The Handy "fixed Constructions" Thread

[aanon]

first, thanks kris for stickifying the thread. i've noticed that it's hard to sit down and think of a list of these constructions, but they do pop up regularly and so it will be easy to add gradually to a sticky thread.

on david's ต่างพากัน [verb], i agree that it emphasises the aspect of each person/agent/group acting individually. here's another ต่าง construction:

construction: ต่าง X ต่าง Y

type of word(s): X is a noun (usually people-related*), Y is a verb

meaning: each X does Y separately [or differently]

example: ต่างคนต่างหันไปซุบซิบกับเพื่อนอย่างตื่นเต้น

translation: each person turned to whisper excitedly with his or her friend(s)

all the best.

* eg. person, group, side (of an argument)

Edited March 1, 2008 by aanon

[DavidHouston]

Here is a simplier usage of "ต่าง" from the report published by the คตส. (คณะกรรมการตรวจสอบการกระทำที่ก่อให้เกิดคามเสียหายแก่รัฐ).

"ทุกคนต่างยึดมั่นในความซื่อสัตย์สุจริตในการทำภาระหน้าที่ของตน"

"Each and every person (member of the committee) pledges to be honest and truthful in carrying out his or her duties."

I wonder if the use of the term "ต่าง" in these contexts, where the sentence would be understandable without the word, provides a meaning such as "individually and collectively" or "separately and jointly", as well as "each and every". Any thoughts?

[tgeezer]

For instance. Suppose father and mother are living in the same house and they would drive in the same car to go to a marriage party together, would you still use ต่างพากัน, or would you just use พากัน?

I am not sure, the word ต่าง makes me doubt. Feels like it expresses the subjects are "somehow" acting independently from each other.

Does anyone know?

I think that you are right.

It is easier or possible to think of it as a pronuon, 'they' breaking it down to the two sentances. 1.subject = shops, modifier=many, verb=shut up shop. 2. subject=they, verb=lead, modifier = together.

My dictionary definitely says ต่าง is either a pronoun or a modifier. The other ต่าง is a noun for an object in which to carry things or a verb to carry, it can't be that.

Def. ต่าง ๒ ส . เป็นคำแทนชื่อนามหลายฝ่ายให้แยกออกเป็นส่วนๆ In English it seems to me to be, many people, they joined together but (individually) shut their own shops. drink individually etc.

This is my first attempt and I am prepared to be 'shot down in flames'

[aanon]

Here is a simplier usage of "ต่าง" from the report published by the คตส. (คณะกรรมการตรวจสอบการกระทำที่ก่อให้เกิดคามเสียหายแก่รัฐ).

"ทุกคนต่างยึดมั่นในความซื่อสัตย์สุจริตในการทำภาระหน้าที่ของตน"

"Each and every person (member of the committee) pledges to be honest and truthful in carrying out his or her duties."

I wonder if the use of the term "ต่าง" in these contexts, where the sentence would be understandable without the word, provides a meaning such as "individually and collectively" or "separately and jointly", as well as "each and every". Any thoughts?

yes, david, i think 'each and every' is an excellent translation here.

from your earlier post, i think ผู้คนที่อยู่ในตำแหน่งและอยู่ในระดับล่าง... should be 'People, both commoners and those in important positions, all...'.

all the best.

[siamesekitty]

"each and every" is a good explanation of the term, for some situations. as for the issue of whether the action is done together vs. separately - well, it's often used to describe an action which a large number of people happen to do, during the same period of time (with or without knowledge that other people are doing the same).

So, it's something that they do individually, but it happens to be the same action, so this term is used to lump together the whole group of people that are doing this particular action.

eg.

"พอถึงวันวาเลนไทน์ทีไรจะต้องได้เห็นคู่รักต่างพากันเดินห้าง ทานข้าว ให้ของขวัญกัน..."

"Every time Valentine's day comes around, you'll see various couples going to the malls together, having dinner, giving each other presents.."

As you can imagine, each couple would be on their own (not a huge double/triple/quadruple/?? date ), but the sentence describes their similar activities.

[DavidHouston]

I don't recall if the following example reflects a construction we have already discussed:

"ศาสนาอิสลามนั้นหาใช่เป็นเพียงอัตลักษณ์ทางศาสนาและวัฒนธรรมเท่านั้น แต่ได้กลายเป็นอัตลักษณ์ทางการเมืองอย่างหนึ่งด้วย"

"Islam is not only a religious and cultural identity but is a political identity as well."

The construction would be:

construction: X หาใช Y เท่านั้น แต่ Y ด้วย type of word(s): X is a noun or nown phrase; Y is the first predicate argument; Z is the second predicate argument

meaning: Not only . . . but also

I believe that the usual construction is that "หาใช" is usually replaced by "ไม่เพียงแต่"

I see on an internet site that the Barbara Streisand song "Being Alive" is translated as "การอยู่เพียงลำพัง หาใช่การมีชีวิตไม่"

which might be expanded to be "Being Alone Is Not Having a Life."

