Going For A Haircut

[taxexile]

i seem to have great difficulty making myself understood when going for a haircut , and end up with terrible haircuts.

and being intolerably vain and blessed with a full head of hair i do value a good haircut.

so could somebody please post relevant colloquial phrases to use when going for a haircut.

e.g.

not too short

leave it long but just tidy it up a bit

dont touch the sideburns

i dont want it to look too styled

just a trim

not closely cropped at the back.

.......................................... any any other haircut related words or phrases that anybody can come up with.

thanks.

[Nongwahyay]

i seem to have great difficulty making myself understood when going for a haircut , and end up with terrible haircuts.

and being intolerably vain and blessed with a full head of hair i do value a good haircut.

so could somebody please post relevant colloquial phrases to use when going for a haircut.

e.g.

not too short

leave it long but just tidy it up a bit

dont touch the sideburns

i dont want it to look too styled

just a trim

not closely cropped at the back.

.......................................... any any other haircut related words or phrases that anybody can come up with.

thanks.

Why not just take along photos of other equally vain people´s haircuts????

[Pink Mist]

take a thai speaker with you

[taxexile]

thanks for those suggestions , but although taking photos with or going with a thai speaker might work in the short term , that is the easy way out and certainly wont improve my language skills , i can make myself understood in most situations i encounter in ( not always good or correct ) thai , but at the hairdressers i fail miserably.

hence my question on this forum.

[meadish_sweetball]

I'll give it a go to set the ball rolling, please do not take it as gospel though. This is just what I would try myself, and I am sure there are more idiomatic ways of saying it:

not too short

[F]mai [F]tawng [L]dtad [F]san [M]gkoen [M]bpai [H]na (khrap)

no need (to) cut short too much (softener, polite particle)

leave it long but just tidy it up a bit

[R]phom [F]tawng[M]kaan [M]song [M]doem [L]dtae [F]san [L]gwaa

I need style before but short er

dont touch the sideburns

[M]khrao [F]thii [F]gkaem [F]mai [F]tawng [L]dtat [H]na (khrap)

sideburns no need (to) cut (softener, polite particle)

i dont want it to look too styled

[F]mai [F]dtawng [L]dtat [F]hai [M]duu [F]riab [H]rawy [M]gkoen [M]bpai [H]na, [R]phom [F]chawp [L]baep [M]thamma[F]chaat

no need (to) cut (effect introductor) look neat too much (softener) I like style nature

just a trim

[F]chuay [M]lem [L]yaang [M]diao [H]na, [F]mai [F]dtawng [L]dtat [H]yoe

please trim only (softener), no need (to) cut a lot

not closely cropped at the back.

[F]daan [R]lang [F]mai [F]dtawng [F]san [F]maak [H]na

side back no need short very (softener)

If you have problems deciphering my transcription, please ask.

[taxexile]

thanks meadish .

[painai2]

Could Meadish say the same thing using thai script? It's too difficult using the transcription.

[meadish_sweetball]

painai - not for at least another week on this system, sorry.

I had to remove Asian language support due to my current work assignment, which uses a program that will not support Scandinavian and Asian languages at the same time.

If somebody else has the time to write it out in Thai that would be great.

If you can read Thai and are familiar with the sound system, the transcription should not be too hard for you to decipher with the help of the literal Thaiglish translation and these pointers:

The letters within brackets represent tone: H high, L low, M mid, F falling, R rising.

gk = unaspirated /k/ (gkaw gkai, chicken)

bp = unaspirated /p/ (bpaw bplaa, fish)

aw = aw aang as a vowel

oe = similar to German surname Schoenberg

ae = as in Maersk, the shipping company

If you could list the words you don't get, I'll try to guide you through.

