Thai's misuse of English words

[KhaoNiaw]

1 minute ago, PoodThaiMaiDai said:

I don't think it is out of laziness.

 

I have never been to any Thai Language classes or been taught formal Thai from anyone.

 

I don't think it's laziness. You're using the regular everyday spoken pronunciation, which is probably what you've heard most. The 'correct' standard Thai is what you would from a TV newsreader, for example. Many Thais are capable of using both depending on the situation, formality etc.  If you only use Thai for informal casual communication, it really doesn't make any difference. But if you're ever trying to make a good impression in a more formal situation with better-educated Thais, it might be worth making an effort. 

[Guest Isaanlife]

Why in the world would something like bother you in the least, knowing she is from Thailand and doesn't have the benefit of an entire western English grammar education?

 

Aussies, Brits, Americans, etc all have similar words meaning different things.

 

First thing that comes to my mind when I hear punter, is NFL football, the guy who punts the ball!

[habuspasha]

Some of her English errors are almost too delightful to correct.  I prefer the directness of "next tomorrow" to "the day after tomorrow," for instance.  And I like the sound of "neptune" more than nephew.  "Sister-mom" solves some of the English pronunciation problems with Aunt and the wider Thai use of Auntie and Oncle.

I am more confused by the absence of the verb "to be" as in "we not talking" and the absence of future or past tense: 

"So you did it? Or you are going to do it"

"I do!....Next tomorrow."

 

[Hugh Cow]

On 1/18/2022 at 11:54 PM, PoodThaiMaiDai said:

As an American I am offended.  555

 

I don't even understand 20% of the English and Australians.

 

Maybe that is why we each have our own dictionary..

Oh contraire. The last thing you need to learn English from is an Englishman. There are so many different accents and some are almost unintelligible. Even the English themselves cant understand some of their own countrymen. Geordies and some other Northern accents come to mind just for starters. Thank God HRH can speak the Queen's english.

Americans butcher the language. They substitute "OO" for "U" as in toon for tune  and noos for news etc. There are many more Baysil for basil OrEgano for oregAno. Mos COW for mosco Tomayto for tomato. And thats even before you get through the list of unintelligible acents Y'all.

Australians by contrast have little change in accent over a huge continent and what there is is subtle. We use HM's english for spelling. Of course their are bogons that couldn't string one intelligible sentence together but they exist in All three countries. Then of course one mustn't forget the Kiwis that Aussies love to take the <deleted> out of.  I remember the first Kiwi I met was trying to sell me a car. Different to today where you cant go out of your front door in Oz without tripping over a Kiwi, Even the cane toads are complaining there being outbred.

He was extolling the virtues of a lumatud slup duff on the car he was flogging. Had to ask him where it was fitted to get an idea what TF he was talking about. I finally worked it out when he said it was futed to the bick ixel.

If they're going to migrate to Australia in numbers greater than cane toads you'd think they'd have the decency to learn Australian. In fact the Anglo world would be so much better if all were required to speak Australian. Comparing Australian with other anglo languages is like comparing a symphony orchestra with banging two sticks together. Thank you for your attention. I'll leave you to argue amongst yourselves.

[taotoo]

On 1/18/2022 at 11:28 PM, pomchop said:

It is Thais...not Thai's. 

 

Maybe we need to correct our own bad grammar/spelling and/or learn to speak fluent Thai before we go too far down the path with our Thai friends.  I personally get a kick out of listening to some of the pronunciations and interpretations that Thais use.

Isn't it actually Thais'?

[1FinickyOne]

On 1/18/2022 at 5:52 PM, Paulaew said:

Though my wife is an English teacher, when she encounters a new word she tends to substitute a more familiar one. Currently she is very worried about the "unicorn" virus.

 

Paul Laew

That is why we don't see so many unicorns out and around... my wife does similar [and me too w/some Thai words... ]

[Raindancer]

On 1/19/2022 at 1:25 AM, richard_smith237 said:

Wife’s English is absolutely excellent, there are very few mistakes other than the odd habituals ones such as ‘Book-Bank’ or something similar which has lodged in there somewhere and the occasional grammatical foible. 

 

However, what does cause frustration is the ‘leap’ straight into the deep-end of a conversation I know nothing about. There is no lead, no build up, I don’t know the subject and am completely confused until I ask the right questions... Where, when, who, what, how, why.... 

