Word / Spelling / Pronunciation But Different Meaning

[WalenThaiTeachers]

Dear Students,

There is an interesting Thai word that some of our students always asked about it.

Do you want to know what word? The word is ที่. Have you ever seen or heard about this word before?

Translation of “ที่”

1. land, place, area, seat [N]Eg. ที่ดิน = land, พื้นที่ = area, ที่นั่ง =seat ที่ทำงาน=work place / office

2. ordinal number, as in [N] Eg. ที่หนึ่ง = the first

3. that, at, to [PREP] Eg. ที่บ้าน = at home

4. which, that, who [relative pronouns] Eg. ห้องของเรา [ที่มีประตูสีขาวและหน้าต่างสีเหลือง] จำเป็นต้องทาสี = Our room [that has a white door and yellow windows] needs painting.

Let us see an example of a sentence that contains this word up to 3 times.

Thai: คุณรู้จักผู้ชายคนที่นั่งอยู่บนที่นั่งสีขาวชั้นแถวที่สามไหม

Eng: Do you know the guy that is sitting on a white seat in the third roll?

The first “ที่” is being used as relative pronoun to introduce adjective clause.

The second “ที่” is being used as a noun meaning “seat” or a place for sitting.

And, the last “ที่” is being used as ordinal number meaning the third.

Therefore, you need to analyze the sentence so that you can know the word’s functions and its meanings.

Have a great day!

Love,

Your Thai Teachers

Edited September 24, 2008 by WalenThaiTeachers

[WalenThaiTeachers]

Correction for an error:

Thai: คุณรู้จักผู้ชายคนที่นั่งอยู่บนที่นั่งสีขาวชั้นแถวที่สามไหม

Eng: Do you know the guy that is sitting on a white seat in the third roll? <--- roll x , row (corrected word)

Thank you very much for your notice, K. David =)

[mangkorn]

Nice contribution. Keep them coming.

Perhaps you could compare/contrast that word with ที and offer usage examples of the latter?

Cheers.

[Jeddah Jo]

Isn't it also used as a classifier, for a bowl of noodles for example?

JJ.

[WalenThaiTeachers]

Hi JJ and all,

You are right! It's also classifiers for a seat or bolwl in a restaurant, a seat in a cinema / opera house, etc.

For example:

ขอผัดไท 3 ที่

3 Padthai please. (Padthai is a name of Thai food)

กรุณาจัดที่นั่งให้ 7 ที่

Can you please set 3 seats?

ฉันจองที่นั่ง วี ไอ พี ในโรงละครให้เธอและเพื่อนทั้งหมด 5 ที่

I reserved 5 V.I.P. seats in the opera house for you and friends.

Thank you for everyone's recommendation.

Regards,

Your Thai Teachers

Isn't it also used as a classifier, for a bowl of noodles for example?

JJ.

[WalenThaiTeachers]

Hello everybody,

You might hear a Thai word, "หลัง" many times. There are 3 major meanings for the word that we would like to show you today.

Translation of "หลัง":

1. back (part of body) [N] Eg. ปวดหลัง = backache

2. after [ADJ.] Eg. หลังอาหาร = post-meal; after meal ; ทีหลัง = after, later

3. classifier for a house [N] Eg. บ้าน 1 หลัง = 1 house

If you have any question, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Have a lovely day!

Best Regards,

Your Thai Teachers

Walen School of Thai

[mangkorn]

If you have any question, please don't hesitate to contact us.

There was a question in post #3...

[WalenThaiTeachers]

Thank you very much for your kind remind, Mangkorn (Dragon / มังกร)!

We are delighted to give you some examples for comparing 2 contrasting words using "ที่"

เลือกที่รัก มักที่ชัง (Thai idiom, negative meaning) = to discriminate against

First ที่ = to love ; Second ที่ = to hate

Eg. This Indian teacher of English felt she had been discriminated against because of her race.

ครูสอนภาษาอังกฤษชาวอินเดียคนนี้ รู้สึกว่าเธอถูกเลือกที่รัก มักที่ชัง เพราะว่าเชื้อชาติของเธอ

ถูกเลือกที่รัก มักที่ชัง = to be discriminated

Best Regards,

Your Thai Teachers

Walen School of Thai

[5tash]

I think Mangkorn is looking for a comparison between the two different words ที่ and ที.

