Just interested to see how people say a simple phrase such as "Hello, How are you" in Thai.

With so many people here that do have a workable knowledge of Thai, I am interested in the answers

sawatdee, sabai dee mai?

I use...

Sawasdi kap....khun penh yang rai kap

Thats fine but actually means more like

Hello, hows things

I think

One of my favoured replies to the question from friends is, 'yang mai thai' Not dead yet!

Thats fine but actually means more like

Hello, hows things

I think

literal translation

Khun Penh yang rai kap

you are how??

I was taught this by a thai as the way they address each other in normal life

literal translation

Khun Penh yang rai kap

you are how??

I was taught this by a thai as the way they address each other in normal life

Yes I agree, but I was'nt translating it literaly. I think it's more informal, like if you meet a mate you would'nt say "hello how are you", you probably say something like "hi how's things"

And they usually use 'bang" in it as well----bpen yang ngai bang krap

literal translation

Khun Penh yang rai kap

you are how??

I was taught this by a thai as the way they address each other in normal life

Yes I agree, but I was'nt translating it literaly. I think it's more informal, like if you meet a mate you would'nt say "hello how are you", you probably say something like "hi how's things"

And they usually use 'bang" in it as well----bpen yang ngai bang krap

Yes it is the informal way......and if you use it ...expect to get a rapid reply as this will show you can speak Thai very well and are not a tourist Thai speaker...LOL

Among friends, it would probably be shortened to "wud-dee, pben ngai mahng", and the common response is "'buy dee" (doing good).

"Sabai dee mai" is more formal, for normal acquaintences.

Talking about greetings, there is a popular phrase in Thai: "pbai mai la, ma mai wai", which literally means "Leave without saying goodbye, come without doing the "wai", and of course means that the person is rude. This just goes to show how much emphasis Thais have on good etiquette (but of course foreigners are expected to not know how to "wai").

Just interested to see how people say a simple phrase such as "Hello, How are you"  in Thai.

With so many people here that do have a workable knowledge of Thai, I am interested in the answers

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Have you seen this ancient thread yet?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=12723

Snowleopard.

One of my favoured replies to the question from friends is, 'yang mai thai' Not dead yet!

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Don't try this at home, kids. "yang mai tai" might be the more standard transliteration. the "t" in english here represents the dentalized "t"in Thai which is halfway between our t and d.

I've also heard "glai(f) ja tai" almost dead -- I think.

One of my favoured replies to the question from friends is, 'yang mai thai' Not dead yet!

Don't try this at home, kids. "yang mai tai" might be the more standard transliteration. the "t" in english here represents the dentalized "t"in Thai which is halfway between our t and d.

I've also heard "glai(f) ja tai" almost dead -- I think.

Correct. Be a bit wary with joking about death in Thai unless with close friends. Some take it very seriously.

One of my favoured replies to the question from friends is, 'yang mai thai' Not dead yet!

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Don't try this at home, kids. "yang mai tai" might be the more standard transliteration. the "t" in english here represents the dentalized "t"in Thai which is halfway between our t and d.

I've also heard "glai(f) ja tai" almost dead -- I think.

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Correct. Be a bit wary with joking about death in Thai unless with close friends. Some take it very seriously.

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Yeah, shouldn't joke about it all

Yeah,  shouldn't joke about it all 

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Thanks Mr. American... In this case, I think I know what I'm doing, and when to do it in my own situation...I'm not suggesting anyone follow my road on this one. Like many things in life, there is a time and a place where's it's fine, and funny to all. Life, even here, is not nearly as rigid as some might choose to make it... And, hey, I must be doing something okay... I'm still alive and happy!

One of my favoured replies to the question from friends is, 'yang mai thai' Not dead yet!

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Don't try this at home, kids. "yang mai tai" might be the more standard transliteration. the "t" in english here represents the dentalized "t"in Thai which is halfway between our t and d.

I've also heard "glai(f) ja tai" almost dead -- I think.

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Correct. Be a bit wary with joking about death in Thai unless with close friends. Some take it very seriously.

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Yeah, shouldn't joke about it all

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I sometimes reply with...สบายดีจะตาย แด่ยังไม่ตายนะ "sabai dee ja dtaai,dtae yahng mai dtaai na"

Ajarn is right about that one;and,Meadish looks like a real deadhead over there.

Life is a joke and death can sometimes be hilarious.

I joke with Thai friends and strangers about dying all the time and my jokes are similar to Ajarn's and oftentimes much more extreme.

I like observing the expression on their faces when I explain in detail how I first wanna live until I'm really fed up with living and then take care of my own cremation down at the temple.

At the "wat",I'll open the oven door myself and then take my own swan-dive straight into the big "barbie" down there.

Some folks have morbid humor but others are deadheads who are totally attached to the notion and illusion that life is permanent.

Why do folks take life so seriously? Beats me...so far,nobody has ever gotten away from it alive!

สนุกจะตาย แต่ยังไม่ตายนะ "sanuk ja dtaai,dtae yahng mai dtaai na"

Cheers.

Snowleopard.

