong!" (or Faek Tong, or Fek Tong...)

and

"Jon jo long!"

Over and over again. From the way everyone was laughing, it seems like they are vulgar words?

Anyone know what they mean?

Fak Tong ฟักทอง is pumpkin

Perhaps because she is aware of the fact that it sounds similar to a particular English word.

Fak Tong ฟักทอง is pumpkin

Yellow or Golden Coloured Pumpkin to be exact.

There seems to be no word for a Blue Pumpkin, like the Queensland Blue from Australia, as that word would be Fak Faa, that from memory means Blue Sky.

Not a very good troll if you're trolling.

Anyways, the first part of 'fak thawng' (pumpkin) sounds close to English '<deleted>', which every Thai knows the meaning of but has no sense for when it is appropriate (that's why you get kids screaming '<deleted> u farang' and things like that. They would never scream the equivalent in Thai because they actually do understand how bad it sounds.

You need to be a native to hear the nuances in curses. To a beginner it is fun to learn swear words, but foreigners swearing with bad pronunciation in any language but their own is cringeworthy in my opinion.

Yellow or Golden Coloured Pumpkin to be exact.

There seems to be no word for a Blue Pumpkin, like the Queensland Blue from Australia, as that word would be Fak Faa, that from memory means Blue Sky.

Walking around the farm with the in-laws pumpkins are generally referred to as Fak Tong regardless of colour but your explanation is right. What I know as squash in Oz they call Fak ฟัก.

I’d say the OP’s friends were just laughing at how wasted his GF’s friend was rather than laughing at the words.

Not a very good troll if you're trolling.

Anyways, the first part of 'fak thawng' (pumpkin) sounds close to English '<deleted>', which every Thai knows the meaning of but has no sense for when it is appropriate (that's why you get kids screaming '<deleted> u farang' and things like that. They would never scream the equivalent in Thai because they actually do understand how bad it sounds.

You need to be a native to hear the nuances in curses. To a beginner it is fun to learn swear words, but foreigners swearing with bad pronunciation in any language but their own is cringeworthy in my opinion.

Not to mention that foriegners almost NEVER get it right socially either .... they pick up some vulgar language from random 'vulgar' places and then repeat it at the most inappropriate times.

Fak Tong ฟักทอง is pumpkin

Yellow or Golden Coloured Pumpkin to be exact.

There seems to be no word for a Blue Pumpkin, like the Queensland Blue from Australia, as that word would be Fak Faa, that from memory means Blue Sky.

ฟัก means "squash"

Your memory might be confusing ทอง (gold) with ท้อง (middle) - sky is ท้องฟ้า

This thread makes me remind to a story about a Farang (he can speak TH fluently now)

I saw his interview in a TV programme more than 10 years ago.

Todd Thongdee, an American , confessed that when he was in TH as a newby he went to Nakhon Sawan and he saw a corn vendor( grilled or boiled I am not sure) and the seller was a transexual.He pointed his finger to a corn. The seller asked him "Ao kii Fuk" เอากี่ฝัก (How many corncob do you want?)

Todd was mad and wanted to kick the seller because he though that the seller swear at him. Thanks god, there was no fight. He just shouted at the seller " Fxxx you too"

He realized later about what she asked him. He felt guity about his manner.

So, If I have a date with a British boy and I want a lighter for a ciggy, I will not ask him in Thai Then.

Ao Fai shak (เอาไฟแช็ค) - Give me a lighter. (sound likes Awwww...Fire shag)

I may get a hot sex instead hahahhahah

i wanted to make some papaya salad, but i mistakenly bought gourd ( or squash?) anyways, i made it and later found out that it wasn't papaya but was gourd(squash), so what was my new dish called ? ตำ ฟัก (sounds like dumb <deleted>.ck)

Thais and foreigners both responded positively !

So, If I have a date with a British boy and I want a lighter for a ciggy, I will not ask him in Thai Then.

Ao Fai shak (?????????) - Give me a lighter. (sound likes Awwww...Fire shag)

I may get a hot sex instead hahahhahah

Good one, BambinA. But you also might get bad sex, instead. Be careful playing with fire...

Then again, if you ask a non-British boy if he can light your fag, that may confuse things...

Seriously, though, in English there is a big difference between the /ch/ and /sh/ sounds, or there should be. I'm wondering if most Thai people do not make a distinction between them? When I say the Thai word for a lighter I use the same /ch/ sound as I do to say the words "elephant" or "man" (and sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between those two mammals.) Then again, many Isan people, at least, say "poo-shai" and "shang" instead of "poo-chai" and "chang."

Seriously, though, in English there is a big difference between the /ch/ and /sh/ sounds, or there should be. I'm wondering if most Thai people do not make a distinction between them? When I say the Thai word for a lighter I use the same /ch/ sound as I do to say the words "elephant" or "man" (and sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between those two mammals.) Then again, many Isan people, at least, say "poo-shai" and "shang" instead of "poo-chai" and "chang."

As a Th who speaks central TH,I(and others) have only /CH/ sound as Chang(elephant).

As a Th who speaks central TH,I(and others) have only /CH/ sound as Chang(elephant).

In that case, I think you could safely ask for a lighter in Thai language.

Cheers.

