How Do I Say This In Thai ?

[bow]

I tried to say "He became rich by helping the Americans during the Vietnam war." in Thai.

The people I was talking to did understand what I tried to say, but my grammar and usage was definitly wrong.

So, could somebody please help me with the correct way of saying this sentence in Thai.

[tanakid]

I tried to say "He became rich by helping the Americans during the Vietnam war." in Thai.

The people I was talking to did understand what I tried to say, but my grammar and usage was definitly wrong.

So, could somebody please help me with the correct way of saying this sentence in Thai.

Kao-dai-ruei-pro-wah-mer-song-kram-viet-nam,kao-dai-chuay-kon-america

[foolforlove]

I think there are several ways to do it, and it would depend on what meaning is important in your sentence.

For example, is the idea you want to emphasize simply that he became rich?

Or how he became rich?

Or that it was especially THE AMERICANS involved in him becoming rich?

Or that it was a WAR (vietnam) that got him rich?

that said.... this will probably do the trick for you, covering the most generic of the above situations:

khao glaai bpen kon ruai dooi chuai lua ameriga giaw gap "vietnam war"

as a further note, it's mostly the USA which would call that conflict "the vietnam war". so this sentence has a meaning/vocabulary problem probably around the term "vietnam war", as that is an american viewpoint. and a viewpoint thais probably wont know.... providing they even knew about a conflict between america and vietnam to begin with.

I tried to say "He became rich by helping the Americans during the Vietnam war." in Thai.

The people I was talking to did understand what I tried to say, but my grammar and usage was definitly wrong.

So, could somebody please help me with the correct way of saying this sentence in Thai.

[bow]

I tried to say "He became rich by helping the Americans during the Vietnam war." in Thai.

The people I was talking to did understand what I tried to say, but my grammar and usage was definitly wrong.

So, could somebody please help me with the correct way of saying this sentence in Thai.

Kao-dai-ruei-pro-wah-mer-song-kram-viet-nam,kao-dai-chuay-kon-america

I don't understand, what language is this ? It certainly isn't Thai.

[Rikker]

I don't think the phrase "Vietnam War" was the problem. The typical Thai name for the conflict is สงครามเวียดนาม. Remember, Thailand was allied with the US during the Vietnam War, so it's not surprising that they use the same name for it.

If you look at the Thai Wikipedia entry on สงครามเวียดนาม, though, it gives Thai translations for three alternative names that Vietnam uses the war (someone else will have to confirm the accuracy of the claim): สงครามปกป้องชาติจากอเมริกัน "War to Protect the Nation From America", สงครามอเมริกัน "American War" and สงครามเศรษฐกิจ "Economic War".

I also agree that the OP's phrase could be translated with different meaning depending on exactly how the person became rich. Most likely it seems that "the Americans" here means the American government / military, so I'd suggest something like:

เขารวยจากการช่วยทหารอเมริกันสมัยสงครามเวียดนาม

khao ruay jaak kaan chuay thahaan amerikan samai songkhraam viatnaam.

[Rikker]

Kao-dai-ruei-pro-wah-mer-song-kram-viet-nam,kao-dai-chuay-kon-america

I don't understand, what language is this ? It certainly isn't Thai.

The Thai script for what he typed would be เขาได้รวยเพราะว่าเมื่อสงครามเวียดนาม เขาได้ช่วยคนอเมริกา

That gets the point across okay, but I'd quibble that คนอเมริกา is too vague (also, as a modifieron a noun it should be อเมริกัน), since it could mean any American or group of them. That's why I preferred ทหารอเมริกัน "American military", though รัฐบาลอเมริกัน "American gov't" could also work, or to be as simple as possible, just plain สหรัฐ "US" -- which implies that you're helping the government.

Many ways to skin this cat...

[GarryP]

I would have to go with Rikker whose Thai sentence would translate as "He became rich from helping (the) American soldiers (army) during the Vietnam war era (the time of the Vietnam war)". The only thing is that it does not give the inference of helping the American army in its involvement with the Vietnam war, which I believe, probably wrongly, that the OP intends to infer.

Edited October 22, 2009 by GarryP

[bow]

I think there are several ways to do it, and it would depend on what meaning is important in your sentence.

For example, is the idea you want to emphasize simply that he became rich?

Or how he became rich?

