How To Say 'thank Goodness'

[Wizzard of Oz]

For example ... someone you can't stand just left and someone asks about them.

You want to say 'They're gone - thank god!'

Or if you just finished all your stressful university exams, you can say "thank god, it's over"

Note: This is _NOT_ about god. Please do _NOT_ make it into a discussion about god. If you want to do that, please make another thread!

Someone said this works:

"Khao bpai laew lôhng jai (โล่งใจ)" [lôhng jai / โล่งใจ = relieved ]

But I'm not sure this is what I'm going for. 'Thank god' in the context I am going for is a 'relief', but you aren't actually saying the word 'relief', directly. Or maybe it is....

Anyway ... any ideas?

[meadish_sweetball]

I would use ค่อยยังชั่ว khâwy yang chûa

Which can be translated as 'that's better'. This is also a common reply when you are/have been sick and somebody asks how you are doing, in which case it means 'better'.

It's been discussed in an earlier thread where we tried to figure out how the words that make up the expression are supposed to be interpreted.

Thais do not thank Buddha or any other deities in idioms that would fit your contexts, as far as I know.

[Wanida]

I would say, Pai sa dai koh dee ...long -oak ไปซะได้ก็ดี โล่งอก

sorb set sa tee ...long oak สอบเสร็จซะที โล่งอก..

[Wizzard of Oz]

I would use ค่อยยังชั่ว khâwy yang chûa

Which can be translated as 'that's better'. This is also a common reply when you are/have been sick and somebody asks how you are doing, in which case it means 'better'.

It's been discussed in an earlier thread where we tried to figure out how the words that make up the expression are supposed to be interpreted.

Cheers for the response. Will check this out further.

Thai's do not thank Buddha or any other deities in idioms that would fit your contexts, as far as I know.

As stated as clearly and strongly as I could (without being offensive) in my original post, I specifically have NO interest in the deity (god) aspect whatsoever. It just so happens that english speakers use the word 'god' in there. I am looking for an equivalent way to convey feelings as in those situations.

I would say, Pai sa dai koh dee ...long -oak ไปซะได้ก็ดี โล่งอก

sorb set sa tee ...long oak สอบเสร็จซะที โล่งอก..

Yeah, I guess this is the same word as I was told initially. Cheers.

[meadish_sweetball]

This discussion isn't really suited for the language forum. Please take it up by PM.

[Wizzard of Oz]

Yeah, fair enough. My apologies. Thanks for cleaning it up.

[yoot]

I second Khun Meadish, ค่อยยังชั่ว is the phrase I would use.

'They're gone - thank god!' - พวกเขาไปกันแล้ว ค่อยยังชั่วหน่อย

"thank god, it's over" - ค่อยยังชั่วหน่อย สอบเสร็จซะที

[Wizzard of Oz]

I was told that ค่อยยังชั่ว is a not so intense feeling like 'thank god!'

And that this may be a way it is said in thai 'meuan[r] yok[h] phuu-khaw[r] aawk[l] jaak[l] ok[l]'

Literal translation something like "like lift mountain out from chest"

Anyone know of this saying?

Edited January 10, 2008 by Wizzard of Oz

[siamesekitty]

Yes, yok[h] phuu-khaw[r] aawk[l] jaak[l] ok[l] (ยกภูเขาออกจากอก) would do.

[mangkorn]

I suppose that's akin to "feel a great weight lifted from one's shoulders..."

[Wizzard of Oz]

Actually yea that is true.

In that case, I am back to square one if ค่อยยังชั่ว is also fairly mild :~|

[meadish_sweetball]

I was told that ค่อยยังชั่ว is a not so intense feeling like 'thank god!'

And that this may be a way it is said in thai 'meuan[r] yok[h] phuu-khaw[r] aawk[l] jaak[l] ok[l]'

Literal translation something like "like lift mountain out from chest"

Anyone know of this saying?

The saying sounds like a variation of 'a stone from(off?) one's chest' or even better, what mangkorn said. Doesn't mean it can not apply at times though. Trying to find the equivalent of an expression in one language, due to differing contexts, often means you have to settle for more than just one in the target language.

It's true ค่อยยังชั่ว does not convey as intense a feeling as 'thank god!' in all contexts.

If you had been the sole survivor of a plane crash, living for 5 days on the Siberian tundra eating only stripped tree bark and finally saw a helicopter with a rescue party come down for landing, you would indeed be likely to say something else than just ค่อยยังชั่ว.

But if it is minor things, it does work quite well.

[mangkorn]

Khun meadish: being a Swedish guy, have you ever had to strip tree bark to survive those bleak, icy winters?

Cheers.

[meadish_sweetball]

I wish!

There was never any bark left due to those pesky reindeer. We had to dig with our bare hands for the roots while dad would try to keep the ferocious polar bears at bay.

[Virin]

I'd like to add more phrases that is rare in speaking among new generation.

เฮ้อ... โล่งอก.. เหมือนพระ (สวรรค์) มาโปรด - hér... lôhng òk... mĕuan prá (sà-wăn) maa bpròht

Deep sign...what a relieve.... it's like having the monk (or heaven) came for help.

ขอบคุณสวรรค์ - kòp koon sà-wăn (Thank heaven)

ขอบคุณเทพเทวาที่เมตตา - kòp koon têp tây-waa têe mêt dtaa (Thank deities for kindness)

มาโปรด, โปรด in this phrase refer to religious connotation - to save mankind, to free us from sin, to save us from unpleasant situations.

[Virin]

I'd like to add more phrases that are rare in speaking among new generation.

เฮ้อ... โล่งอก.. เหมือนพระ (สวรรค์) มาโปรด - hér... lôhng òk... mĕuan prá (sà-wăn) maa bpròht

Deep sigh...what a relief.... it's like having the monk (or heaven) came to help.

*Spelling

[Neeranam]

I would say, Pai sa dai koh dee ...long -oak ไปซะได้ก็ดี โล่งอก sorb set sa tee ...long oak สอบเสร็จซะที โล่งอก..

This is not used in real life, only in soap operas on TV.

The "sob set sa tee lohng oak" is what I would use.

[siamesekitty]

I would say, Pai sa dai koh dee ...long -oak ไปซะได้ก็ดี โล่งอก sorb set sa tee ...long oak สอบเสร็จซะที โล่งอก..

This is not used in real life, only in soap operas on TV.

The "sob set sa tee lohng oak" is what I would use.

They're two totally different situations (1.someone has just left & 2.you've just finished your exams), and I think both can be used for each of their respective situations. Perhaps you've been very lucky and never have met anyone terrible enough to invoke the first phrase

[Neeranam]

I would say, Pai sa dai koh dee ...long -oak ไปซะได้ก็ดี โล่งอก sorb set sa tee ...long oak สอบเสร็จซะที โล่งอก..

This is not used in real life, only in soap operas on TV.

The "sob set sa tee lohng oak" is what I would use.

They're two totally different situations (1.someone has just left & 2.you've just finished your exams), and I think both can be used for each of their respective situations. Perhaps you've been very lucky and never have met anyone terrible enough to invoke the first phrase

Sorry, I meant I would use "lohng ok" insituation 1 and 2, but my Thai is far from crrect.