Calling Boyfriend: "khun!"

[keestha]

When my girlfriend, with whom I have not been together for so long, tries to get my attention, she will call out "khun!", instead of for instance using my name which is easy to pronounce for Thais. Should I interprete this as respectful or not? I am familiar with the fact that you can address your partner with "meung" whilst referring to yourself as "khoo".

[Firefoxx]

Meung and goo are very crass words, to be used only when you're talking with your best friends or your worst enemies. They're not usually used with a girlfriend/boyfriend.

Khun is a respectful word, and a wife will usually use "khun ka" to call her husband, but not the other way around. It's a bit too formal to be used when talking to your girlfriend, and vice versa. Usually you just use the name/nickname of your girlfriend/boyfriend, with no special words other than perhaps "pee" and "nong".

[ProfessorFart]

Thai Pronouns! My favourite quagmire.........

I'd say you can interpret your GF's use of Khun as respectful especially as she uses it in public. It could be a device to ensure your relationship appears respectful in the public eye as it beats the he11 out of bawling 'teerak' every 5 seconds.

Meung and Koo are mostly used by kids.

[Khutan]

You said "meung" is that pronounced like "moo-ung" or more like moong. The latter is an insult, but may also be a term of endearment.

Moo-ung means literally "People of" so in Surin they like to be called someone "Moo-ung Chan" which means People of the Elephant.

I jusw wonder if they ever say the movie "Elephant Man" Sure the translator would have been busy with that script.

[Dickie]

When my girlfriend, with whom I have not been together for so long, tries to get my attention, she will call out "khun!", instead of for instance using my name which is easy to pronounce for Thais. Should I interprete this as respectful or not? I am familiar with the fact that you can address your partner with "meung" whilst referring to yourself as "khoo".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

At least there isn't a 't' at the end of it, so I think she likes you.

[ProfessorFart]

At least there isn't a 't' at the end of it, so I think she likes you.

[Khutan]

That has to be the quote of the day

At least there isn't a 't' at the end of it, so I think she likes you

[Kathe]

Meung and goo are very crass words, to be used only when you're talking with your best friends or your worst enemies.  They're not usually used with a girlfriend/boyfriend. 

Khun is a respectful word, and a wife will usually use "khun ka" to call her husband, but not the other way around.  It's a bit too formal to be used when talking to your girlfriend, and vice versa.  Usually you just use the name/nickname of your girlfriend/boyfriend, with no special words other than perhaps "pee" and "nong".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Quite right, she is respectful. Wife can call her husband as * Khun Pee kaa..* Khun + your name...in public. It is nice and very polite. Goo Mueng..is primitive...please try to avoid in public. If any of your wives....call you * Ai Hah...Ai hia......Mueng Goo....* it sounds so sweet ? It's sounds the same as you ficking....Guy....another way...if your wife always calling you * Tiirak..kha..* and later change to.....Khun Mr. ABC....Or Khun Mr. Smith or whatever...it means she is using formal form with you with barrier ...showing you that....I am going to ignor you laew na....I am angry a bit laew na..Ai Mister Bah. ....( opps..sorry there are only for examples...kha. )

[meadish_sweetball]

Meung and goo are very crass words, to be used only when you're talking with your best friends or your worst enemies.  They're not usually used with a girlfriend/boyfriend. 

Khun is a respectful word, and a wife will usually use "khun ka" to call her husband, but not the other way around.  It's a bit too formal to be used when talking to your girlfriend, and vice versa.  Usually you just use the name/nickname of your girlfriend/boyfriend, with no special words other than perhaps "pee" and "nong".

100% correct according to my experience too. Husband and wife using "kuu" and meung" to each other would create the impression that they

a. Are mad at eachother and have thrown ALL politeness and face to the wind, trying as hard as they can to insult each other.

b. Are horsing around, the same way as you can play around by deliberately using too respectful pronouns (it is much more common to play with the respectful pronouns as they don't sound ugly in the public eye).

I find it's very common with the wife or girlfriend calling her husband "pee" (or "aay" in Northern Thai), and the man calling his wife "nong".

Khun is ok, respectful. I personally asked my fiancée to please stop calling me "khun" as I felt it sounded a bit TOO respectful... more like we were colleagues than partners. She now mostly uses my name or "tee rak", often with a "kha" (or "jao") particle.

[bannork]

That has to be the quote of the day 

At least there isn't a 't' at the end of it, so I think she likes you

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

no, it's idiotic because the pronunciation is way off, 'oon', pronounced quickly, as in 'soon I'll be gon' compared to 'un', as in 'bun', not a cunning stunt at all.

bannork

[Khutan]

I don't agree...

I have just consulted my wife and her opinion is...

Quite right, she is respectful. Wife can call her husband as * Khun Pee kaa..* Khun + your name...in public. It is nice and very polite.

Well if you are very Hi-So, that is ok, otherwise you may look like an idiot - it is excessively Hi-So, like Taksin's wife would say that.

So if you want to view yourself like that - up to you - Taam jai khun.

My wife calls me by name only. Your wife and g/f is allowed that liberty. Even when my wife was in the early days of being a g/f she didn't use the term Khun, her friends and family did and still do. Her belief was you are my b/f, how would you like me to talk to you in the bedroom...... A place I really wanted to be with her.

Ok this is a view from the south of Issan. But it works for me

Edited December 13, 2004 by mattnich