[WalenThaiTeachers]

correction of post # 8 ถูกเลือกที่รัก มักที่ชัง = to be discriminated against

[WalenThaiTeachers]

Hello 5tash (Senior Member),

Thank you very much for your notice.

For the meaning's differences of the 2 words ที่ (with the tone, ไม้เอก) and ที, we would like to give some examples that normally be used as below:

ที = time

หลายที / หลายครั้ง = many times กี่ที / กี่ครั้ง = how many times?

ทุกที / ทุกครั้ง = every time

บางที = sometimes, occasionally

สักที = once

ซักที = just once, once, even once

เข้าที = make sense, be appropriate

ที่ = a place

หลายที่ = many places

กี่ที่ = how many places

ทุกที่ = everywhere, every place

บางที่ = somewhere, some places

สักที่ = somewhere

ซักที่ = somewhere

เข้าที่ = make sense, be appropriate, be decent be suitable

Thank you again for your participating!

Best Regards,

Your Thai Teachers

Walen School of Thai

[WalenThaiTeachers]

15/10/2008

We have a good idea to provide you with a Thai word of a day that has more than 2 different meanings as below:

พัน

= [N] thousand

= [V] bind, coil

= [V] involve, implicate

Have a lovely day!

Best Regards,

Your Thai Teachers

Walen School of Thai

[WalenThaiTeachers]

20 Oct 2008

Let's see a new Thai word with 2 different meanings!

ร้อย

= [ N ] hundred

= [ V ] thread, string together

Examples:

ฉันร้อยดอกไม้เพื่อทำมาลัยได้ = I can thread flowers together to make a garland.

ฉันมีเงินห้าร้อยบาท = I have five hundred baht.

Best Regards,

Your Thai Teachers

[WalenThaiTeachers]

21 Oct 2008

How are you doing all? Thanks for visiting our forum!

Let's see the following interesting word:

ล้าน

= [ ADJ ] bald, bald-headed, hairless

= [ N ] million

Examples:

คุณตาฉันหัวล้าน = My grand-father is bald-headed.

เขามีเงินตั้งร้อยล้านบาท = He has up to 100 millions baht.

Best Regards,

Your Thai Teachers

Walen School of Thai

[WalenThaiTeachers]

22 Oct 2008

Warmest Greetings!

Thanks a lot to visit our forum!

Today again we have a new Thai word for you

to learn. Tomorrow is a public holiday.

Hope you will have a nice day off =)

ขัน

=[ ADV ] amusingly, funnily, ridiculously, absurdly

Examples: เขาพูดได้อย่างน่าขัน = He talked amusingly.

=[ N ] bowl, water, dipper

Examples: หยิบขันน้ำให้ฉันหน่อย = Can you please bring the bowl for me?

=[ V ] crow, coo

Examples: ไก่ขันตอนเช้า = A chicken crows in the morning.

=[ V ] laugh

Examples: โดยปกติเธอขันง่ายมาก = She laughs easily, normally.

=[ V ] tighten, screw tight, wrench

Examples: คุณควรใช้ไขควงขันสองชิ้นนี้ให้ติดกันก่อน = First, you should use a screw driver to screw these two pieces together.

Best Regards,

Your Thai Teachers

Walen School of Thai

[DavidHouston]

WTT,

Are the following really the same word and usage, one in a human context and the other in an animal context?

=[ V ] crow, coo

Examples: ไก่ขันตอนเช้า = A chicken crows in the morning.

=[ V ] laugh

Examples: โดยปกติเธอขันง่ายมาก = She laughs easily, normally.

Is this a "personification" figure of speech for the rooster (I don't think chickens crow) or a belief that people laughing sound like roosters? Which came first, the chicken or the laugh?

Thank you for your very interesting additions to this forum; we all look forward to your continued additions.

[WalenThaiTeachers]

28 Oct 2008

Hello Khun David,

Thank you very much for your participate.

