Gaccha Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I love words that have no English equivalent. They seem to pop up fairly often, so perhaps with this thread we can collate them. Here is my first word: ยอง. to sit on your heels And to get you all going: I know there is a word to describe protruding lips that signify something, but I forget the word... And I know there is a word to describe pulling in your stomache (and it means nothing else) but I've forgot that too... Neither of the above are slang. They are totally regular vocab. Let's ignore slang. Any other words...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaccha Posted April 16, 2009 Author Share Posted April 16, 2009 One more one more... ขอด.(verb) s.t. left over at the bottom of s.t. On www.thai-language.com it translates it as to dry up or run dry But this is not same same, as the verb can be used for water at the bottom of a glass. Water as an object cannot run dry; water cannot, by definition, dehydrate to a different, dry form. Okay, your turn... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidHouston Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 One more one more...ขอด.(verb) s.t. left over at the bottom of s.t. On www.thai-language.com it translates it as to dry up or run dry But this is not same same, as the verb can be used for water at the bottom of a glass. Water as an object cannot run dry; water cannot, by definition, dehydrate to a different, dry form. Okay, your turn... From Lexitron: ขอด 2 [V] scale; scrape off Syn. ขูด Def. ทำให้สิ่งที่ติดอยู่ออกมาด้วยอาการอย่างขูด. To remove something which is attached by using a scraping motion Sample:แม่ครัวขอดเกล็ดปลาให้เสร็จก่อนจะหั่นเป็นชิ้นๆ The cook scraped the scales off the fish before cutting it into pieces. ขอด 2 [V] scrape the bottom Syn. ขูด Def. เหลืออยู่น้อยจนถึงกับต้องขูดเอา. Only a very little remains (at the bottom of something) such that it must be scraped off. Sample:คนในภาคอีสานแทบจะต้องขอดน้ำจากอ่างเก็บน้ำมาใช้ People who live in the Northeast sometimes need to scrape water from the bottom of the reservoir for their (daily) use. Khun Gaccha, Is "scrape" not appropriate in this context? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eefoo Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I love words that have no English equivalent. They seem to pop up fairly often, so perhaps with this thread we can collate them.Any other words...? Interesting idea. I have one. ครับ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaccha Posted April 16, 2009 Author Share Posted April 16, 2009 One more one more...ขอด.(verb) s.t. left over at the bottom of s.t. On www.thai-language.com it translates it as to dry up or run dry But this is not same same, as the verb can be used for water at the bottom of a glass. Water as an object cannot run dry; water cannot, by definition, dehydrate to a different, dry form. Okay, your turn... From Lexitron: ขอด 2 [V] scale; scrape off Syn. ขูด Def. ทำให้สิ่งที่ติดอยู่ออกมาด้วยอาการอย่างขูด. To remove something which is attached by using a scraping motion Sample:แม่ครัวขอดเกล็ดปลาให้เสร็จก่อนจะหั่นเป็นชิ้นๆ The cook scraped the scales off the fish before cutting it into pieces. ขอด 2 [V] scrape the bottom Syn. ขูด Def. เหลืออยู่น้อยจนถึงกับต้องขูดเอา. Only a very little remains (at the bottom of something) such that it must be scraped off. Sample:คนในภาคอีสานแทบจะต้องขอดน้ำจากอ่างเก็บน้ำมาใช้ People who live in the Northeast sometimes need to scrape water from the bottom of the reservoir for their (daily) use. Khun Gaccha, Is "scrape" not appropriate in this context? I think this is a different word. This is a transitive, right? While my word is resolutely intransitive. I think there are three homonyms: 1. to knot 2. [my word] e.g. นํ้าขอดโอ่ง 3. to scrape ...but I'm not certain... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaccha Posted April 16, 2009 Author Share Posted April 16, 2009 Or what do you make of this: เกาะแกะ (verb, intransitive?) This is used (against me) when I buy a coffee for someone or give them headache medicine... to be a smoothy ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrubber Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I love words that have no English equivalent. They seem to pop up fairly often, so perhaps with this thread we can collate them.Here is my first word: ยอง. to sit on your heels And to get you all going: I know there is a word to describe protruding lips that signify something, but I forget the word... And I know there is a word to describe pulling in your stomache (and it means nothing else) but I've forgot that too... Neither of the above are slang. They are totally regular vocab. Let's ignore slang. Any other words...? The pulling in your stomach one is... kamaew poong - sorry for the bad transliteration and lack of Thai typing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidHouston Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 To follow up on Gaccha's original suggestion, are there elegant English ways to express the following posturing or positioning terms in Thai? นั่งยอง ๆ – sitting in a squatting position in, for example, the old-style squat johns, and 2. for sitting when one receives the blessing from a monk after providing him with food in the morning. นั่งขัดสมาธิ – to sit cross-legged in the lotus position นั่งพับเพียบ – to sit on the floor with one's legs tucked back นั่งคุกเข่า - partial sitting where one's knees are on the ground and