Polite Particles Used In Reverse

[5tash]

Have you noticed sometimes ladies using the male polite particle ครับ (krap)?

I've been asking my Thai friends about this and they say ladies can use this between close friends, usually males. It is considered very polite.

Also with young children usually within the family, a lady can use ครับผม (krap pom).

With men speaking with a child in the family they can use คะ (ka) this also can be used with wives or girfriends. My friends say that this is ถาษาน่ารัก (paasaa naa rak), cute speech. Opinons anyone?

[sbk]

Yes, it is very common for a parent to use Ka with a female child and Krap with a male child, regardless of the sex of the parent. Children learn by imitation so it makes sense.

I have noticed on a very rare occasion women using krap with men, but have never asked why.

[tgeezer]

Have you noticed sometimes ladies using the male polite particle ครับ (krap)?

I've been asking my Thai friends about this and they say ladies can use this between close friends, usually males. It is considered very polite.

Also with young children usually within the family, a lady can use ครับผม (krap pom).

With men speaking with a child in the family they can use คะ (ka) this also can be used with wives or girfriends. My friends say that this is ถาษาน่ารัก (paasaa naa rak), cute speech. Opinons anyone?

I always assumed it was to teach young children the correct words. The females using ครับ I never know what to think, suspected sexuality same as some men saying ขา, ค่ะ etc. When I hear ครับผม I assume that it now used instead of ครับ and suggesting ครับ กระผม which may now be considered unwieldy.

[siamesekitty]

Yes, it is very common for a parent to use Ka with a female child and Krap with a male child, regardless of the sex of the parent. Children learn by imitation so it makes sense.

I have noticed on a very rare occasion women using krap with men, but have never asked why.

I am guilty of using this ภาษาน่ารัก with my bf, and actually with my friends and famiy sometimes. Not exactly sure why. I guess I've been used to hearing both "krap" from girls and "ka" from guys a lot, so it just comes naturally.

I think the rationale for the "cuteness" is: As elders often use "ka" for little girls, and "krap" for little boys, as sbk mentions, using kind of gives off the feeling of เอ็นดู (fondness) for the recipient, as if he/she was a little kid.

With guys saying "ka" to slightly younger girls, it seems a bit flirty. Anyway, some girls swoon when they do that.

With girls using "krap" with guys, it could be either intimating that the guy is a cute little boy, or the the speaker herself is being rather tomboyish. One of my girl friends in college often used "kap pom+" with the guys in our group, saying it in a cute, cartoonish way. (She was rather cute & small like a cartoon character too!)

For me using it with my bf, it's a bit of both I guess. (1. We often use "baby talk", and 2. I'm not a very "girly" girl.) As for using it with my mom, it's cuz I'm kind of a tomboy, esp at home, and saying "ka" to my mom all the time sounds too prim and proper, ladyish. I use it mostly for when I'm answering her from another room. "Kaaap, what do you need, Mom?"

I might be the exception though, I don't think many Thai girls use it with their parents

Edited March 17, 2008 by siamesekitty

[Rikker]

As another example of non-family/bf/gf usage, my wife's obstetrician used คะ all the time during every visit of her pregnancy. Presumably to be endearing/fatherly. When he would explain this or that, he was throwing in นะคะ after every phrase. Only with her, though.

[eefoo]

Food for thought. Can't say I've noticed it myself but will be looking out for it. Her indoors uses ครับผม to me, but only when she's joking or taking the p*ss

[meadish_sweetball]

When used to adults, it usually does have a joking/playful tone to it.

[BFD]

I had a lovely acquaintance (female) who used ครับ once in a moment of, shall we say, intimacy. Scared the ครับ out of me, I tell you! We talked about this later on, and her reasoning is that she grew up with four brothers and was just used to saying it. I believe her... I think?

Anyway, I think, as most others have said, it's simply a cute way of talking. I would feel like a bit of a silly guy if I went around using คะ, though. On the other hand, siamesekitty said that some gals swoon from this. Okay, I'll give it a try. Anything for science.

BFD!

[eefoo]

Anyway, I think, as most others have said, it's simply a cute way of talking. I would feel like a bit of a silly guy if I went around using คะ, though. On the other hand, siamesekitty said that some gals swoon from this. Okay, I'll give it a try. Anything for science.

BFD!

You will keep us informed of any hilarious consequences - won't you?

[Virin]

I use "ครับ,ครับผม" with my close male friends, family and relatives sometimes when I am in a good mood. Not all women should use "ครับ,ครับผม" or all men use "ค่ะ,นะคะ" their personalities and word used might confuse people, real characters and purposes could be easily misinterpreted.

My male cousin is 50 years old, he's dark, good looking, macho guy, high working position with many staff, since he was young he has been saying "ค่ะ,นะคะ" and calling himself "หนู" to his mom, but in public he always says "ผม,ครับ". Among the relatives it's lovely when seeing him treat politely and talk to his mom with these words, but we don't know whether the others might have question in his identity, for the fact he's straight .

[Jeddah Jo]

Can someone also explain the correct uses of จ๊ะ or นะจ๊ะ as polite particles at the end of sentences. Can they equally be used by men or women or is it more likely a woman would use them?

I am all for ถาษาน่ารัก but just want to make sure I am not talking so cute people start to gossip

JJ.

[meadish_sweetball]

Can someone also explain the correct uses of จ๊ะ or นะจ๊ะ as polite particles at the end of sentences. Can they equally be used by men or women or is it more likely a woman would use them?

I am all for ถาษาน่ารัก but just want to make sure I am not talking so cute people start to gossip

JJ.

Are you a man or a woman?

It comes off as a bit flirty and informal using it with the opposite sex. If you are a straight man you wouldn't use it with other men, and not with women who you aren't/don't wish to be on a friendly/flirty basis with either. It's a personality thing partially, so I don't think there are any hard and fast rules.

Personally I only use it with my wife, and might use it with her female friends as a joke (for the shock value). Not anyone else.

Women do use these particles more than men, in general.

[rgs2001uk]

Can someone also explain the correct uses of จ๊ะ or นะจ๊ะ as polite particles at the end of sentences. Can they equally be used by men or women or is it more likely a woman would use them?

I am all for ถาษาน่ารัก but just want to make sure I am not talking so cute people start to gossip

JJ.

จ๊ะ or นะจ๊ะ, i have only heard this used by women and gay men.

the gay men tend to be careful when using it and tend to use it amongst friends, i dont know if its because they dont want strangers to know they are gay or if there are other rammifications such as the status of who they are talking to.

[siamesekitty]

Straight men use it too but only with close friends as well (mostly with women), and very unlikely to among "macho" male friends or casual acquaintances.

As for status, most of the time you use it with those of an equal or lower status than you (age-wise, socially). It would be almost unheard of for a student to use it with his/her teacher, maid to use with a khunying, unless they are EXTREMELY chummy. However, in closeknit families sometimes daughters use it with their mothers or other relatives, but the overall feeling is that it shows affection but not in a "reverent" way.

Edited March 29, 2008 by siamesekitty

[Virin]

It's annoying to see young vendors say จ๊ะ, นะจ๊ะ to senior customers, or young people say these words to the elders, it's not appropriate, my Thai teachers would say "mâi mee maa-rá-yâat"

จ๊ะ, นะจ๊ะ can be used to elder ones in teasing manners - family, close friends, ........ as posted by siamesekitty.

[katana]

I read a report here, that 'male royal family members, even extended royal family, seem to use ค่ะ instead of ครับ'.

Can anyone confirm this?