Mate / Buddy

[Sunburn]

Is there a word in Thai similar to the British 'mate' or American 'buddy'? T rak seems to be used only by close female friends and seems inappropriate for 2 men for example. Is there different words for aquaintances/close friends/friends of opposite sex? Sorry if I'm asking a really obvious one, but I'm just starting to learn Thai and have not come across anything similar yet.

[Boh Bpen Yang]

I don't know this for sure... But I hear the word 'pee' for sibling used often in this context. I don't know if this is an exact match but probably similar.

[ProfessorFart]

Using the prefix 'Ai' before your mates name shows familiarity and freindship. Be warned though. Only use this to close friends as it can have derogotory meanings as well.

'Pee' and 'Nong' are more terms of endearment or respect but can also be used in a friendship context.

'Tee Rak' means 'Darling' and should only be used to your significant other.

[meadish_sweetball]

Nope, there is no exact equivalent.

If you used the Thai word for "friend" as much as some Brits, Americans and Aussies tend to use "buddy", "mate", "old chap" etc., you'd be considered to have a minor case of bats in the belfry.

"Pee" (older sibling) is a normal word of address that signals a willingness to not be distant but should be used only for people who could be your older sibling. In some cases though, a technically younger person will be called "pee" if he/she has a significant amount more of power than the speaker. This is nothing to emulate though.

"Nong" is then the word that the other person would use to refer to you, the younger party... if they consider it appropriate. Unless your Thai is already quite advanced, Thais will probably feel more comfortable using "khun" with you. It is a more formal pronoun for "you".

Go with "khun" for you and "phom" for "I" (male) when in doubt. They are sufficiently polite for most situations but the most formal.

[meadish_sweetball]

Using the prefix 'Ai' before your mates name shows familiarity and freindship. Be warned though. Only use this to close friends as it can have derogotory meanings as well.

'Pee' and 'Nong' are more terms of endearment or respect but can also be used in a friendship context.

'Tee Rak' means 'Darling' and should only be used to your significant other.

You are right about the "ai" prefix, but a BIG caveat for people who have not heard it in context and understand how it should be used.

If you use "ai" before your taxi drivers name when referring to him, directly or indirectly , or the bartender or whatever, they would most likely find it highly offensive (some *might* laugh as well, but it is still not worth risking being offensive).

[Firefoxx]

Thai is sort of like English in that the closer you are to your friends, the more colorful your vocabulary can be. The words "mueng" (you) and "goo" (me) are very rude when used with most people, but are considered appropriate with your buddies.

Your best friends/buddies can be called "puen see" เพื่อนซี้ (or just "see") or more formally "puen sanit" เพื่อนสนิท and "puen ruk" เพื่อนรัก. "Gler" เกลอ is also a close friend.

[chonabot]

In Isaan you can add the word "Bok" to prefix the name.

ie "Bok (insert name)" , it's a term for friends or familiarity similar to "Ai/Ee"

Again like "Mung" and "Goo" should only be used with good mates or family members.

[Ajarn]

"Pee" (older sibling) is a normal word of address that signals a willingness to not be distant but should be used only for people who could be your older sibling.

Not in my experience. 'Pii' is the most common word I hear used to refer to anyone older or of higher status.

[chonabot]

"Pee" (older sibling) is a normal word of address that signals a willingness to not be distant but should be used only for people who could be your older sibling.

Not in my experience. 'Pii' is the most common word I hear used to refer to anyone older or of higher status.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Aye.

[Ajarn]

Using the prefix 'Ai' before your mates name shows familiarity and freindship. Be warned though. Only use this to close friends as it can have derogotory meanings as well.

'Pee' and 'Nong' are more terms of endearment or respect but can also be used in a friendship context.

'Tee Rak' means 'Darling' and should only be used to your significant other.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You are right about the "ai" prefix, but a BIG caveat for people who have not heard it in context and understand how it should be used.

If you use "ai" before your taxi drivers name when referring to him, directly or indirectly , or the bartender or whatever, they would most likely find it highly offensive (some *might* laugh as well, but it is still not worth risking being offensive).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And of course, 'ee' before a female's name can be equally rude.

In the north, 'ah' before the man's (maybe women, too?) name is used as a sign of respect. 'Ah Hia' (mid tone for hia, not falling tone) is often used to refer to a Chinese man of perceived higher status...

[snowleopard]

Is there a word in Thai similar to the British 'mate' or American 'buddy'?  T rak seems to be used only by close female friends and seems inappropriate for 2 men for example.  Is there different words for aquaintances/close friends/friends of opposite sex?  Sorry if I'm asking a really obvious one, but I'm just starting to learn Thai and have not come across anything similar yet.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is there a word in Thai similar to the British 'mate' or American 'buddy'?

meadish_sweetball Posted Yesterday, 2004-11-11 17:04:34

  Nope, there is no exact equivalent.