Have any of you seen any other uses of this construction?

Edited April 13, 2008 by DavidHouston

[kriswillems]

Here's another construction that can't be translated word by word.

construction: อย่างไรก็ตาม X ( (there should be a space between อย่างไรก็ตาม and X)

type of word(s): X is a sentence

meaning:however X

example: อย่างไรก็ตาม ยังมีถกเถ๊ยงถึงคุณและโทษของการตัดแต่งรหัสพันธุกรรม ซึ่งต้องมีการศึกษากันต่อไป

translation: however, there's still discussion about the good and bad sides of genetic manipulation. So, we need further studying.

Edited July 23, 2008 by kriswillems

[klons]

thanks for your posts kris and mangkorn. one more for today:

construction: X จะตาย

type of word(s): X is an adjective

meaning: extremely X (colloquial)

example: เขาจะเลิกผลิตได้ไงอะ 611 รุ่นนี้ขายดีจะตาย

translation: how on earth could they stop producing it? this 611 model [phone] is an extremely good seller.

all the best.

So if a nice Thai person were to ask me how I like Thailand, I could say น่าเบื่อจะตาย

(I'm not serious, I wouldn't say that.)

I may have another simple construction I got from a soap opera clip using ตาย.

It's probably not all that useful, but here it is.

The sister threatens to tattle on the brother to Daddy and the brother sarcastically replies that he is so scared.

construction:อะโห X ตายล่ะ

type of word(s): X is emotion or state of mind or body

meaning: sarcasm, (I'm so X (not) )

example: อะโห กลัวตายล่ะ

translation: Oooh! I'm so scared!

By my way of thinking, one could also insert a pronoun in there and say things like Oooh! your'e so smart!.

[aanon]

construction: X ให้ X

type of word(s): X is a verb or adjective

meaning: If X, so be it.

example: 1) ตายให้ตาย 2) พังให้พัง

translation: 1) If I (am about to) die...well, so be it. 2) If it breaks, never mind.

[aanon]

construction: X ให้ X

type of word(s): X is a verb or adjective

meaning: If X, so be it.

example: 1) ตายให้ตาย 2) พังให้พัง

translation: 1) If I (am about to) die...well, so be it. 2) If it breaks, never mind.

In response to a query from a fellow student here, I would like to change my earlier translation and say that I find the tone of ตายให้ตาย to be more like "Bring it on!" than a calm "So be it." It contains more bravado than fatalism. That is my sense, anyway.

[Tod Daniels]

In response to a query from a fellow student here, I would like to change my earlier translation and say that I find the tone of ตายให้ตาย to be more like "Bring it on!" than a calm "So be it." It contains more bravado than fatalism. That is my sense, anyway.

Quite strange this exact phrase came up now.

In fact just the other nite outside my apartment gate a group of thai guys had a few too many and suddenly an altercation erupted between two of them. Plastic glasses went flying; chairs were knocked over, as the two people at odds with one another did the obligatory posturing, circling, feinting kicks, etc.

I heard that phrase ตายให้ตาย (dtaai^M hai^F dtaai^M) yelled out by both parties, until their friends calmed 'em back down. Strange as it may seem, everyone got back to the task at hand; drinking as if nothing had even happened. I even noticed later that the two guys who had the earlier dispute rode off on the same motocy.

In this context at least; it was most definitely said in much more a "Bring it on M/F!" tone of voice, than with the "So be it." type of meaning.

[FireInTheSky]

Really like this topic and decided I will do one myself

construction: ____X_____ ปุ๊ป _____Y_____ ปั็ป

Type of word(s): X is an action and Y is a different action

meaning: As soon as X then Y

example: 1) ทำปุ๊ปเสร็จปั๊ป 2) ลูกเป่าปุ๊ปพ่อเข้าไปจับปั๊ป

translation: 1) As soon as I do it it is finished. 2) As soon as you (his child) blow I will go out and grab it (the prey) (2 people are hunting lions and they blow poison darts out of a tube)

Hope I interpret this structure correctly I always thought it meant something like "as soon as ____ then _____" or "the second I ______ then ______" or something like that.

[CaitlinHappyMeal]

construction: noun and verb อะไรอย่างนี้
type of word(s):
meaning: what a…….
example: แม่เป็นน่ารักอะไรอย่างนี้
translation: what a lovely mother

loving this thread, just a shame not more people are posting, it really is very helpful thank you

Edited May 12, 2014 by CaitlinHappyMeal

[CaitlinHappyMeal]

construction: noun and verb อะไรอย่างนี้

type of word(s):

meaning: what a…….

example: แม่เป็นน่ารักอะไรอย่างนี้

translation: what a lovely mother

loving this thread, just a shame not more people are posting, it really is very helpful thank you

haha ok maybe don't use this one as i've described as its just been brought to my attention that its not quite right, "………...something like this" is a better translation, although when i ran it through my translator as i'd written it i got an exact translation as i'd been led to understand, however if i changed mother to teacher my translation changed to instructors love something like this…….can anyone shed anymore light on why this is?