Our Answers:

"Are the following really the same word and usage, one in a human context and the other in an animal context?"

"Is this a "personification" figure of speech for the rooster (I don't think chickens crow) or a belief that people laughing sound like roosters? Which came first, the chicken or the laugh?"

Our Answers:

The words: ขัน, ขำ, or หัวเราะ has the same meaning in some contexts. Each means laugh (v.).

Hmm… This is an interesting question. The sound of chicken is not its laughing, but it's just a natural sound produced by its instinct. This is unlike a human's sound because it's produced from a sense of humor he he he. So, "ขัน" made by chicken is totally different from "ขัน" made by human.

Your Comment: "Thank you for your very interesting additions to this forum; we all look forward to your continued additions."

Our Thanks: Appreciating your comment and questions! And, your welcome Khun David! Please keep reading our new word from day to day.

Best Regards,

Walen School of Thai

[WalenThaiTeachers]

28 Oct 2008

You may hear Thai people saying ฟัก "fák" sometimes. This pronunciation might shock you a bit if you don't really know the meaning of this Thai word. The following are its meanings and using. Hope you will enjoy =) Take care...

ฟัก

= [N] gourd, squash

Example: ฉันต้องการฟักและน้ำเต้า = I want some squashes and gourds.

= [V] hatch

Example: ฉันเห็นไก่ฟักไข่ = I see a hen hatching its eggs.

Your Thai Teachers!

Walen School of Thai

[mynextgig]

Great Posts Thai Teachers !

I am interested as to how the phrase ถูกเลือกที่รัก มักที่ชัง becomes 'To discriminate against'. I am unsure which words are separated and the individual words give little clue as to the final meaning.

Correct to choose a sweetheart often which is hated......

Anyway to help break this down ?

Edited October 28, 2008 by mynextgig

[WalenThaiTeachers]

29 Oct. 2008

Thanks for your compliment, "mynextgig"!

Pleased to analyze the phrase for you as below:

ถูก (to be + v3) เลือก (chosen) ที่รัก (to love)

And มัก (always) ที่ชัง (to be hated)

It's true! This world is not fair and normally worldly people treat others by their races and appearances. Most people are hated than to be loved… Do you think so?

Have a great day!

Best Regards,

Your Thai Teachers

Walen School of Thai

[tgeezer]

21 Oct 2008

How are you doing all? Thanks for visiting our forum!

Let's see the following interesting word:

ล้าน

= [ ADJ ] bald, bald-headed, hairless

= [ N ] million

Examples:

คุณตาฉันหัวล้าน = My grand-father is bald-headed.

เขามีเงินตั้งร้อยล้านบาท = He has up to 100 millions baht.

Best Regards,

Your Thai Teachers

Walen School of Thai

I was told a long time ago that หัวล้าน also meant millionaire, was this to spare me the anguish of being called 'baldy'? One time I heard "วันี้มีพระจันทร์สองดวง" the Thais I was with ignored it!

[5tash]

It's true! This world is not fair and normally worldly people treat others by their races and appearances. Most people are hated than to be loved… Do you think so?

In the English language "hate" is a very strong word...and no I don't think that more people are "hated" than loved.

Edited October 29, 2008 by 5tash

[mynextgig]

29 Oct. 2008

Thanks for your compliment, "mynextgig"!

Pleased to analyze the phrase for you as below:

ถูก (to be + v3) เลือก (chosen) ที่รัก (to love)

And มัก (always) ที่ชัง (to be hated)

It's true! This world is not fair and normally worldly people treat others by their races and appearances. Most people are hated than to be loved… Do you think so?

Have a great day!

Best Regards,

Your Thai Teachers

Walen School of Thai

This is why i persevere with Thai, its has so much more flavour than English.

ภาษาไทยมาจากใจ

[WalenThaiTeachers]

Dear 5Tash,

Yes, it's strong. How about checking the meaning of the following Thai proverb?

"คนรักเท่าผืนหนัง คนชังเท่าผืนเสื่อ"

ชัง = [ V ] hate, detest, abhor, loathe, dislike, despise

This implies "there are less people loving and more people hating"... "คนรักมีน้อยคนชังมีมาก"

Anyway please check the meaning of the above Thai idiom by yourself again. =)) This will help you a lot.