Firefoxx Posted Yesterday, 2004-11-11 18:14:02

Your best friends/buddies can be called "puen see" เพื่อนซี้ (or just "see") or more formally "puen sanit" เพื่อนสนิท and "puen ruk" เพื่อนรัก. "Gler" เกลอ is also a close friend.

How about these four alternatives which haven't been mentioned yet...

1.มิตร "mit"

2.สหาย "sahai"

3.มิตรสหาย "mit sahai"

4.สหายสนิท "sahai sanit"

Cheers.

Snowleopard.

[BIG SPUDS]

From what i can remember my Gf calls every older "PEE" regardless of status.

[Firefoxx]

สหาย and มิตร aren't words that you would hear in normal everyday speech, at least not to refer to your "buddy". "Sahai" is formal and refers to a "companion" or "comrade", and is used pretty often in writing (novels and stories). "Mit" is more of a simple "friend", or rather "friendly", not necessarily close.

The one time you will see these words referring to close friends is in the phrase "เพื่อนสนิทมิตรสหาย" "puen sanit mit sahai", which means "all close friends and allies". "Mit sahai" is usually not used by itself.

[snowleopard]

สหาย and มิตร aren't words that you would hear in normal everyday speech, at least not to refer to your "buddy".  "Sahai" is formal and refers to a "companion" or "comrade", and is used pretty often in writing (novels and stories).  "Mit" is more of a simple "friend", or rather "friendly", not necessarily close.

The one time you will see these words referring to close friends is in the phrase "เพื่อนสนิทมิตรสหาย" "puen sanit mit sahai", which means "all close friends and allies".  "Mit sahai" is usually not used by itself.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

สหาย and มิตร aren't words that you would hear in normal everyday speech

The one time you will see these words

Maybe I've seen and heard more than you!

[Sunburn]

Thanks guys, had a feeling it was a bit more complicated than English, which explains why I haven't come across a similar term yet. I'll stick with 'Tee rak ja' for the fiancee, & 'khun' for everyone else for now I think!

Thanks mate(s)!

[meadish_sweetball]

"Pee" (older sibling) is a normal word of address that signals a willingness to not be distant but should be used only for people who could be your older sibling.

Not in my experience. 'Pii' is the most common word I hear used to refer to anyone older or of higher status.

There is overlap in usage I admit, so my statement above was too strict...

To explain my point though, let's exaggerate a bit - you would not find a 14-year-old referring to a 60-year-old as "pee", right?

When you have a 20-year-old talking to a 50-year old, what would he/she use? Yes, sometimes "pee", but more likely "lung" or "paa". As the ages of the speaker and the addressed grow closer, the likelihood of using "pee" increases.

Lung, Paa, Naa, Taa and Yaay are all used for people older than those of "pee" status. Out of politeness, when you do not know the age of the other speaker, you would rather use "pee" than "lung" or "paa", since "lung" and "paa" all sound quite old, and the person you address with these might be a bit offended if you hit him/her with the older terms (we all want to look young).

I have seen "sahai" used in movie translations of "mate" but the way it comes off in Thai is more like "comrade" or "brother", and not quite as easy-going as "mate". At any rate, the people I know never use the word "sahai" amongst themselves.

The Thai subtitles of the Lord of the Rings uses "sahai" for brother. This makes more sense to me.

[snowleopard]

I have seen "sahai" used in movie translations of "mate" but the way it comes off in Thai is more like "comrade" or "brother", and not quite as easy-going as "mate". At any rate, the people I know never use the word "sahai" amongst themselves. 

The Thai subtitles of the Lord of the Rings uses "sahai" for brother. This makes more sense to me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

เพื่อนซี้ "peu-an see"_ เพื่อนสนิท "peu-an sanit"_เพื่อนรัก "peu-an ruk"_เกลอ "gleu" 

snowleopard@Today, 2004-11-12 01:07:30 How about these four alternatives which haven't been mentioned yet...

1.มิตร "mit"

2.สหาย "sahai"

3.มิตรสหาย "mit sahai"

4.สหายสนิท "sahai sanit"

Cheers.

Snowleopard.

Hi Meadish and others,

สหาย 'sa-hai' is actually used in spoken Thai and it means things like_comrade,pal,friend,ally;follower,companion,etc._so why not brother as well!

One definition of สหาย "sa-hai" is เพื่อนที่มีอุดมการณ์ตรงกัน "peu-an tee mee odom gaan dtrong gun"=A friend who shares the same ideology.

Here are some more suggestions for "buddy" folks...

