Hug

[eJai]

Hi, does any one know the nouns for a "Hug, embrace" or equivalents written in Thai? I've found verbs for them only so far.

Thanks.

[withnail]

Verbs are more important in Thai than nouns. Don't think that because the English phrase you're thinking of requires a noun that it is the same in Thai.

An example from the song "kaat kwaam op-oon" from the album Sueayai.

แค่กอดกันก็พอ

kae got gun gor por Lit. Just hug together enough (Hug is a verb)

Just a hug would be enough

Edited June 8, 2007 by withnail

[eJai]

Verbs are more important in Thai than nouns. Don't think that because the English phrase you're thinking of requires a noun that it is the same in Thai.

Thanks withnail, I do realise this is the case due to cultural differences, but more than often the habit is hard to beat when we have been using English for so long, especially in this particular case where I try to translate a letter written by someone else to express a phrase which said "I want to send you a hundred hugs..."

Is there anyway I could express in Thai to that effect? Thanks.

[eJai]

Just a thought, can I add การ as a prefix to กอดรัด to turn it into a noun? การกอดรัด

Would that be acceptable for practical Thai usage?

Thanks.

[withnail]

A simple google search tells me that yes you can add การ as a prefix to กอดรัด or กอด to turn it into a noun, however I'm not sure if this then makes it appropriate for your intended sentence (it might just translate to hugging).

If I had to translate your sentence my best attempt would be ผมอยากจะส่งการกอดรัดร้อยที่ให้คุณ although that's all it would be an attempt and a translation.

My best guess of a more 'Thai friendly' sentence would be: อยากกอดกับเธอ or กอดกันในความฝันนะ but I suggest you get a native speaker look at all of these.

See the other thread running on whether to use เธอ or คุณ

Edited June 8, 2007 by withnail

[eJai]

Thank you so much withnail for your feed backs. Meanwhile I'll do as what you suggested, to sit back and wait to see if there is any response from our native members.

Thanks

By the way, I think เธอ is undoubtedly an excellent choice.

Edited June 8, 2007 by eJai

[yoot]

Grammatically, noun for 'hug' in Thai is 'การกอด'

But for a sentence like "I want to send you a hundred hugs...", I would translate it as "ผมอยากจะส่งกอดไปให้คุณสักร้อยครั้ง"

For choosing to use "เธอ" or "คุณ", it depends on which word you use for yourself. If you use "ผม" you should use "คุณ" and "ฉัน" with "เธอ".

It would sound strange if you say"ผมรักเธอ" directly to your girlfriend. But if you tell others that you love your girlfriend, then it's correct.

[mangkorn]

But for a sentence like "I want to send you a hundred hugs...", I would translate it as "ผมอยากจะส่งกอดไปให้คุณสักร้อยครั้ง"

Khun Yoot: I was just wondering why you use the word สัก in that construction? I know what it means, but can you say that phrase without using สัก? Could you just say "... ร้อยครั้ง"?

[yoot]

But for a sentence like "I want to send you a hundred hugs...", I would translate it as "ผมอยากจะส่งกอดไปให้คุณสักร้อยครั้ง"

Khun Yoot: I was just wondering why you use the word สัก in that construction? I know what it means, but can you say that phrase without using สัก? Could you just say "... ร้อยครั้ง"?

If you just say ผมอยากจะส่งกอดไปให้คุณร้อยครั้ง, it sounds like you want to send her only a hundred hugs not more or less than that. It just sounds blunt to say that, though. No one would count how many hugs you want to give to someone, right?

สัก means approximately, so, when it's used in this construction, it sounds like I want to give you hundreds hugs more than only a hundred hugs. Sometimes we say ผมอยากจะส่งกอดไปให้คุณสักร้อยครั้งพันครั้ง to express the feeling that I really want to hug you.

[eJai]

Thank you khun yoot for your input. ขอบคุณมากครับ

[sabaijai]

Just a note, in 30 years of living here I have never heard a native Thai speaker use any noun form for 'hug'. It sounds very stilted, to my ear.

On the other hand the verb itself has a noun aspect to it, as illustrated in yoot's ส่งกอด example. Adjectives, verbs and nouns aren't as strictly separated as they are in English and most other European languages.