Or that it was especially THE AMERICANS involved in him becoming rich?

Or that it was a WAR (vietnam) that got him rich?

that said.... this will probably do the trick for you, covering the most generic of the above situations:

khao glaai bpen kon ruai dooi chuai lua ameriga giaw gap "vietnam war"

as a further note, it's mostly the USA which would call that conflict "the vietnam war". so this sentence has a meaning/vocabulary problem probably around the term "vietnam war", as that is an american viewpoint. and a viewpoint thais probably wont know.... providing they even knew about a conflict between america and vietnam to begin with.

I tried to say "He became rich by helping the Americans during the Vietnam war." in Thai.

The people I was talking to did understand what I tried to say, but my grammar and usage was definitly wrong.

So, could somebody please help me with the correct way of saying this sentence in Thai.

More background.

I was talking with some university educated people. They are well informed about what happened in South-East asia during the last 60 years.

We were talking about how this guy became rich. The story is that he had a construction business. He built all sorts of things in the North-East of Thailand for the US military during the 60s'.

He charged the Americans what they felt was fair a price. This price might, however, have been a little bit higher than normal. This is how he became rich.

I would say that both "Amercans" and "Vietnam war" are important.

Secondly, please don't be angry at me, but I hate it when people write in what I like to call "karaoke Thai".

[rgs2001uk]

I would have to go with Rikker whose Thai sentence would translate as "He became rich from helping (the) American soldiers (army) during the Vietnam war era (the time of the Vietnam war)". The only thing is that it does not give the inference of helping the American army in its involvement with the Vietnam war, which I believe, probably wrongly, that the OP intends to infer.

In a situation like this I tend to turn the statement around, to read , by helping the Americans during the Vietnam war he became rich.

Agree with a previous poster, what is it you are trying to get across.

For me it would involve the use of taam hai instead of pro wa, sorry for use of karaoke Thai.

[GarryP]

Some of us have no choice. I can read Thai well enough to translate it to English but I can't write to save my life. I have never had the time to study writing.

PS not angry. Everyone has their own foibles.

[Tod Daniels]

I don't understand, what language is this ? It certainly isn't Thai.

If you can actually read thai script, (something not evidenced by your english only post, but obviously something you thought the readers of the forum would glean either psychically or thru osmotic means) good for you.

That you can read and understand thai script is no small feat in and of itself, but that you would have the audacity to think everyone on the thai language forum can, shows a disregard for basic common courtesy (especially since you’ve been a member of T/V since 2004 and should be well on your way to embracing your inner thai-ness).

I would think doing the back translation from what is called phonemic transcription; or the representation of one languages approximate sounds in another language should not have been all that hard for you.

I have abso-tively posi-lutely zero interest in knowing how to say this sentence, but by using basic elimination was able to quickly glean the first word written as “kao”, by one poster and then again as “khao” by another was most likely none of the words listed below which to the untrained ear sound approximately the same in english ;

ขาว; white

ข่าว; news, tidings

ข้าว; rice

เข่า; knee

เข้า; enter

คาว; stench, stink

เค้า; gist, outline or 1st, 3rd person cutesy (informal)

In fact I was almost immediately able to discern the word was most likely;

เขา; he she them, they..

Now even though the word เขา carries some alternate meanings as in antler, and mountain (seeing as you didn't ask about antlers or mountains) and your english sentence started with the word "he", even you could have figured it out.

Then again, maybe not.....

[TheChiefJustice]

I'd probably say something like เขาได้เปลี่ยนเป็นคนรวยด้วยการช่วยเหลือพวกอเมริกันในสมัยสงครามเวียดนาม

[GarryP]

I wouldn't use เปลี่ยน (plian) which means "change". While he certainly did change, it was much more gradual than "เปลี่ยน" would indicate in your sentence. I would really like to "change" to be a rich person over the weekend but highly improbable.

[bow]

I don't understand, what language is this ? It certainly isn't Thai.

If you can actually read thai script, (something not evidenced by your english only post, but obviously something you thought the readers of the forum would glean either psychically or thru osmotic means) good for you.

That you can read and understand thai script is no small feat in and of itself, but that you would have the audacity to think everyone on the thai language forum can, shows a disregard for basic common courtesy (especially since you've been a member of T/V since 2004 and should be well on your way to embracing your inner thai-ness).