Warmest Regards,

Your Thai Teachers

Walen School of Thai

[5tash]

Dear Thai Teacher,

my apologies, in post #20 I thought that you were trying to imply that "there's more people that hate others, than people that love others"... due to race and nationality.

I didn't realise it was just an overall general view of "there's more people that hate, than people that love"... which could be anything from liquorice to going to the dentist.

Thanks for the interesting idiom.

Come to think of it, there's a lot of people who "love to hate", I wonder which category they would come under?

[Lithobid]

It's true! This world is not fair and normally worldly people treat others by their races and appearances. Most people are hated than to be loved… Do you think so?

In the English language "hate" is a very strong word...and no I don't think that more people are "hated" than loved.

Disagree completely, "Hate" has been adopted as a colloquialism ranging from mild discomfort about something to a dislike, and certainly is much weaker in usage than it's beefier cousins, detest, loathe, abhorrence, repulsive.

just my 2 satang.

Lithobid

[WalenThaiTeachers]

31 Oct 2008

Good Morning everybody!

Thank you for your participations and visiting our forum!

Your comments, suggestions and participations are welcomed. =)

Listening to news this morning, again, I heard a bad news about unemployment circumstances happening around the world, especially in the States. This can be linked to a Thai group of words (phrase) "ลอยแพ", which has been said again and again on many news programs recently. Let's see main meanings of this Thai group of words (phrase) "ลอยแพ" as below:

[ V ] float on a raft, be adrift on a raft

Example: ลูกเรือรอดชีวิตมาได้ด้วยการลอยแพมายังชายฝั่งทะเลทางตะวันตกของประเทศไทย

= Crews survived by floating on a raft to Thailand's west coast.

[ V ] sack, lay off, abandon, dismiss

Example: บริษัทยักษ์ใหญ่แห่งหนึ่งจำเป็นต้องลอยแพพนักงานหลายพันชีวิตเนื่องจากวิกฤตเศรษฐกิจปี 2008

= A giant firm needed to ray off thousands of staff because of a global economic crisis in 2008.

ไม่ต้องการให้ใครถูกลอยแพ =)

Hope you will have a great weekend!

Kind Regards,

Your Thai Teachers

Walen School of Thai

[5tash]

Could there be a connection between these two meanings of "ลอยแพ"?

In ancient times people considered wicked/evil such as witches were tied to rafts and set adrift (abandoned, dismissed) to meet their fate.

Possible?

Thanks for sharing, this interesting phrase.

[DavidHouston]

Could there be a connection between these two meanings of "ลอยแพ"?

In ancient times people considered wicked/evil such as witches were tied to rafts and set adrift (abandoned, dismissed) to meet their fate.

Possible?

Thanks for sharing, this interesting phrase.

RID online:

ลอยแพก. จับใส่แพแล้วปล่อยให้ลอยล่องไปในน้ำตามยถากรรม

เช่น สมัยโบราณเอาคนชั่วลอยแพไป นางกากีถูกลอยแพ,

โดยปริยายหมายถึง ปล่อยให้ตกอยู่ในสถานะลำบาก เช่น

โรงงานขาดทุนต้องปิดกิจการ คนงานจึงถูกลอยแพ.

" . . .to be placed on a raft and released to float away to meet one's fate; for example, in ancient times evil-doers were cast adrift like this; or, an adulteress was set adrift; by implication this phrase means to be let go to live in poverty, for example, 'the factory became bankrupt and had to shut down its operations; the workers were thus laid off'."

Exactly as 5tash explained.

Edited October 31, 2008 by DavidHouston

[tgeezer]

How about checking the meaning of the following Thai proverb?

"คนรักเท่าผืนหนัง คนชังเท่าผืนเสื่อ"

Warmest Regards,

Your Thai Teachers

I hope that you don't mind coming back to this one.

Does it mean that a loving person is the quality of leather compared with a hateful person who is the quality of a mat?

or that there is more leather than grass to make mats? unlikely.

It isn't about numbers is it? Tell us how a Thai sees this please.