your backside is on your heels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mangkorn Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 (edited) I love words that have no English equivalent. They seem to pop up fairly often, so perhaps with this thread we can collate them.Any other words...? Interesting idea. I have one. ครับ If you include particles, this list could get long pretty quickly... That said, however, I might suggest the ครับ does have possible English equivalents, if one accepts it as a derivation of ขอรับ: "At your service," "I am your humble servant," "Milord," or something like that... (Relevant "emoticon"?) Edit: Perhaps, "How may I help you?" Granted, one could argue that Thais are not really expressing that idea when they say ครับ, but then again, with certain comparative modern English sayings (e.g., "Have a nice day"), people who say that don't really care whether you have a nice day, or not. It's a polite pleasantry, sort of like ครับ. (In Latin American Spanish, people always say, as an automatic polite refrain (translated): "I am at your service, if there is anything you need, don't hesitate to ask..." - but, if you ask for even a small favor, the reply will often be hemming and hawing and all manner of excuses to not do what they just offered to do.) Edited April 17, 2009 by mangkorn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NaiGreg Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 The word เห่อ (heur) does not seem to have an English equivalent. My understanding is that it describes a feeling when one becomes engrossed or obsessed with a new "toy" (or simply a little too proud) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loong Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 (edited) I think this is a different word. This is a transitive, right? While my word is resolutely intransitive. I think there are three homonyms:1. to knot 2. [my word] e.g. นํ้าขอดโอ่ง 3. to scrape ...but I'm not certain... น้ำขอดโอ่ง This would mean that there is only a scraping left ie there is a very small amount left, but not enough to drink? น้ำแห้งขอดโอ่ง When it's empty Edited April 18, 2009 by loong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loong Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 I know there is a word to describe protruding lips that signify something, but I forget the word... People in the North often point with their lips to indicate something or a direction instead of using a finger. Is this what you mean? บุ้ยใบ้ bûi bâi http://www.thai2english.com/dictionary/11910.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loong Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 The pulling in your stomach one is...kamaew poong - sorry for the bad transliteration and lack of Thai typing! กระแหม่วท้อง grà-màew tóng You've used พุง poong, I'm not sure if poong and tóng are interchangeable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loong Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 เกรงใจ greng jai Is a Thai word that definitely has no equivalent in English. In fact many people cannot agree on the actual definition. Nothing in English seems to define it accurately. It can mean considerate, respectful, esteem, a very complex word Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaccha Posted April 18, 2009 Author Share Posted April 18, 2009 เกรงใจ greng jaiIs a Thai word that definitely has no equivalent in English. In fact many people cannot agree on the actual definition. Nothing in English seems to define it accurately. It can mean considerate, respectful, esteem, a very complex word Wow. My dictionary gives a very different reading: 1. to not want to take advantage of s.b.s generosity or friendliness 2. to not want to embarrass s.b. (by criticising etc) I only know the first reading. Interesting. A guess from its literal meaning would be: to fear (for the worst) on your own actions on others... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krading Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 เกรงใจ To be reluctant to impose on somebody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krading Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 Or what do you make of this:เกาะแกะ (verb, intransitive?) This is used (against me) when I buy a coffee for someone or give them headache medicine... to be a smoothy ? เกาะแกะ To cling onto sheep Could be a 'dag' or a Kiwi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrubber Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 The pulling in your stomach one is...kamaew poong - sorry for the bad transliteration and lack of Thai typing! กระแหม่วท้อง grà-màew tóng You've used พุง poong, I'm not sure if poong and tóng are interchangeable. Thanks for giving the Thai script Loong :-) I've only ever heard it used with 'poong', I guess because 'poong' has negative implications and Thais seem to use it when referring to a chubby belly (anything other than an ironing board flat stomach!), and so it would need to be sucked in for them to look 'beautiful'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loong Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 There was quite a discussion about เกรงใจ before at http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/and3648and35...51-t216374.html I'm sure that there have been others but have been unable to find them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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