I would think doing the back translation from what is called phonemic transcription; or the representation of one languages approximate sounds in another language should not have been all that hard for you.

I have abso-tively posi-lutely zero interest in knowing how to say this sentence, but by using basic elimination was able to quickly glean the first word written as "kao", by one poster and then again as "khao" by another was most likely none of the words listed below which to the untrained ear sound approximately the same in english ;

ขาว; white

ข่าว; news, tidings

ข้าว; rice

เข่า; knee

เข้า; enter

คาว; stench, stink

เค้า; gist, outline or 1st, 3rd person cutesy (informal)

In fact I was almost immediately able to discern the word was most likely;

เขา; he she them, they..

Now even though the word เขา carries some alternate meanings as in antler, and mountain (seeing as you didn't ask about antlers or mountains) and your english sentence started with the word "he", even you could have figured it out.

Then again, maybe not.....

Yes, I realize that the Thai reading issue is a bit sensitive.

Like many people, reading is the thing I do best. In my native language, in English and in Thai.

Edited October 22, 2009 by bow

[TheChiefJustice]

The use of the word เปลี่ยน does not necessarily imlpy rapid change in every situation. Rather, ได้เปลี่ยนเป็น can be used to indicate a gradual altering of one's current state to that of another, different state. I stand firm.

Edited October 22, 2009 by TheChiefJustice

[Rikker]

I wouldn't use เปลี่ยน either. If I wanted to be sure to retain the meaning "became", I'd opt for กลายเป็น, which is frequently used in this sense. Just like เปลี่ยนเป็น, it must be followed by a noun, so we have to follow it with คนรวย, and if we're going there, might as well throw in ร่ำ, since it sounds better -- คนร่ำรวย.

เขากลายเป็นคนร่ำรวยตอนสมัยสงครามเวียดนาม เขารับเหมาก่อสร้างให้กับทหารอเมริกัน

"He became rich during the Vietnam War; he did construction contracting for the American military."

[GarryP]

I agree that เปลี่ยน does not necessarily mean rapid change in every situation. However, I still feel the use of เปลี่ยน in your context is not appropriate. I would certainly not say what you have written as it just does not feel right. Having said that, I am quite often wrong and lead myself down the garden path.

[mangkorn]

I would say that both "Amercans" and "Vietnam war" are important.

Uruguayans, Brazilians and Guatemalans are "Americans." The US war against Vietnam had nothing to do with any of them.

[Rikker]

That's arguably true in English, but not in Thai, for which the term อเมริกัน specifically means a citizen of the United States (of America).

[TheChiefJustice]

I would still use my original construction and it would be correct. I think it's good we all have different ideas about how to construct Thai sentences. Otherwise, things would be rather boring.

[bow]

Thank you, all. You have made me happy.

I now realize that my grammar and usage, when talking about this person, was not as bad as I thought. Maybe my biggest mistake was that I didn't realize that it was a good idea to use สมัย.

[RickBradford]

In southern Vietnam, the conflict was (and is) known as 'chiến tranh Mỹ', the American War; in the north it may have been given more inspirational terms invoking notions of national liberation, repelling aggressive imperialists etc.

[mangkorn]

I can read Thai well enough to translate it to English but I can't write to save my life. I have never had the time to study writing.

I'm confused about this: what do you mean by "to study writing?"

[GarryP]

I can read Thai well enough to translate it to English but I can't write to save my life. I have never had the time to study writing.

I'm confused about this: what do you mean by "to study writing?"

Been off line for the past few days. What is confusing about not having the time to study the Thai writing system? Reading is pretty easy to pick up as you soon learn which characters have what sound and of course context helps a lot. However, writing is not so simple and I doubt many people could pick it up without seriously studying it.

[bow]

I can read Thai well enough to translate it to English but I can't write to save my life. I have never had the time to study writing.

I'm confused about this: what do you mean by "to study writing?"

Been off line for the past few days. What is confusing about not having the time to study the Thai writing system? Reading is pretty easy to pick up as you soon learn which characters have what sound and of course context helps a lot. However, writing is not so simple and I doubt many people could pick it up without seriously studying it.

I agree with you that you need to seriously study writing to be able to write a long paper letter, e-mail or a post in this forum, in correct Thai.

(And I have not, so, you won't find me writing more than a couple of words in Thai, here, or anywhere else.)