For those of you that want to learn Thai swear words look here

http://www.insultmonger.com/index.htm

As you'll see it's good for lots of languages.

For those of you that want to learn Thai swear words look here

http://www.insultmonger.com/index.htm

As you'll see it's good for lots of languages.

Looked at that one..... most are wrong, or at least very bad phoenetically.

Kha-too-eh ........... Ladyboy

The Laos page is no improvement.

I know quite a few insults in Thai and Laos, I would never use them with anyone but wifey (referencing another person) as there are only two possible results, a blank stare or a hospital trip.

Unless you are fluent, it is probably best to not even try.

From a language-learning point of view, it is important to learn these "bad words" correctly, too, even if you never use them- if only to know what is happening when you hear others using them. Unfortunately, language teachers (or their bosses/schools) are often too proper even to teach real colloquial language, much less swear words- especially the stereotypical 30s-40s unmarried woman language teacher type, of whom there seems to be a plethora in almost every Asian country.

"Steven"

Okay,

So what's "Jon Jo Long"

She kept on saying that too...

The transcription is not very specific (does not show vowel sound, length and tone) but if I should venture a guess, she was saying จนจู๋ลง 'until (the) erection vanes off'.

From a language-learning point of view, it is important to learn these "bad words" correctly, too, even if you never use them- if only to know what is happening when you hear others using them.

Last year I was visiting another farang (he isn't here full-time yet, but he was having a house built) I was talking to him, his wife and family were talking to mine, obviously I was getting 100% of the English and around 10% of the Laos..... the building contractor turned up as requested by his wife as she had some issues with the work being carried out, I understood every word.

As I said, I don't use the insults except in private with my wife, but it is quite handy knowing them

Please stay on topic and refrain from bickering and nonsense posts.

This is a public warning.

well fak tong - could also mean Chop up stomach with fak mean to chop repeatedly and tong meaning stomach.

Surely to mean Pumpkin she would be saying maak fak or maak er . .

Well it would be if your in Lao (or Issan) anyway dunno about Thai.

I find it very confusing the way every Thai I know use the term "alai wa" ("say wot!?!") anytime and everywhere without raising an eyebrow but if a farang says it it's the end of the world Of course I have asked and try to understand the difference but so far none have been forthcoming.

Foreigners are held to a different standard. If you're lucky you'll be allowed to swear only when you have been a good boy and mastered polite phrasing.

I find it very confusing the way every Thai I know use the term "alai wa" ("say wot!?!") anytime and everywhere without raising an eyebrow but if a farang says it it's the end of the world Of course I have asked and try to understand the difference but so far none have been forthcoming.

Phil

Arai wah is very impolite if the person you say it to is a stranger, I use that term with the wife, my wife uses it with the villagers all the time (she was born here), I use it occasionally with them if were are sharing beer (but I have to have known them for a long time)

Arai nah, is acceptable everywhere with anybody.

//edit/clarity

well fak tong - could also mean Chop up stomach with fak mean to chop repeatedly and tong meaning stomach.

Surely to mean Pumpkin she would be saying maak fak or maak er . .

Well it would be if your in Lao (or Issan) anyway dunno about Thai.

The "tong" meaning stomach is high-tone, but the word for gold(en) is mid-tone.

Then again, many Isan people, at least, say "poo-shai" and "shang" instead of "poo-chai" and "chang."

In my area (or my ears ??) it sounds more like "poo-sai" and "sang".

I wonder how much regional variation there is.....

Cheers,

Mike

Then again, many Isan people, at least, say "poo-shai" and "shang" instead of "poo-chai" and "chang."

In my area (or my ears ??) it sounds more like "poo-sai" and "sang".

I wonder how much regional variation there is.....

Cheers,

Mike

Well, you're in Ubon, so there you go. That is the Lao/Isan pronunciation of what is a /ch/ sound in Middle Thai. I've always wondered how people in your area distinguish between the words for "to believe" and "shirt," which sound the same to me in Lao/Isan.

Then again, many Isan people, at least, say "poo-shai" and "shang" instead of "poo-chai" and "chang."

In my area (or my ears ??) it sounds more like "poo-sai" and "sang".

I wonder how much regional variation there is.....

Cheers,

Mike

Well, you're in Ubon, so there you go. That is the Lao/Isan pronunciation of what is a /ch/ sound in Middle Thai. I've always wondered how people in your area distinguish between the words for "to believe" and "shirt," which sound the same to me in Lao/Isan.

In Central Thai shirt and believe have the same tone and typically falling tone words become low tone words in Essan and you're right that ช becomes ซ, which would make the words the same. However, in this case เชื่อ becomes เซือ (mid tone). เสื้อ does follow the normal trend and becomes เสื่อ. So to believe is mid-tone and shirt is low tone in Lao/Essan.

In Central Thai shirt and believe have the same tone and typically falling tone words become low tone words in Essan and you're right that ช becomes ซ, which would make the words the same. However, in this case เชื่อ becomes เซือ (mid tone). เสื้อ does follow the normal trend and becomes เสื่อ. So to believe is mid-tone and shirt is low tone in Lao/Essan.

That is fascinating. I don't know very much about Lao/Essan, just words I pick up - are you saying that it has no (or few) falling-tone syllables?