PeaceBlondie Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 I understand mai bpen rai. So, if you leave off mai, can it be a problem, as in "bpen rai"? Also, some Thais add an a when the word in English starts with s and another consonant. Sa-pain, sa-mart. Do they say spaghetti? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipvice Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 My wife says Spa-getti, so that must be the right way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5tash Posted August 30, 2008 Share Posted August 30, 2008 I understand mai bpen rai. So, if you leave off mai, can it be a problem, as in "bpen rai"?Also, some Thais add an a when the word in English starts with s and another consonant. Sa-pain, sa-mart. Do they say spaghetti? "mai bpen rai" is a loose term, it can mean a number of things. "It doesn't matter." — "Never mind." — "You're welcome" — "Don't mention it." — "It's no big deal."-"No problem". If you leave off the "mai", "bpen rai" would have the meaning of "matter; do matter", it wouldn't have the meaning of "problem", as you suggested. Thai only has a handful of consonant clusters (combination of two consonant sounds) compared to English. s + p isn't one of them, therefore the English loanword "spaghetti" is pronounced "sa-pa-get-tii". Though, some Thais who have been educated in English will be able to pronounce the s+p combination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgjackson69 Posted August 30, 2008 Share Posted August 30, 2008 The "sp" combination is one...for example, you will usually hear 'special' pronounced as "sa-pecial". Two other sounds that are difficult for Thais, as nothing similar exists in the Thai language..."v" sound, especially within a word, as "savory'. Also "z" sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoot Posted August 30, 2008 Share Posted August 30, 2008 "bpen rai" can be used as a question. It's shorten from 'bpen-a-rai' means 'what's wrong(with you)?. Or, bpen rai mai? means 'Are you ok?'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommyj4 Posted August 30, 2008 Share Posted August 30, 2008 Sapagetti Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subseasteve Posted August 30, 2008 Share Posted August 30, 2008 Well my name is thateeb, (Steve), so there goes two problems in one. I love it when they call me Thateeb. nBut I try not to make my smile too obvious, coz there English is better than my Thai in most cases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmore99 Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 I understand mai bpen rai. So, if you leave off mai, can it be a problem, as in "bpen rai"? The opposite of "mai bpen rai" (=it doesn't matter/it is OK) is "bpen sii" (=it does matter/it is not OK) or "bpen arai sii" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thithi Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 I say "Sa-paa-get-teeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeaceBlondie Posted September 13, 2008 Author Share Posted September 13, 2008 Okay, my novel can be changed. bpen sii it is. And the Italian restaurant in Mae Hong Son has sa-pa-getti moo, but the menu is spelled wrong, both in Thai and in Spanish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scyriacus Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 thai language does not have certain sounds like sp & st (sapeak, satation, satamp, sapecial). this is because thai has many words where a vowel is not written but spoken; even many words without any vowel at all (dirty=sogkaprogk สกปรก, minus=lob ลบ etc). another typical problem for thais is the final -l which is impossible as ending sound in thai and spoken -n. try: "final local call people". satun = สตูล, phumiphon = ภูมิพล, all -l are spoken -n. -k is written, but -t is spoken like in samak (spoken samat) on the other hand english speakers have similar problems with sounds not vailable in english. especially vowels like in 'meat' = เนื้อ, 'boring' = เบื่อ, cat = แมว, night = คืน, money =เงิน, forget = ลืม are nearly impossible to transliterate or transcribe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transliteration) into english, but rather easy into german, which has those similar sounds 'äöü'. ipa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Phonetic_Alphabet) would be the best tool to speak foreign words, but too few people know it. Thai (ภาษาไทย, transcription: phasa thai, transliteration: p̣hās̄ʹāthịy; IPA: [pʰāːsǎːtʰāj]). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_language. the better we sapeak thai the better we understand thai peopen. my english friend always came to trang to drink beer chang (not trung & chung, which sounds so much better in thai ears)........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5tash Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 .......but -t is spoken like in samak (spoken samat) Are you sure? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmore99 Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 thai language does not have certain sounds like sp & st (sapeak, satation, satamp, sapecial). this is because thai has many words where a vowel is not written but spoken; even many words without any vowel at all (dirty=sogkaprogk สกปรก, minus=lob ลบ etc). another typical problem for thais is the final -l which is impossible as ending sound in thai and spoken -n. try: "final local call people". satun = สตูล, phumiphon = ภูมิพล, all -l are spoken -n. -k is written, but -t is spoken like in samak (spoken samat)on the other hand english speakers have similar problems with sounds not vailable in english. especially vowels like in 'meat' = เนื้อ, 'boring' = เบื่อ, cat = แมว, night = คืน, money =เงิน, forget = ลืม are nearly impossible to transliterate or transcribe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transliteration) into english, but rather easy into german, which has those similar sounds 'äöü'. ipa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Phonetic_Alphabet) would be the best tool to speak foreign words, but too few people know it. Thai (ภาษาไทย, transcription: phasa thai, transliteration: p̣hās̄ʹāthịy; IPA: [pʰāːsǎːtʰāj]). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_language. the better we sapeak thai the better we understand thai peopen. my english friend always came to trang to drink beer chang (not trung & chung, which sounds so much better in thai ears)........... Just to promote the use of IPA: The thai2english website makes it possible to choose various transcription methods, among them are IPA and the Paiboon version of IPA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mangkorn Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 .......but -t is spoken like in samak (spoken samat) Are you sure? I beg to differ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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