1.คู่หู "koo hoo"

2.เพื่อนตาย "peu-an dtaai"/Can be used in a phrase like เพื่อนกินหาง่าย เพื่อนตายหายาก "peu-an gin haa ngai,peu-an dtaai haa yaak"="A friend in need is a friend indeed"!

3.มิตรแท้ "mit tae"=true friend

4.คู่เล่น "koo len"

5.คู่ขา "koo kaa" has two different meanings

5a.buddies;mates/ 5b.sweethearts;lovers;love

In the expression เพื่อนซี้ "peu-an see"(close friend),the suffix ซี้ "see" is actually Chinese and has very different meanings in other combinations.For example as the prefix in ซี้ซั้ว "see so-a"=reckless,careless.

คู่ครอง "koo krong" means soul mates.

Cheers.

Snowleopard.

[Firefoxx]

The reason I don't consider "mit" and "sahai" as appropriate words is because the original question was words meaning "mate" and "buddy", which are words which you use to refer to your close friends, not just people you know. I honestly have not, in ten years in Thailand, heard anyone calling their close friends "mit" or "sahai", since "mit" is just inappropriate, and "sahai" is very formal (which is why you'll find it in print, but not in speech). If a person were to say "kao pben mitr" it would mean "he's friendly (not an enemy)", but not any closer. I think you've taken the word "puen sanit mit sahai" เพื่อนสนิทมิตรสหาย a bit too far, since although "puen sanit" does indeed mean "close friends", the word "mit sahai" only means "friends and comrades", and only in the context of that phrase, and not to be used alone.

The word "see" ซี้ can mean different things, depending on context. It can mean "dead" by itself, as a shortened form of "see ngae" ซี้แหง. When you say "kao pben see goo" เขาเป็นซี้กู it means "he's my best buddy", since in this case it's a shortened form of "puen see".

[snowleopard]

The reason I don't consider "mit" and "sahai" as appropriate words is because the original question was words meaning "mate" and "buddy"

Let me assure you that both are appropriate words.

Now,I've just looked สหาย "sa-hai" up in the Se-Ed Dictionary and it's actually listed as meaning "buddy";so maybe you should take your case to their editor in chief,or directly to the managing editor!

I honestly have not, in ten years in Thailand, heard anyone calling their close friends "mit" or "sahai"

ตามสบาย "dtaam sabai".

I believe you when you honestly swear that you have never heard them;but I have heard both of them many times during my over 20 years in the Realm.

You can say เราเป็นมิตรกัน "raow bpen mit gun",and there มิตร "mit" is used as a noun in the same way as เพื่อน "peu-an" is in the expression เราเป็นเพื่อนกัน "raow bpen peu-an gun".

"Mit" can also be used as an adjective/adverb with the meaning 'friendly';as well as in compounds like the following noun phrases...

1.ความเป็นมิตร "kwaam bpen mit"=friendship

2.มิตรภาพ "mitra-paap"=friendship

3.มิตรจิต "mitra-jit"=friendliness

I heard you the first time you said that you haven't heard those words so you don't have to repeat that anymore.

Cheers.

Snowleopard.

[alleypanda]

Nobody use the word Sahai สหาย or Mit มิตร in their conversation, way too formal.

friend= pern เพื่อน

Buddy = คู่หู Khu-hu (a pair of ears , refering to friend that always together )

Pern Ce เพื่อนซี้ best friend(Ce ซี้ Thai borrow this word from cantonese which means 'death' so 'pern ce' means a friend whom you are ready to die for )

Mate= Pern sanid. เพื่อนสนิท sanid means very close

[snowleopard]

Nobody use the word Sahai สหาย or Mit มิตร in their conversation, way too formal.

friend= pern เพื่อน

Buddy = คู่หู  Khu-hu (a pair of ears , refering to friend that always together )

Pern Ce เพื่อนซี้ best friend(Ce ซี้ Thai borrow this word from cantonese which means 'death' so 'pern ce' means a friend whom you are ready to die for )

Mate= Pern sanid. เพื่อนสนิท sanid means very close

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nobody use the word Sahai สหาย or Mit มิตร in their conversation, way too formal.

Who's the "Nobody" you're so affirmatively referring to there.

I must have run across him/her more than a few times here in Thailand and also other peers who use the same vocabulary!

Don't be too categorial in your assertion that nobody uses those words unless you wanna appoint yourself a spokeswoman for the whole Thai speaking country with the risk of sounding as smug as Toxin himself.

Cheers.

Snowleopard.

[bannork]

Firefoxx and Alleypanda,

As his habitat shrinks and various falang\Thai andThai\ falang predators start to stake out his territory, the snowleopard fires off rounds of definitions, producing the word in contention in various combinations and sentences hoping to decimate his contenders by sheer volume; these are obviously extracted from some reference book and in many cases bear little resemblance to actual spoken Thai, see his claim for ก้ช่าง meaning 'accordingly' in 'Thai sayings', page 3.

