Exclaimations Of Emotions

[khaojao]

what do thais say? for instance, in english we use "tsk" for an exclaimation of dis-satisfaction. sometimes i hear some thais say "ooei" (long drawn). i'm curious to know how many different write-able exclaimations there are.

thx

[aanon]

what do thais say? for instance, in english we use "tsk" for an exclaimation of dis-satisfaction. sometimes i hear some thais say "ooei" (long drawn). i'm curious to know how many different write-able exclaimations there are.

thx

there are many. here are a couple:

คุณพระช่วย!

you might say this when you drop a knive and it's falling towards your foot.

อ้าว!

you might say this when you see someone you didn't expect to see.

ว้าย!

you might say this when someone unexpectedly shows you a gruesome wound.

โอโห!

you might say this when someone impresses you with their cool jeans/backflip/trophy etc.

all the best.

[mangkorn]

what do thais say? for instance, in english we use "tsk" for an exclaimation of dis-satisfaction. sometimes i hear some thais say "ooei" (long drawn). i'm curious to know how many different write-able exclaimations there are.

thx

there are many. here are a couple:

คุณพระช่วย!

you might say this when you drop a knive and it's falling towards your foot.

อ้าว!

you might say this when you see someone you didn't expect to see.

ว้าย!

you might say this when someone unexpectedly shows you a gruesome wound.

โอโห!

you might say this when someone impresses you with their cool jeans/backflip/trophy etc.

all the best.

Good stuff, aanon. I didn't know how to write a couple of those.

It's kinda fun to say อ้าว!ไม่่เอา

A farang colleague claims that TV sportscasters spend half the football match saying โอโห! - and the other half exclaiming แม่!

I don't watch football, but I'd guess that they're actually saying แหม!

[DavidHouston]

To follow up on Aanon's response, in fact, Thais do have a part of speech called คำอุทาน or interjection. The book "หลักภาษาไทย" or "Principles of the Thai Language" by กำชัย ทองหล่อ "Kamchai Thonglaw" contains a list of 26 common interjections on pages 260 and 261. I recommend this book for any serious student of Thai language. Interestingly, of the 26, eight begin with the ฮ or "h" sound and ten begin with a vowel sound. Most you might recognize. I believe the book is available a most large Thai bookstores.Here are some examples:

"พุทโธ่" [póot-tôh] สงสาร, น้อยใจ, เสียใจ – feel compassion for; feel slighted; or to feel regret

"โธ่" [tôh] อนาถใจ, สงสาร – to have pity for; feel compassion for

"วา" [waa] หมดหวัง, อ่อนใจ – to feel helpless, exhausted

"เหม่" โกรธ – to feel anger

"แหม" [măe] แปลก, ประหลาดใจ – to express surprise that something is odd or surprising (My experience is that this expression carries a wide range of tones from rising to falling, and sometimes both at the same time.)

"เอ" แปลกใจ – "how odd!"

"โอ" [ooh] รู้สึกเมื่อนึกอะไรขึ้นมาได้ – an expression when you just thought of something; Eureka!

"ฮึ" [héu] ไม่พอใจ – to express dissatisfaction

"เฮ้อ" [hér] ถอนใจใหญ่ – to express a sigh or taking a deep breath.

My impressions is that these are primarily literary devices to express common Thai expressions in a literary context. On the other hand, you can hear these expressed in their full range in any of the Thai TV soap operas.

Want more?

Edited October 4, 2007 by DavidHouston

[aanon]

To follow up on Aanon's response, in fact, Thais do have a part of speech called คำอุทาน or interjection. The book "หลักภาษาไทย" or "Principles of the Thai Language" by กำชัย ทองหล่อ "Kamchai Thonglaw" contains a list of 26 common interjections on pages 260 and 261. I recommend this book for any serious student of Thai language. Interestingly, of the 26, eight begin with the ฮ or "h" sound and ten begin with a vowel sound. Most you might recognize. I believe the book is available a most large Thai bookstores.Here are some examples:

"พุทโธ่" [póot-tôh] สงสาร, น้อยใจ, เสียใจ – feel compassion for; feel slighted; or to feel regret

"โธ่" [tôh] อนาถใจ, สงสาร – to have pity for; feel compassion for

"วา" [waa] หมดหวัง, อ่อนใจ – to feel helpless, exhausted

"เหม่" โกรธ – to feel anger

"แหม" [măe] แปลก, ประหลาดใจ – to express surprise that something is odd or surprising (My experience is that this expression carries a wide range of tones from rising to falling, and sometimes both at the same time.)

"เอ" แปลกใจ – "how odd!"

"โอ" [ooh] รู้สึกเมื่อนึกอะไรขึ้นมาได้ – an expression when you just thought of something; Eureka!

"ฮึ" [héu] ไม่พอใจ – to express dissatisfaction

"เฮ้อ" [hér] ถอนใจใหญ่ – to express a sigh or taking a deep breath.

My impressions is that these are primarily literary devices to express common Thai expressions in a literary context. On the other hand, you can hear these expressed in their full range in any of the Thai TV soap operas.

Want more?

another one is เฮ้ย, which you might use when a magician astonishes you.

by the way, both the royal institute dictionary and คลังคำ say I should have written โอ้โฮ instead of โอโห. i'm sure i hear it both ways.

all the best.

[khaojao]

OMG this is fantastic...thanks everyone...

i never knew "âÍâË!" was a common exclaimation...when i heard a thai acquaintance say it, i just brushed it off as him trying to sound "english"

which one would we use when we are exasperated? after explaining something 762 times without getting it across to the other party?

[aanon]

OMG this is fantastic...thanks everyone...

i never knew "âÍâË!" was a common exclaimation...when i heard a thai acquaintance say it, i just brushed it off as him trying to sound "english"

which one would we use when we are exasperated? after explaining something 762 times without getting it across to the other party?

เฮ้อ is listed in the royal institute dictionary as just this kind of exclamation. personally i think เฮ่อ is a better approximation of a weary sigh.

all the best.

[sutnyod]

which one would we use when we are exasperated? after explaining something 762 times without getting it across to the other party?

Oi taiiiiiiiii!

Tai nae naeeeeeee!

[khaojao]

-EDITED-

sorry...my post was just THAT slower....tsk tsk

Edited October 4, 2007 by khaojao

[mangkorn]

"แหม" [măe] แปลก, ประหลาดใจ – to express surprise that something is odd or surprising (My experience is that this expression carries a wide range of tones from rising to falling, and sometimes both at the same time.)

That would explain the football announcers. Thanks.