I Think Vs I Thought

[Watercat]

Just came to think about it last night, when I was gonna see a movie with my girlfriend. She surprised me and wanted to see a different one that I thought. I wanted to express "Oh really, I though you wanted to see that other one". But when I said it in thai;

คิดว่าที่รักอยากดูเรื่องนั้นอ่ะ

It felt like, hey wait a minute.. This can sound like "I don't think you want to see this one (like "I don't really believe you" OR "I think you want to see that other one" (but maybe are too grengjai to say it, because I might want to see this one.) Or something like this.

Anybody has a good solution to this problem?

[siamesekitty]

I think what you said was more or less ok for the situation (except maybe คิดว่าที่รักอยากดูเรื่องนั้นซะอีก would be better)

There are no "present" or "past" verbs in Thai, the listener usually "assumes" the meaning that would be the most logical in that particular situation. Saying something like "I don't think you want to see it" that directly contradicts her most statement would be unexpected because it would be ridiculous.

Therefore, if you really did want to say something like "I don't think you want to see this one (like "I don't really believe you" OR "I think you want to see that other one" (but maybe are too grengjai to say it, because I might want to see this one.) then you would say it in another way, and state it directly, such as:

คุณไม่อยากดูเรื่องนี้หรอกมั้ง = You probably don't want to see this movie, right?

ไม่เชื่อหรอก จริงๆไม่ได้อยากดูใช่มั้ย = No, I don't believe you. You really don't want to see it, do you?

ผมคิดว่าจริงๆแล้วคุณอยากดูอีกเรื่องหนึ่ง = I think that really you want to see another movie

Am I making any sense? I'm starting to confuse even myself

[mangkorn]

That's a very good explanation for understanding the time-sense in Thai.

[Neeranam]

คุณไม่อยากดูเรื่องนี้หรอกมั้ง = You probably don't want to see this movie, right?

ไม่เชื่อหรอก จริงๆไม่ได้อยากดูใช่มั้ย = No, I don't believe you. You really don't want to see it, do you?

ผมคิดว่าจริงๆแล้วคุณอยากดูอีกเรื่องหนึ่ง = I think that really you want to see another movie

คิดว่าที่รักอยากดูเรื่องนั้นซะอีก

Edited January 27, 2008 by Neeranam

[aanon]

just a couple of other ways you could go:

อ้อเหรอ? ฉันนึกว่าเธอจะต้องเลือกหนังอีกเรื่องหนึ่งแน่ ๆ เลย

really? i thought you would have definitely chosen the other one.

แสดงว่าฉันเดาผิดนะ นึกว่าเธอจะต้องเลือกอีกเรื่องหนึ่ง

there you go, i guessed wrong. i thought you would have chosen the other one.

เอ๊...ตอนแรกเธออยากดูอีกเรื่องหนึ่งไม่ใช่เหรอ?

hmm? didn't you originally want to see the other one?

to me, i like the second one. it's got a tone of 'that's interesting, i'm learning something new about you' that could turn into a good conversation.

all the best.

ps. very elegant solution, neeranam (ซะอีก)

Edited January 27, 2008 by aanon