I sometimes reply with...สบายดีจะตาย แด่ยังไม่ตายนะ "sabai dee ja dtaai,dtae yahng mai dtaai na" 

I like that one much better! "....ja dtaai" is very commonly used, and maybe a less 'shocking' intro to "yahng mai dtaai" for some

But, I do agree with Meadish's thoughts. Consideration of the situation is important. And he wasn't wagging his finger at me, I'm sure

Sawatdee ka, gen khao lao yang?

Sawatdee ka, gen khao lao yang? 

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Hi sbk,

Is it this one you mean or another one? สวัสดีคะ กินข้าวแล้วยัง

Snowleopard

I was under the impression that Snowleopard was Swedish, a nation not known for its imaginative and surreal sense of humour; however after reading about his dive into the crematorium I realise my preconceptions were baseless and utterly without foundation; unless of course he has been indulging in some possibly illicit substances.

On the theme of morbidity, does anyone know of any Thai idiom equivalent to the English, 'one foot in the grave'?

bannork.

Sawatdee ka, gen khao lao yang? 

Hi sbk,

Is it this one you mean or another one? สวัสดีคะ กินข้าวแล้วยัง

Snowleopard

Why would you use Laew Yang at the end of that sentence.......Hello I eat rice already still....?????????????????

I can't read thai so dont know what snowy wrote, but SBK I think is using southern thai dialect for " gin chow roo yang" have you eaten (rice) yet.

Of course I could be wrong, it does happen sometimes

Sawatdee ka, gen khao lao yang? 

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Hi sbk,

Is it this one you mean or another one? สวัสดีคะ กินข้าวแล้วยัง

Snowleopard

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Why would you use Laew Yang at the end of that sentence.......Hello I eat rice already still....?????????????????

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Actually it should be กินข้าวแล้วหรือยัง "gin kaow laeow reu yang" but Thais often shorten it down when they speak.

="Have you eaten yet"?

Snowleopard.

I can't read thai so dont know what snowy wrote, but SBK I think is using southern thai dialect for " gin chow roo yang" have you eaten (rice) yet.

Of course I could be wrong, it does happen sometimes

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Hi Random,

You're right about what I wrote but I'm not exactly sure if that was what sbk intended to say.

I've noticed that you're often right nowadays and have written some great post in several threads.Keep up the good work,will you

Cheers.

Snowleopard.

Thanks mate, I'll learn to read and and write one day and then I wont have to guess what you've writen

I was under the impression that Snowleopard was Swedish, a nation not known for its imaginative and surreal sense of humour; however after reading about his dive into the crematorium I realise my preconceptions were baseless and utterly without foundation; unless of course he has been indulging in some possibly illicit substances.

On the theme of morbidity, does anyone know of any Thai idiom equivalent to the English, 'one foot in the grave'?

bannork.

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Hi bannork,

Good to see that your appearances on the board are increasing in frequency.

On the theme of morbidity, does anyone know of any Thai idiom equivalent to the English, 'one foot in the grave'?

I think the most common way of saying "have one foot in the grave" is...

จวนจะตาย "jo-an ja dtaai"

ใกล้จะตาย "glai ja dtaai" is also used.

แต่ยังไม่ตายนะ

Snowleopard

On the theme of morbidity, does anyone know of any Thai idiom equivalent to the English, 'one foot in the grave'?

Hi Bannork,

Here's another expression related to 'snuff it', but it's normally used metaphorically and not literally.

แทบตาย 'taep dtaai'=almost died

You can use it in an expression like this...ทำข้อการสอบลำบากแทบจะตาย 'tum khoo gaan sohp lum-baak taep ja dtaai'=The bloody exam was so frigging hard it almost did me in.

Cheers.

Snowleopard.

Sawatdee ka, gen khao lao yang? 

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Hi sbk,

Is it this one you mean or another one? สวัสดีคะ กินข้าวแล้วยัง

Snowleopard

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Why would you use Laew Yang at the end of that sentence.......Hello I eat rice already still....?????????????????

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Laew ru Yang... Have you eaten already, or yang mai kin?

eaten already, or not yet?

One of my favoured replies to the question from friends is, 'yang mai thai' Not dead yet!

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Don't try this at home, kids. "yang mai tai" might be the more standard transliteration. the "t" in english here represents the dentalized "t"in Thai which is halfway between our t and d.

I've also heard "glai(f) ja tai" almost dead -- I think.

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i like this but want to make sure i'm saying dead correctly. if it ends up sounding like "yang mai dai" (yet cannot) it would really confuse people. so besides making the "t" sound like "dt", what about the tone and the vowel length?

thx steve

Laew ru Yang... Have you eaten already, or yang mai kin?

eaten already, or not?

Which would be

Khun gin khao laew rou plao..........

or just Kin Khao rou plao.....

i like this but want to make sure i'm saying dead correctly. if it ends up sounding like "yang mai dai" (yet cannot) it would really confuse people. so besides making the "t" sound like "dt", what about the tone and the vowel length?

thx steve

The actual word is pronounced very similar to the english word...Maybe a slightly raised tone.......When my ex told me that someone in the village had died....her brother run over an old (90+yo) lady with his bike....she said to me "khon Dtai"

I understood immediately....Khon...person ...Dtai....die....I didnt know the word back then and she was excited to tell me about it...it just seemed to fit somehow...LOL