Dental Student In Thai And/or Lao

[martin.agren]

Is this correct นิสิตหมอฟัน? Or maybe the more formal ทะนตแพตย์? And in Lao?

[DavidHouston]

I think you've got it. The study of dentistry is "ทันตแพทยศาสต". See, for example, http://www.rsu.ac.th/dental/index.php?opti...3&Itemid=16

As for a "dental student" this website shows:

นักศึกษาคณะทันตแพทยศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยรังสิต, "a dental student at Rangsit University"

[meadish_sweetball]

Hej Martin.

If you use the word นิสิต meaning 'university student'; 'undergraduate' which Haas lists as 'elegant' in style, I think it'd be better to couple it with a formal or elegant word for 'dentist' too. The mix with everyday หมอฟัน looks a bit strange.

นิสิตทันตแพทย์ is probably better.

If you are going to use it in everyday conversation, you can just say เรียนหมอฟัน.

Not sure what the best option is in Lao.

[Rikker]

I've never had occasion to run into this term specifically, but I know that for a med student the typical term (though somewhat formal) is นักศึกษาแพทย์, so by extension I'd guess นักศึกษาทันตแพทย์, which turns up a decent number of web hits.

As Meadish has suggested, for informal situations, go with เรียนหมอฟัน.

Thai tends to favor verbs over nouns (especially in informal speech), so whereas in English you might say, "I'm a dental student" (the equivalent being the more formal, but perfectly grammatical, ผมเป็นนักศึกษาทันตแพทย์), in informal Thai you can just say ผมเรียนหมอฟัน, or "I'm studying (to be a) dentist."

Edited November 28, 2007 by Rikker

[BambinA]

Generally,in TH,you can call them as นักเรียนทันตแพทย์, (nuk rien tantapat)

นักศึกษาัทันตแพทย์ (nuk suk sa tantapat) is another choice

นิสิต Nisit is used for certain Univ. as Chula.

[BambinA]

นิสิตทันตแพทย์ is probably better.

Nope, it depends on a University(Nisit is limit used for some Univ). Call em as นักเรียนทันตแพทย์, (nuk rien tantapat) or นักศึกษาัทันตแพทย์ (nuk suk sa tantapat) is better.

PS. Nisit and nuksuksa is same same but different.

In past, Nisit meant Univ student who studied in Univ where had dome in the Univ.

Nisit is used for 3 Univ as Chula ,Kasetsart and Srinakarinwirot(and it's branches) Univ.

Edited November 28, 2007 by BambinA

[stateman]

นิสิตทันตแพทย์ is probably better.

Nope, it depends on a University(Nisit is limit used for some Univ). Call em as นักเรียนทันตแพทย์, (nuk rien tantapat) or นักศึกษาัทันตแพทย์ (nuk suk sa tantapat) is better.

PS. Nisit and nuksuksa is same same but different.

In past, Nisit meant Univ student who studied in Univ where had dome in the Univ.

Nisit is used for 3 Univ as Chula ,Kasetsart and Srinakarinwirot(and it's branches) Univ.

นิสิต Nisit and nuksuksa is same same but different. Agree.

I believe Chula was the first to use Nisit, back when it was a U. for the elite's children.

นักศึกษาั is a generic term for the same thing, but for "other" institutions whose students were not designated to use the term นิสิต .

If you are a student at Chula and someone calls you นักศึกษา, you'd feel you are being downgraded and would look a bit cross-eyed at the speaker.

If you call a student นิสิต, when his/her institution is not designated to use นิสิต, someone will feel you are using the wrong term.

I guess it is a little prestige thing.

Best to use it correctly. Always apply the right term to students from each institution.

[meadish_sweetball]

Thank you Bambina and stateman for the correction regarding นิสิต .

I learned the word at university and remember our teacher telling us that นักศึกสา is preferable when speaking of university students, but I cannot remember hearing an explanation as to why. Anyway, since then I have never used it myself.

The reason why I put it in my post now is because Martin specifically asked about it, and because I tried to suss out the meaning from my dictionaries and thai2english.com, both of which lack the type of explanation you gave.

[stateman]

Thank you Bambina and stateman for the correction regarding นิสิต .

.....from my dictionaries and thai2english.com, both of which lack the type of explanation you gave.

You're welcome. Sometimes the difference is rather subtle and doesn't have any logic - except the background info.

Edited November 29, 2007 by stateman

[mangkorn]

Sounds more like "a lot of arrogance thing," rather than "a little prestige thing" - a supercilious, nose-in-the-air kind of thing...

By the way, does Thai use that image of "nose in the air" in any idiom(s)?

[stateman]

Sounds more like "a lot of arrogance thing," rather than "a little prestige thing" - a supercilious, nose-in-the-air kind of thing...

By the way, does Thai use that image of "nose in the air" in any idiom(s)?

I don't know it is pride or arrogance.

The institution did start out as a very special institution. It was initially meant for the elite's children. The institution was founded in remembrance of King Rama 5. The coed uniform was granted to the institution with certain special features. It was a specially designed outfit. The small pin represents King Rama 5. It is well known how Thais revere the king and the privilege of associating with a king.

Decades ago, the current King would go to play music at the U., back when he was younger and in better health.

Certain special other things were granted.

In summary, there have been historic events and "something special" that had happened there that students from that institution perceived. Some of these positive happenings may be best left unmentioned, as it may be a sensitive issue to students from other institutions.

But the point is students there felt the special pride unique to their institution and themselves.

Later on, other U. wanted some of the "privilege" accorded that institution. Some other U.'s did indeed get some of it. But I am not aware of another institution getting all the "specials" accorded C. through the years.

I would probably categorize the privilege as a pride issue. But whether some students took it a step further to become arrogant, I can't say - I am sure it happens though. But in general I still think it is the pride of associating with a very special place. Similar feelings may happen to students from Harvard, Yale, Oxford, Cambridge. I don't think you'd necessarily call those students arrogant if they feel special about their institution. It maybe a sensitive issue that is best 'felt' but not discussed?

Maybe my comment about the student's reaction if someone didn't address them as นิสิต led you to think they are arrogant. If it did, I didn't mean it. Seeing your reaction to my comment, maybe I should have said the student may 'roll their eyes' instead of having 'cross-eyed'.

It maybe a 'tag' thing where proper word usage, นิสิต is what they should be called. This is a specific term with a specific application. To be called with a generic term may just sound funny and out of place. This may happen to students from the other institutions mentioned by 'BambinA' where students there are also called นิสิต as well.

-------------

On your Q,

เชิดหน้า v.

หน้าเชิด n.

are the answer.

[martin.agren]

I think I'll go with นักศึกษาัทันตแพทย์ when being formal and เรียนหมอฟัน colloquial.

Noone who feels skilled enough in Lao to give me a recommendation of how write it in Lao?