[taxexile]

heres the first one

[F]mai [F]tawng [L]dtad [F]san [M]gkoen [M]bpai [H]na (khrap)

no need (to) cut short too much (softener, polite particle)

ไม่ต้องตัดสั้นเกินไปนะ

[taxexile]

leave it long but just tidy it up a bit

[R]phom [F]tawng[M]kaan [L]song [M]doem [L]dtae [F]san [L]gwaa

I need style before but short er

ผมต้องการทรงเดิมแต่สั้นกว่า

Edited September 10, 2007 by taxexile

[CSS]

I'll give it a go to set the ball rolling, please do not take it as gospel though. This is just what I would try myself, and I am sure there are more idiomatic ways of saying it:

not too short

[F]mai [F]tawng [L]dtad [F]san [M]gkoen [M]bpai [H]na (khrap)

no need (to) cut short too much (softener, polite particle)

ไม่ต้องตัดสั้นเกินไปนะ

leave it long but just tidy it up a bit

[R]phom [F]tawng[M]kaan [L]song [M]doem [L]dtae [F]san [L]gwaa

I need style before but short er

ผมต้องการทรงเดิมแต่สั้นกว่า

dont touch the sideburns

[M]khrao [F]thii [F]gkaem [F]mai [F]tawng [L]dtat [H]na (khrap)

sideburns no need (to) cut (softener, polite particle)

เคราที่แก้มไม่ต้องตัดนะ

i dont want it to look too styled

[F]mai [F]dtawng [L]dtat [F]hai [M]duu [F]riab [H]rawy [M]gkoen [M]bpai [H]na, [R]phom [F]chawp [L]baep [M]thamma[F]chaat

no need (to) cut (effect introductor) look neat too much (softener) I like style nature

ไม่ต้องตัดให้ดูเรียบร้อยเกินไปนะ ผมชอบแบบธรรมชาติ

just a trim

[F]chuay [M]lem [L]yaang [M]diao [H]na, [F]mai [F]dtawng [L]dtat [H]yoe

please trim only (softener), no need (to) cut a lot

not closely cropped at the back.

[F]daan [R]lang [F]mai [F]dtawng [F]san [F]maak [H]na

side back no need short very (softener)

ด้านหลังไม่ต้องสั้นมากนะ

If you have problems deciphering my transcription, please ask.

[meadish_sweetball]

Excellent taxexile and CSS - I see you corrected my tone mistake on 'song' /style/ too.

The word lem (to trim) is spelt sara ee, law ling, mai thai khuu, maw maa.

[CSS]

Excellent taxexile and CSS - I see you corrected my tone mistake on 'song' /style/ too.

The word lem (to trim) is spelt sara ee, law ling, mai thai khuu, maw maa.

Thanks, lem was one of the two words holding me up on that sentence. The other was [H]yoe (ย้อย). Lexitron translates it as "hang down loosely, suspend, droop; drop, trickle down, suspend. Can it take on the meaning of the sentence below too? Or have I transcribed it incorrectly and written the wrong Thai word?

just a trim

[F]chuay [M]lem [L]yaang [M]diao [H]na, [F]mai [F]dtawng [L]dtat [H]yoe

please trim only (softener), no need (to) cut a lot

ช้วยเล็มอย่างเดียวนะ ไม่ต้องตัด(ย้อย?)

Edited September 10, 2007 by CSS

[taxexile]

i thought it was เยอะ , meaning " a lot"

[CSS]

i thought it was เยอะ , meaning " a lot"

ahhh, that makes much more sense.

[meadish_sweetball]

Yep, that's it. I used 'oe' for เออะ and เออ to avoid the 'r' confusion you can get with 'er'...

[Mighty Mouse]

Don't cut too short.

Yah dtut san mahk.

That's all I say, but I still get sheared.

[Neeranam]

ซอยบาง (ความยาวเท่าเดิม) soi-bang-kwam-yao-tao-derm Thin it but leave it long

สไลด์ด้านหลัง slice-dan-lang tapered at the back

I say this, if you want to look like me!

Edited September 10, 2007 by Neeranam

[pattyboy]

My barber seems to understand "mai sun gun bpai" to mean "not too short".

Edited September 10, 2007 by pattyboy

[Joseph87]

a simple idea of mine is just to print out the phrases in thai, then when you dont want her/he to do something or want her/he to do something, point at the phrase on a piece of paper.

But yeah, the topic starter want to know how to speak so that's another story.

I guess, get your thai friend to say it, and the repeat after him. memorise it.

Edited September 10, 2007 by Joseph87

[DavidHouston]

I had never seen the word เล็ม before this post even in my 60-baht per haircut place (with air conditioning, by the way). So, I decided to see what I could find. My wife said that yes, it was possible to use the word เล็ม in connection with cutting the hair but it was not part of her active vocabulary.

