Hi.

Can someone please tell me how to say 'just looking' in Thai?

Thanks.

phonetically: doo choie choie

phonetically: doo choie choie

Njce to know but just have to learn th pronounsiation as we know there are many (makes a fun time) so in between learning I`ll still have to do the act of puting up one hand to my eyes (just looking)

phonetically: doo choie choie

Njce to know but just have to learn th pronounsiation as we know there are many (makes a fun time) so in between learning I`ll still have to do the act of puting up one hand to my eyes (just looking)

That has worked for me every day for five years, so don't worry.

moving to the Thai language forum

kae doo krap :-)

You could also say 'doo len'.

Is it for use in a shop or a go-go bar?

doo choie choie is entirely flat tone (middle tone), so don't worry about tonation with this expression. and yes, can also say "doo len" but the "len" is falling tone.

doo choie choie is entirely flat tone (middle tone)

Actually it's a mid tone followed by two rising tones:

ดูเฉยๆ

if you said

ดูเชยๆ which has all mid tones

that would mean something like '(It) looks old-fashioned, behind the times'.

I frequently use 'doo gone'.

Am i wrong?

I frequently use 'doo gone'.

Am i wrong?

Up-country, you are absolutely correct, though it sounds slightly abrupt by itself so you might want to dress it up a little, e.g.:

kor doo gone krub

ขอดูก่อนครับ

You may have noticed that no one translated "just looking". You always need to ask, what would Thais say in this situation, if trying to convey the same meaning. Often they express themselves very differently from the way we would.

villagefarang, go back and read the thread again a little more carefully. The #2 post answered the question, followed up by a rendering into Thai script at post #10. ดูเฉยๆ is a perfectly good idiomatic translation of the phrase.

villagefarang, go back and read the thread again a little more carefully. The #2 post answered the question, followed up by a rendering into Thai script at post #10. ดูเฉยๆ is a perfectly good idiomatic translation of the phrase.

The point is, that if you translate "just" and "looking" literally, as farangs often do, you wouldn't get anything near what a Thai would say. I was pointing out that all the translations were indeed idiomatic and not literal. If you go back and read again a little more carefully you might pick up on that.

My mistake. I misread your meaning. Apologies.

A simple mai pen lai seems to work for everything like that

at least thats what the thais say in that situation

The point is, that if you translate "just" and "looking" literally, as farangs often do, you wouldn't get anything near what a Thai would say. I was pointing out that all the translations were indeed idiomatic and not literal.

Reminds me of an English friend of mine in Spain who went to a garden shop and asked for "fencing". The shopkeeper was totally confused.

the mai pen rai response with a smile is one of my most used responses in daily interaction. its an easy, polite and effective way to dismiss someone or something.

however, i would have to agree that "doo cheey cheey" is the better response for the OP

villagefarang, go back and read the thread again a little more carefully. The #2 post answered the question, followed up by a rendering into Thai script at post #10. ดูเฉยๆ is a perfectly good idiomatic translation of the phrase.

The point is, that if you translate "just" and "looking" literally, as farangs often do, you wouldn't get anything near what a Thai would say. I was pointing out that all the translations were indeed idiomatic and not literal. If you go back and read again a little more carefully you might pick up on that.

i'm confused. all you asked for in your original post was how to say "just looking". did you not get the answer you were looking for?

villagefarang was just making an observation about the nature of translation, apparently. That is, one does not translate literally but idiomatically. Not sure that needed to be pointed out, but I believe that was the intent of the post.

still confused, but i'm not smart so...

phonetically: doo choie choie

เพิ่งมีการค้นหา

Cay Doo..as in Ka do....

Depends on the situation but for example if you're browsing a rack of clothes and the assistant starts shoving stuff in your face, it's annoying but you don't want be rude so to be a little more polite: ขอดูเท่านั้น - I just want to look/(please) let me look

On a related note. Before you start just looking, I think the shop girl may say ถามได้ค่ะ or ทำได้ค่ะ Can do? Can ask? It is a trivial, but

just bugs me a little I can’t tell. Which one is it? or maybe it’s neither.

I think they're saying ถามได้ค่ะ - inviting you to ask a question if you've got one.

I think they're saying ถามได้ค่ะ - inviting you to ask a question if you've got one.

Agreed.

Yep, ถามได้(ค่ะ/ครับ) is the Thai equivalent of "Let me know if you've got any questions."

as mentioned earlier...the way of expressing often use diff words but carry similiar content..

this would be thai version f "how can i help you"...??