hello all you experts,

I haven't posted a topic here for a while, been very lazy and my Thai is going backwards again.

I have always had a problem with ให้ hâi and its usage, but this post is about using ให้ or ทำให้ tam hâi. I make mistakes so often.

ผมจะให้มีความสุข pŏm jà hâi mee kwaam sòok - this means that I wish you happiness, normally said to newly weds or something like that.

But to say that "You make me happy"

คุณทำให้มีความสุข koon tam hâi mee kwaam sòok

In this example, I can sort of understand the difference to a degree.

koon tam hâi mee kwaam sòok - You cause me to have happiness - you make me happy

But

pŏm jà hâi mee kwaam sòok

I will allow you, permit you, give you to have happiness. No it does not mean this. It means I wish you/hope that you have happiness

ให้ hâi is a very difficult word to understand fully, but ทำให้ tam hâi, I'm never sure when to use one or the other.

Any suggestions to help me understand?

Edited April 26, 200917 yr by loong

Hi Loong,

On a wedding I usually say:

ขอให้มีความสุข

May you be happy (I- ask for - let - have - happiness)

I never heard anyone say:

ผมจะให้มีความสุข

If I would translate this sentence, I would also translate it as:

I will let you be happy.

This would normally not be said by a guest on a wedding.

Are you sure about this sentence?

In my opinion this sentence is not used without ทำ.

for instance, the groom or bride could say the following to each other:

จะทำให้มีความสุข

I will make you happy.

If you use ทำให้ you make very clear who are what is causing the action and there's a very strong relation between the action and the result. ทำให้ could be translated as "make".

For instance:

ความรักทำให้คนมีความสุข

Love makes people happy

ให้ can have several meanings: give, let, allow, to, for

In case it means "allow" or "let" is not always very clear who or what is causing the action and the relation between the cause and the result is not that strong (i.e. there could be other causes).

For instance:

จะอยู่อย่างไรกับผู้สูงอายุให้มีความสุข (will- live - how - with- elderly- let/allow - have - happiness)

How to happily live together with elderly?

In this question the cause (of happiness) is unknown, so there's no strong relation between cause and result.

Edited April 28, 200917 yr by kriswillems

Kriswillems, you're right, I don't know what I was thinking when I posted.

ผมจะให้มีความสุข, This is definitely wrong

It should be as you said.

ขอให้มีความสุข or maybe

ขอให้จะมีความสุข

Got to go out now, so will study the rest of your reply later - thanks