How Would You Say These In Thai?

[Wizzard of Oz]

'You look familiar"

'You look familiar, but I'm not sure from where" (or something more appropriately said in thai)

"I didn't recognise you" (past tense)

"I don't recognise you" (present tense)

Edit: Oh - forgot to mention - can you put it english letters please?

Cheers,

WoZ

Edited November 11, 2007 by Wizzard of Oz

[yoot]

'You look familiar"

- คุณดูคุ้น ๆ นะ koon doo kóon kóon ná

- ผมคุ้นหน้าคุณจัง pŏm kóon nâa koon jang

'You look familiar, but I'm not sure from where" (or something more appropriately said in thai)

- คุณดูคุ้น ๆ นะ แต่ผมจำไม่ได้ว่าจากไหน koon doo kóon ๆ ná dtàe pŏm jam mâi dâai wâa jàak năi

- ผมคุ้นหน้าคุณจัง แต่จำไม่ได้ว่าจากไหน pŏm kóon nâa koon jang dtàe jam mâi dâai wâa jàak năi

"I didn't recognise you" (past tense)

- ผมจำคุณไม่ได้ pŏm jam koon mâi dâai

In case you recognise that person now and tell that person that at that moment you didn't recognise her/him.

- ตอนนั้นผมจำคุณไม่ได้ dton nán pŏm jam koon mâi dâai

"I don't recognise you" (present tense)

- ผมจำคุณไม่ได้ pŏm jam koon mâi dâai

[Wizzard of Oz]

'You look familiar"

- คุณดูคุ้น ๆ นะ koon doo kóon kóon ná

- ผมคุ้นหน้าคุณจัง pŏm kóon nâa koon jang

'You look familiar, but I'm not sure from where" (or something more appropriately said in thai)

- คุณดูคุ้น ๆ นะ แต่ผมจำไม่ได้ว่าจากไหน koon doo kóon ๆ ná dtàe pŏm jam mâi dâai wâa jàak năi

- ผมคุ้นหน้าคุณจัง แต่จำไม่ได้ว่าจากไหน pŏm kóon nâa koon jang dtàe jam mâi dâai wâa jàak năi

"I didn't recognise you" (past tense)

- ผมจำคุณไม่ได้ pŏm jam koon mâi dâai

In case you recognise that person now and tell that person that at that moment you didn't recognise her/him.

- ตอนนั้นผมจำคุณไม่ได้ dton nán pŏm jam koon mâi dâai

"I don't recognise you" (present tense)

- ผมจำคุณไม่ได้ pŏm jam koon mâi dâai

Thanks for the response yoot.

Couple of quick questions:

1. So is familiar 'kóon kóon ná' or 'kóon kóon' and the 'na' extra?

2. Do you know what 'kóon' itself means? (I realise it may have nothing to do with the rest of the question - just curious

3. For the last one (dton nán pŏm jam koon mâi dâai), is 'dton' meaning 'in the beginning' like beginning of the month? And 'nan' meaning 'that'?

Cheers

[mangkorn]

The "na" is a polite particle (very important in speaking or writing Thai)

"koon" means "familiar;" the repetition "koon koon" is a Thai method of reinforcing an idea (like "maak maak," "jing jing," "bawy bawy," etc.)

"dton nan" means "then, back then, at that time..."

[meadish_sweetball]

is 'dton' meaning 'in the beginning' like beginning of the month?

ตอน ([ML]dtawn) means '(period of) time' and can also mean 'section' or 'part' in other expressions.

And 'nan' meaning 'that'?

Yes, pretty much. I think a decent definition is 'definite article used for things that are not immediately present in space or time'.

Cf ตอนนี้ ([ML]dtawn [HL]nii) which can be translated as 'at present'; 'this time'; 'by now' or even 'these days/nowadays' (in contrast to the past).

[Sarathi]

Dton in dton naan is as meadish mentions in the above example (dton naan)

Dton - I without the 'or aan' carries the meaning 'beginning of' as in 'reum dton' (the start of) or Dton deuan - start of the month. It is a shorter word than the fromer mentioned and stressed tone.

[luckyfarang]

If you want to sound natural in conversation, I recommend the following usages:

NAA(f) KUN KUN(h) KUN(h) NA(h) - - - - - You look familiar (your face looks familiar)

JAM NAA(f) KUN MAI(f) DAI(f), JAM NAA(f) MAI(f) DAI(f) - - - - I don't recognize you (I can't remember your face)

This is the way Thais say it and they always use the word "face" when saying you look familiar or they don't recognize you.

[stateman]

Or use as shown in blue:

If you want to sound natural in conversation, I recommend the following usages:

NAA(f) KUN doo KUN(h) KUN(h) - - - - - You look familiar (your face looks familiar)

This is the way Thais say it and they always use the word "face" when saying you look familiar or they don't recognize you.

[luckyfarang]

Or use as shown in blue:

If you want to sound natural in conversation, I recommend the following usages:

NAA(f) KUN doo KUN(h) KUN(h) - - - - - You look familiar (your face looks familiar)

This is the way Thais say it and they always use the word "face" when saying you look familiar or they don't recognize you.

In actual usage, they dropped the 'doo'

[legag]

If you want to sound natural in conversation, I recommend the following usages:

NAA(f) KUN KUN(h) KUN(h) NA(h) - - - - - You look familiar (your face looks familiar)

JAM NAA(f) KUN MAI(f) DAI(f), JAM NAA(f) MAI(f) DAI(f) - - - - I don't recognize you (I can't remember your face)

Never knew Thai pronounciation when writen in karaoke would be this mess up --UN(h) -- NN(F)

The five tones part that you have to work really hard with it to get the accent right, well, close.

[joy2]

'You look familiar"

'You look familiar, but I'm not sure from where" (or something more appropriately said in thai)

"I didn't recognise you" (past tense)

"I don't recognise you" (present tense)

naa(falling) koon(mid) doo(mid) koon(high)

naa(falling) koon(mid) doo(koon) dtae(low) mai(falling) hen(rising) tee(falling)nai(rising)

pom(rising) jam(mid) koon(mid) mai(falling) mai(falling) dai(falling) (past tense or present)

[Recommendation with tel. no. and address removed and forwarded by PM to OP. No unsolicited commercial messages are allowed. Thank you for your understanding. /Meadish]

j...2