Still, he enjoys the fight.

bannork.

[snowleopard]

the snowleopard fires off rounds of definitions, producing the word in contention in various combinations and sentences hoping to decimate his contenders by sheer volume; these are obviously extracted from some reference book

I reiterate that I've heard มิตร "mit" and สหาย "sa-hai" several times and you're calling me a lier straight to my face.

I heard you loud and clear Barney.

I've even used them myself without creating any noticeably bad karma.

To be sure,I've now asked several of my students and they confirm that it's okay to use both in spoken Thai.

Why don't you follow suit and ask around among the hayseeds up in Hicksville?

Still, he enjoys the fight.

bannork

Oh yeah!Wanna see some quality time of me there country bumpkin?

So what ya' waiting for junior?Show me what you got.Give me your best shot!

Snowleopard.

[ProfessorFart]

To be sure,I've now asked several of my students and they confirm that it's okay to use both in spoken Thai.

Students aren't likely to correct their teacher.........

[alleypanda]

snowleopard, mit มิตร , sahai สหาย are literally , no daily life using. you will never hear a thai say 'Khun Somsak pen sahai (or mit) kong pom' but say 'Khun somsak pen pern sanid kong pom' or Khun Somsak pen pern ce (ku hu) kong pom.

You can use mit or sahai nothing wrong with that just no thais would use it in thier convesation.

[bannork]

there are no free snowleopards in any metropolis so I can only presume you are a tragic victim of man's inhumanity to man, encased in some public zoo, open to the paying public and students for a nominal fee.It's ironic you are so willing to disparage me, bannork, as someone from the sticks, (what sticks do they mean?), when you own name suggests a wildness and ferocity beyond บ้านนอก and the plains of Issan.

Nevertheless, as you say, 'show me what you've got'......Here in Issan it's เพื่อนฃี้ as already mentioned for buddy,หมู่ means friend and,' like a friend of the family'is ฉันญาติพี่น้อง, actually that's Thai ,บ่เเม่นอีสาน,

To expand the thread beyond buddy, here's a fair weather friend, เพื่อนกิน

I think we've exhausted the Thai possibilities for buddy so how about expanding the thread to 'buddy can you spare a dime?' etc?

bannork.

[snowleopard]

snowleopard, mit มิตร , sahai สหาย  are literally , no daily life using. you will never hear a thai say 'Khun Somsak pen sahai (or mit) kong pom' but say 'Khun somsak pen pern sanid kong pom' or Khun Somsak pen pern ce (ku hu) kong pom.

You can use mit or sahai nothing wrong with that just no thais would use it in thier convesation.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nobody use the word Sahai สหาย or Mit มิตร in their conversation, way too formal.

อาจจะเป็นเพราะว่าเธอไม่เคยเจอมิตรแท้

เสือดาว

[alleypanda]

snowleopard ,have you heard this one?

ยามมั่งมี มากมาย มิตรหมายมอง

ยามมัวหมอง มิตรมอง เหมือนหมูหมา

ยามไม่มี มิตรเมิน เมื่อมองมา

ยามมอดม้วย หมูหมา ไม่มามอง

[snowleopard]

snowleopard ,have you heard this one?

ยามมั่งมี มากมาย มิตรหมายมอง

ยามมัวหมอง มิตรมอง เหมือนหมูหมา

ยามไม่มี มิตรเมิน เมื่อมองมา

ยามมอดม้วย หมูหมา ไม่มามอง

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi there Alleypanda,

Yes,I think I've heard it!

Is it the allegorical story in Thai that teaches us the following things among others...

ใช้เงินเลี้ยงเพื่อน

เที่ยวเตร่เสเพล ไม่นานเงินก็หมด เพื่อนฝูงที่เคยล้อมหน้าล้อมหลัง

ก็หายหน้าไปทีละคน

ยามเมื่อเรายากจนคนดูถูก ถ้อยคำที่พูดไม่มีน้ำหนัก ถึงพูดความจริงก็ยังไม่มีคนเชื่อ

แต่เมื่อยามมั่งมีเงินทอง จะพูดอย่างไรจริงหรือเท็จไม่สำคัญ คนย่อมยอมรับเชื่อถือ

Cheers.

Snowleopard.

[bannork]

Alleypanda,

What beautiful alliteration, would you agree, to sum up we could say มีเงินเรียกน้องมีทองเรียกพี่, money talks เงินเป็นพระเจ้า

but I think your poem is a little unfair because true pigs and dogs don't ignore us when we shuffle off our mortal coil, rather they will heartily devour our corpses!

Still, your metaphor memorises many mortal men !

bannork.