เวรกรรม Wen Gam

[RamdomChances]

เวรกำ what does this mean in english.

Cheers RC

[the scouser]

Hi RC,

The Mary Haas Thai-English student's dictionary shows it as "ween'kam' - เวรภรรม" meaning fate or a misfortune as a result of karma. An alternative given is that in "Eastern" Thai it is a means of expressing bad luck or fate.

Cheers,

Scouse.

[RamdomChances]

Wow that was quick!!

Yea that would make sence, I'd sort of worked out it was bad luck coming back to you. I was sort of hoping for an equivelent english word or saying if one exists.

Cheers RC

[snowleopard]

เวรกำ what does this mean in english.

Cheers RC

Hi there Random,

I think it should be spelt เวรกรรม "waen kham".

It means "to take a bad turn" and the best English word to describe it might be "retribution"! Fate and misfortune are also okay.

OK as translations I mean!

It's part of กฏแห่งกรรม "goht haeng kham"=The Law of Karma.

Cheers.

Snowleopard.

[snowleopard]

Hi RC,

The Mary Haas Thai-English student's dictionary shows it as "ween'kam' - เวรภรรม" meaning fate or a misfortune as a result of karma. An alternative given is that in "Eastern" Thai it is a means of expressing bad luck or fate.

Cheers,

Scouse.

"ween'kam' - เวรภรรม"

Hi Scouser,

I think it should be spelt เวรกรรม "waen kham" with a ก "koh gai"instead!

Cheers.

Snowleopard.

[the scouser]

Hi there Snow Leopard, you're right. I did intend to spell it correctly but didn't proof-read my post. Honest guv........

Scouse.

[katana]

To add to what has been posted before, colloquially WEN GAM เวรกรรม can be used as a mild blasphemy/curse meaning: Jesus!, God Almighty!, D.amn!

You'll sometimes see it spelt in chat rooms as เวรกำ.

[Girlfrombar]

เวรกรรม = (for) sin's sake

actually, we simply say it as only เวร

Edited September 20, 2004 by Girlfrombar

[RamdomChances]

Thanks every one, oh by the way I did'nt write it in the wife did.

[Dradam]

เวรกรรม seems to just mean "bad luck". Whenever something small goes wrong, many Thais just say เวรกรรม as an explanation. I hear it quite frequently among the IT staff. Maybe because computers have a habit of malfunctioning when you need them most.

[Johpa]

To add to what has been posted before, colloquially WEN GAM เวรกรรม can be used as a mild blasphemy/curse meaning: Jesus!, God Almighty!, D.amn!

Ah, so that is what they are saying to all those Farangs when they enter a room or business. And I thought they were trying to welcome me in English. : )

[chanchao]

> เวรกรรม seems to just mean "bad luck".

No, not just bad luck: It's specifically bad luck that "results" from something you did do or failed to do which was wrong/at fault/a sin. It would therefore be a pretty stong/bad thing to say about someone who has a bad / unluckly experience; you're basically saying that he/she deserved because of sins in the past. Call it a strong/religious version of 'som nam na' if you want, which also isn't very polite but can more easily be used in a joking manner. I wouldn't advise to even use the phrase unless you know what you're doing and/or know the person you're using it with.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[sbk]

It is definitely something bad or wrong you have done in the past coming back to you. It's not so much that it is impolite, just very personal. Not something you would say to a total stranger.

My mother-in-law uses it alot when talking about the troubles her son has with his teenage son.

[meadish_sweetball]

To add to what has been posted before, colloquially WEN GAM เวรกรรม can be used as a mild blasphemy/curse meaning: Jesus!, God Almighty!, D.amn!

Ah, so that is what they are saying to all those Farangs when they enter a room or business. And I thought they were trying to welcome me in English. : )

[Hua Nguu]

To add to what has been posted before, colloquially WEN GAM เวรกรรม can be used as a mild blasphemy/curse meaning: Jesus!, God Almighty!, D.amn!

You'll sometimes see it spelt in chat rooms as เวรกำ.

I have also heard it used as when cursing another person:

ไอ้เวร Ai Wen.

Cheers

Hua Nguu

[luckyfarang]

> เวรกรรม seems to just mean "bad luck".

No, not just bad luck: It's specifically bad luck that "results" from something you did do or failed to do which was wrong/at fault/a sin. It would therefore be a pretty stong/bad thing to say about someone who has a bad / unluckly experience; you're basically saying that he/she deserved because of sins in the past. Call it a strong/religious version of 'som nam na' if you want, which also isn't very polite but can more easily be used in a joking manner. I wouldn't advise to even use the phrase unless you know what you're doing and/or know the person you're using it with.

Cheers,

Chanchao

My understanding is:

the literal meaning is something like "misfortune" and obviously karmic related

because the word GAAM means karma. As far as saying "you deserve what you

got" or "karmic retribution", there are other more specific phrases to express this.

The most common usage that I hear is as an exclamation, such as "D-mn!",

or "God d-mn!" or "Jesus!" and have seen other translations. Such usages can

at times be humorous, and are not generally insulting, but as you said, I would

be very careful using it around someone who had been having real life misfortune.

My own personal attempt to translate it as an exclamation:

"CURSES"**