 

Example....  ‘It's going to be at Cocotte’....

'Excuse me?'

‘Cocotte’

'What’s that?'

‘The restaurant’ 

'What restaurant?'

'Cocotte, its a restaurant. We’ll go there’ 

'Tonight?'

‘No, the birthday party'

‘What birthday party?'

‘Sarah's Birthday'

‘Oh, not tonight?'

‘No, next week'

‘What day next week'

‘Tuesday’...

 

'Ah ok, I get it now... ‘It's Sarah's Birthday next Tuesday and we are all going to Cocotte for her birthday ?'

‘Yes'

’should have led with that !!!’ ????

 

10 mins later...

 

’So, you can come with me or meet me there'

‘Why would I meet you there?, we’ll go together'

‘But I leave to drop him off at 6:30am’

‘6:30am? who?'

‘xxxx' (name of our son).

‘Drop him off where ?'

’School'

‘What about Sarah’s birthday party ?'

‘I’m talking about the school family photos’

‘Oh, that, I’ll meet you there at lunch time'

 

Head starts to hurt !!!!!! ears start to bleed !!!! 

 

 

 

 

 

Brilliant!!!! Sounds like my life too.  But great fun!????????????

Edited January 23, 2022 by Raindancer
Addition

[Golden Triangle]

On 1/19/2022 at 1:25 AM, richard_smith237 said:

Wife’s English is absolutely excellent, there are very few mistakes other than the odd habituals ones such as ‘Book-Bank’ or something similar which has lodged in there somewhere and the occasional grammatical foible. 

 

However, what does cause frustration is the ‘leap’ straight into the deep-end of a conversation I know nothing about. There is no lead, no build up, I don’t know the subject and am completely confused until I ask the right questions... Where, when, who, what, how, why.... 

 

Example....  ‘It's going to be at Cocotte’....

'Excuse me?'

‘Cocotte’

'What’s that?'

‘The restaurant’ 

'What restaurant?'

'Cocotte, its a restaurant. We’ll go there’ 

'Tonight?'

‘No, the birthday party'

‘What birthday party?'

‘Sarah's Birthday'

‘Oh, not tonight?'

‘No, next week'

‘What day next week'

‘Tuesday’...

 

'Ah ok, I get it now... ‘It's Sarah's Birthday next Tuesday and we are all going to Cocotte for her birthday ?'

‘Yes'

’should have led with that !!!’ ????

 

10 mins later...

 

’So, you can come with me or meet me there'

‘Why would I meet you there?, we’ll go together'

‘But I leave to drop him off at 6:30am’

‘6:30am? who?'

‘xxxx' (name of our son).

‘Drop him off where ?'

’School'

‘What about Sarah’s birthday party ?'

‘I’m talking about the school family photos’

‘Oh, that, I’ll meet you there at lunch time'

 

Head starts to hurt !!!!!! ears start to bleed !!!! 

 

 

 

 

 

The first bit, been there & got that T shirt, thank God I'm not the only one ????????????

[mancub]

Friend's wife confused the hell out of everyone when she proclaimed " him hab Ann Summers".

Took a while to deduce that she'd heard the word Alzheimer's somewhere......!

 

[ThaiFelix]

On 1/18/2022 at 11:28 PM, pomchop said:

It is Thais...not Thai's. 

 

Maybe we need to correct our own bad grammar/spelling and/or learn to speak fluent Thai before we go too far down the path with our Thai friends.  I personally get a kick out of listening to some of the pronunciations and interpretations that Thais use.

Agreed,  I was only the other day having a conversation with a mate about how we have both overheard our wifes often dropping the old <deleted> or sh*t as they do their daily chores lol.  It brought home just how much us Aussies swear.

[Lacessit]

English is a language of combined consonants, most Thais have difficulty with it, as theirs is a language of complex vowels.

My favorite example was when we were in the car, and my GF said she wanted to go Wat Ching.

Wat Ching? Where the hell is that? Took about 5 minutes for me to work out she wanted to get back to the house, so she could do the washing.

[PoodThaiMaiDai]

On 1/18/2022 at 5:54 AM, PoodThaiMaiDai said:

As an American I am offended.  555

 

I don't even understand 20% of the English and Australians.

 

Maybe that is why we each have our own dictionary..

This post was tongue in cheek.

 

I really was not offended.

 

It looks like many members do not know that "555" is Thai for LOL