Hello

I am trying to learn Thai using Rosetta Stone. I am not sure on the beginning sound of dog is it f or s? Is under udi or uti (all long sounds)? Uni (all long sounds) is that sitting or inside?

Oh yes my nanny says that the word the Thai word for dog & cat are basically the same just pronounced a little different. Which is not what RS says. Both words sorta of sounding like meow. What is correct?

Thanks Peregrine8

I've not used Rosetta Stone, but from what you've outlined, I suppose they were using the formal name for Dog.

สุนัข - Su-Nak (low-hi)

Dog is commonly referred to as หมา - Maa (rising)

Cat is referred to as แมว - Maaeo (mid) more of an onomatopaie. For Thai, they actually are very distinct disrete spellings.

Horse is spelt similar to Dog ม้า Maa (high) and this may be a source of confusion.

You've got me lost on udi, uni and uti.

Under can be ใต้ - Dtai (falling) or ล่าง - Laang (falling)

Sitting is นั่ง - Nang (falling)

Inside is ใน - Nai (mid)

Hope that helps

You've got me lost on udi, uni and uti.

I think he probably means อยู่

sigeena is right that RS uses the formal word for dog, what it says for under is actually a combination of the two answers

สุนัข อยู่ ใต้ _____ sòo-nák (dog) yòo (stay/be located) dtâi (under) _____ probably โต๊ะ dtó (table)

The dog is in the car would be

สุนัข อยู่ ใน รถ sòo-nák yòo nai (in) rót (car/vehicle)

Edited August 4, 200916 yr by withnail

FYI, สุนัข also literally means "The one with beautiful nail"

I don't know whัy they use this word for หมา?

FYI, สุนัข also literally means "The one with beautiful nail"

I don't know whัy they use this word for หมา?

It is of interest that they are two Sandskrit/Pali words but สุนัข is derived from the S/P word ศุนก not สุ+นัข

Edited August 4, 200916 yr by tgeezer

Right, it's actually just the Pali spelling of the Pali/Sanskrit word for "dog". From Monier-Williams:

(H2) śunaka [L=219583] m. a young or small dog , any dog MBh. : xiii , 6070 (cf. Un2. ii , 32 Sch.)

The reason they use it is that Sanskrit and Pali have prestige status, while native words like หมา are relegated to "street" or low Thai. Many native Thai words have become impolite, where in the past they were not, as they have been replaced in formal or polite use by foreign words, mostly Pali, Sanskrit, and Khmer.

Thank you !