The RID does make reference to hair and more:

"เล็ม ก. เย็บริมชายผ้า เช่น เล็มผ้า; ตัดแต่ริมหรือปลายทีละน้อย เช่น เล็มผม, เลือกเก็บหรือเด็ดทีละน้อย เช่น เล็มยอดกระถิน, เลือก เก็บแต่ผลที่เห็นว่าสุกหรือใช้ได้ เช่น เล็มมะม่วง, กัดกินทีละน้อย เช่น เด็กเล็มขนม แกะเล็มหญ้า, และเล็ม ก็ว่า."

" 'Lem' (verb) to sew around the edge or border of a piece of cloth; to cut only around the edges or the ends a little bit at a time, for example, to trim hair; to pick at or pluck a little bit at a time, for example, to pick the upper leaves of a popinac tree; to harvest ripened fruit or fruit that is ready to eat, for example, to carefully pick ripe mangos; to nibble a little bit at a time, for example, a child nibbles around a cookie; the term is also used for sheep nibbling at grass."

A wonderful book for any student of Thai is "คำคล้องจอง" ("Words in Harmony") subtitled, "เสน่ห์ของภาษาไทย" ("The Charm of the Thai Language"), a 210 baht paperback. Here the word "เล็ม" is shown in the combination, "เล็มล่า" (lem[M]-laa[F]) as:

"ก. (กลอน) แสวงหาหญ้าได้ที่ละน้อย"

"verb. (poetic) to forage and graze for grass a little clump at a time"

Lexitron has "แทะเล็ม [táe-lem] [V] nibble; gnaw ; bite; nip; peck; munch." Finally, the Domnern-Sathienpong dictionary has the term "และเล็ม", as "to nibble, to browse, to flirt (with)." This last meaning my wife was familiar with.

Have any of you heard these or other usages? Thanks, folks, for bringing up this word.

[percy2]

Going For A Haircut, some useful phrases please

Mai Pan Rai.

Cheers

[Johpa]

If you guys just go in and ask for a number 1, 2, 3 , or 4 buzz cut, all this miscommunication will disappear and life will become much simpler.

[Spacer]

"A wonderful book for any student of Thai is "คำคล้องจอง" ("Words in Harmony") subtitled, "เสน่ห์ของภาษาไทย" ("The Charm of the Thai Language"), a 210 baht paperback. "

Is this book sold in local book stores? Where can I find a copy?

[DavidHouston]

"A wonderful book for any student of Thai is "คำคล้องจอง" ("Words in Harmony") subtitled, "เสน่ห์ของภาษาไทย" ("The Charm of the Thai Language"), a 210 baht paperback. "

Is this book sold in local book stores? Where can I find a copy?

The publisher is Suksapan Panit. The addresses of the stores are at http://www.suksapan.or.th/web/detail/ssp/sub_menu2.htm.

I found the book at my local bookstore in Phuket so I imagine that it is available at Thai bookstores all around the country. The publication date is 2546.

The publication information also says that the book is printed and distributed by องค์การค้าของคุรุสภา so I would expect that you can find the book at the big store at the Democracy Monument circle. Good luck.

[legag]

The story of someone getting a haircut.

Women's version:

Woman2: Oh! You got a haircut! That's so cute!

Woman1: Do you think so? I wasn't sure when she gave me the mirror. I mean, you don't think it's too fluffy looking?

Woman2: Oh God no! No, it's perfect. I'd love to get my hair cut like that, but I think my face is too wide. I'm pretty much stuck with this stuff I think.

Woman1: Are you serious? I think your face is adorable. And you could easily get one of those layer cuts - that would look so cute I think. I was actually going to do that except that I was afraid it would accent my long neck.

Woman2: Oh - that's funny! I would love to have your neck! Anything to take attention away from this two-by-four I have for a shoulder line.

Woman1: Are you kidding? I know girls that would love to have your shoulders. Everything drapes so well on you. I mean, look at my arms - see how short they are? If I had your shoulders I could get clothes to fit me so much easier.

Men's version:

Man2: Haircut?

Man1: Yeah.

