What does that mean?

 

The literal translation would seem to be: Are you a child? It almost sounds a bit condescending. But my interaction with the person asking this question was amiable, so I doubt there was any negative intent.

Edited August 20, 20232 yr by BananaBandit

Can't answer or offer an opinion  (or even guess) since the phrase is out of context.

We need pronouns and context to answer that one.

9 hours ago, cnx1204 said:

context.

 

17 minutes ago, Deserted said:

context

She said it after she saw his penis. 

he he

21 hours ago, cnx1204 said:

Can't answer or offer an opinion  (or even guess) since the phrase is out of context.

Fair enough.  Let's see...  I was talking with a middle-aged woman selling sausages and sticky rice at an outdoor market in Isan.  After we chatted a bit about her food items, she started asking how long I had been in her province.  Soon after that came the   เป็นลูกไหม   question.

Edited August 21, 20232 yr by BananaBandit

If you're in the ballpark with what you heard, I'd guess she actually said มีลูกไหม - Do you have any children? 
If she was being insulting or condescending, which seems very unlikely from the context, she would have used เด็ก not ลูก

Tink too mutt.....she was just asking if you had any kids.....

เป็นลูกไหม sounds more like, "Is it a child?", or "Are there children?".  However, ลูก is also a classifier for round fruits, round objects, storms, etc.. Was there anything else in the context of the conversation that she might be referring to? 

Edited August 21, 20232 yr by ColeBOzbourne

12 hours ago, KhaoNiaw said:

If you're in the ballpark with what you heard, I'd guess she actually said มีลูกไหม - Do you have any children? 

It was a distinct  เป็น  not a   มี

 

That's why her question triggered my immediate confusion and subsequent curiosity.

12 hours ago, KhaoNiaw said:

If she was being insulting or condescending, which seems very unlikely from the context, she would have used เด็ก not ลูก

Agreed.

11 hours ago, ColeBOzbourne said:

เป็นลูกไหม sounds more like, "Is it a child?", or "Are there children?".

That strikes me as possible, though it seems strange she would not use the more conventional  มีลูกไหม  phrasing.

Edited August 21, 20232 yr by BananaBandit

11 hours ago, ColeBOzbourne said:

However, ลูก is also a classifier for round fruits, round objects, storms, etc.. Was there anything else in the context of the conversation that she might be referring to?

I wasn't buying (nor do I think she was selling) anything that takes  ลูก  as a classifier.

 

About the only other thing I can think of is that she was perhaps asking me if I was a  ลูกครี่ง  (or maybe the  ลูก   of a   ลูกครี่ง) ?