[foolforlove]

i had similar questions about cutting hair a few months ago. my thai teacher taught me "lem"(เล็ม).

i usually say something like "lem nitnoi".

and in the two places i get haircuts, this works well and they understand.

I had never seen the word เล็ม before this post even in my 60-baht per haircut place (with air conditioning, by the way). So, I decided to see what I could find. My wife said that yes, it was possible to use the word เล็ม in connection with cutting the hair but it was not part of her active vocabulary.

The RID does make reference to hair and more:

"เล็ม ก. เย็บริมชายผ้า เช่น เล็มผ้า; ตัดแต่ริมหรือปลายทีละน้อย เช่น เล็มผม, เลือกเก็บหรือเด็ดทีละน้อย เช่น เล็มยอดกระถิน, เลือก เก็บแต่ผลที่เห็นว่าสุกหรือใช้ได้ เช่น เล็มมะม่วง, กัดกินทีละน้อย เช่น เด็กเล็มขนม แกะเล็มหญ้า, และเล็ม ก็ว่า."

" 'Lem' (verb) to sew around the edge or border of a piece of cloth; to cut only around the edges or the ends a little bit at a time, for example, to trim hair; to pick at or pluck a little bit at a time, for example, to pick the upper leaves of a popinac tree; to harvest ripened fruit or fruit that is ready to eat, for example, to carefully pick ripe mangos; to nibble a little bit at a time, for example, a child nibbles around a cookie; the term is also used for sheep nibbling at grass."

A wonderful book for any student of Thai is "คำคล้องจอง" ("Words in Harmony") subtitled, "เสน่ห์ของภาษาไทย" ("The Charm of the Thai Language"), a 210 baht paperback. Here the word "เล็ม" is shown in the combination, "เล็มล่า" (lem[M]-laa[F]) as:

"ก. (กลอน) แสวงหาหญ้าได้ที่ละน้อย"

"verb. (poetic) to forage and graze for grass a little clump at a time"

Lexitron has "แทะเล็ม [táe-lem] [V] nibble; gnaw ; bite; nip; peck; munch." Finally, the Domnern-Sathienpong dictionary has the term "และเล็ม", as "to nibble, to browse, to flirt (with)." This last meaning my wife was familiar with.

Have any of you heard these or other usages? Thanks, folks, for bringing up this word.

[Trevor]

I thought 'Soi phom' meant 'to trim hair' ? Sorry, don't know spelling.

Unless you really go upmarket and pay Western prices in Bangkok, regular Thai barbers are totally clueless about layering hair on top. But they will gladly spend 20 minutes repeatedly going round the ears until it looks like your grandad's short-back-and-sides (or Heinrich Himmler if he's REALLY keen!). Best haircuts I had were a Scottish fellow at Shinawat salon on Sukh 23, and in the basement of Central Chitlom -- even there they have (male) stylists with differing, and expensive, prices.

[DavidHouston]

I thought 'Soi phom' meant 'to trim hair' ? Sorry, don't know spelling.

Unless you really go upmarket and pay Western prices in Bangkok, regular Thai barbers are totally clueless about layering hair on top. But they will gladly spend 20 minutes repeatedly going round the ears until it looks like your grandad's short-back-and-sides (or Heinrich Himmler if he's REALLY keen!). Best haircuts I had were a Scottish fellow at Shinawat salon on Sukh 23, and in the basement of Central Chitlom -- even there they have (male) stylists with differing, and expensive, prices.

From Lexitron:

ซอยผม [soi pŏm] [V] cut the hair; thin the hair; snip the hair

Def. ตัดแต่งผมให้มีรูปทรงต่างๆ.

"To cut or arrange hair in different styles."

Sample:ยุ่งๆ มาหลายวัน เพิ่งจะมีโอกาสไปร้านทำผมให้ช่างเขาซอยผมให้วันนี้เอง

"I have been so busy for these last couple of days; only today have I found the time to go to the beauty shop to have the stylist do my hair."

And, yes, the word ซอย is the same word meaning "street or lane" and meaning, "to chop, dice, or mince" for example vegetables. One can only wonder . . .

[taxexile]

a new ซอย will cut up (chop) a piece of land into 2 pieces. ?????