Finished: Jop, Mot And Set Laa-Ou

[bangkokburning]

I have not been able to really get an understanding or find a definitive rule for using jop/mot/set

I have a rough idea that ....

mot is finished in regard to - I am out of it.

jop relates to action. we are finished (today) with the paperwork

set - finished in finality. she and I are finished.

I was told not to use set laa-ou for many things as it denotes death or the total finality. My girlfriend said this is rubbish. She was a real initial help (with the above) but upon query further, she cannot help beyond.

Does anyone have a clue as to some rule that I can apply when using these words/terms? It seems I am always getting it wrong.

A down and dirty approach and the correct understanding /rules woud be great.

Thank you.

[cdnmatt]

Ok, so one of us is obviously talking incorrectly. :-) Here's my understanding:

mot -- When something physical is finished (drink, food, taking bags out of the car, etc.)

yut / jop -- To stop moving (ie. stop the car)

set leeao -- Pretty much everything else. When a movie / song ends, when you or someone else is finished a task / working, etc.

Then again, I could be totally wrong. One of us obviously is though. The joys of learning a new language, eh? :-)

[Peppy]

mot is finished in regard to - I am out of it.

jop relates to action. we are finished (today) with the paperwork 

set - finished in finality. she and I are finished.

I think you have "jop" and "set" mixed up--I would say "set" in your paperwork example, and "jop" to refer to ending a relationship. I could be off a bit, but this is my idea of how these words work:

mot/หมด depleted eg. กาแฟหมด/ga-fae mot/We're out of coffee.

set/เสร็จ finished, done, over (used to talk about completing a specific action) eg. ผมทำการบ้านเสร็จแล้ว/pom tam gahn bahn set laeo/I've finished my homework.

job/จบ to end, to conclude eg. เราจบแล้ว/rao jop laeo/We're through!

"Mot" can also be used to give a sense of completeness when used with verbs, eg. อ่านหมดแล้ว/aahn mot laeo/I've read it all. Of course, I could also say อ่านเสร็จแล้ว/aahn set laeo/I've finished reading, or even อ่านจบแล้ว/aahn jop laeo/I've finished it. With "set" I think there's an idea that perhaps it's only finished for now, and could be returned to later, like when you finish reading for the night and continue the next day. With "jop" I get the idea that the book is finished. "Mot" puts emphasis on the idea that every word has been read, right through to the end. And then there's "lerk", to quit, as in ผมเลิกกับเขาแล้ว/pom lerk gap kao laeo/I broke up with her, เลิกบุหรี่แล้ว/lerk burii laeo/I've quit smoking, or ผมเลิกอ่านหนังสือพิมพ์ตั้งนานแล้ว/pom lerk aahn nang-seu-pim dtang naan laeo/I quit reading newspapers a long time ago.

I hope this helps you a bit. It's really just a general guideline, though--English equivalents are never exact, so you have to pay close attention to the various idiomatic ways these words are used in Thai, and try to remember each example you see. It's kind of like trying to explain how to use the Thai words for look, see, and watch--there are rough equivalents to the English words, but they aren't always used in exactly the same way.

[bangkokburning]

Thanks for that excellent explanation. While there are different ways to say things, people have a way of saying this or that in their tongue/s. in Thai, I'm always seemingly getting it wrong.

[sarahsbloke]

Set ....... finished a physical activity (walk, sex)

Mot ....... finished a consumable (beer, plate of chips)

jop ........ finished seeing (girlfriend, movie)

set laow ..... has sexual connotationsif used in the wrong place.

Edited June 18, 2010 by sarahsbloke

[HappyInCM]

http://www.thaii-language.com/ is usually a help with these subtleties as it has decent definitions and lots of examples.

i've found most thais are exactly like us and have a hard time explaining things about their language; they're very helpful with usage examples and pronunciation - just like i am in english, but ask a specific question about english to me at your peril and probably bewilderment and detriment to your understanding

[DavidHouston]

อาจารย์ นววรรณ พันธุเมธา (Ajarn Nawawan Phanthumetha) in her book "คลังคำ" (A Treasury of Words) states the common usages of these words:

จบ - สิ้นสุดเรื่อง ไม่ต้องทำต่อไป เช่น พูดจบ อ่านจบ

เสร็จ - สิ้นสุดการกระทำ เช่น ทำงานเสร็จ

หยุด - ไม่ทำช้่วระยะหนึ่ง เช่นหยุดเดิน

หมด - ไม่เหลือ เช่นเงินหมด

These seem like nice, concise, definitions and explanations. Translation if more of a challenge. Let me try:

còp - to end or stop a process without any need to do anything further, for example, to stop speaking, to have finished reading. (Query: Is there a different meaning for "อ่านให้จบ"?)

sèt - to complete or finish an activity, for example, to complete work. (Might we say, "สร้างบ้านเสร็จแล้ว")

jùt - not to do something or to stop an action for a period of time, for example, to stop walking.

mòt - nothing left or remaining, for example, no money left

Please challenge or correct any of the above attempts at translation.

While we are here, please help us distinguish between the transitive and intransitive uses of these terms in Thai. In English, the words "stop" and "end", for example, have both transitive and intransitive usages. How are these usages expressed in Thai, using the subject words or other terms?

Thanks.

Edited June 18, 2010 by DavidHouston

[SweatySock]

I also have difficulty distinguishing the differences with Mot and Set but there is a third which I hear frequently which is Por. I have asked English teachers at school to explain the different meanings but each teacher has a different view.

Can anyone clarify please?

[sarahsbloke]

por = enough

Waiter putting wine in glass, when full enough say 'por'

giving gf money 'por mai?' ...... mai por = not enough, por = enough

[powderpuff]

Set laew

Non laew.

Finished already.

Sleep already.

Mote. no more stock. (The grapes are finished). Mote laew.

[SweatySock]

por = enough

Waiter putting wine in glass, when full enough say 'por'

giving gf money 'por mai?' ...... mai por = not enough, por = enough

Thanks for clearing that one up.

[Tod Daniels]

Isn’t there another word; เลิก (leerk^F)? As in when you have stopped or finished with something and there is little likelihood you'll restart or have no desire to return to it.

Examples when you break up with someone; เลิกกันแล้ว, or when you give up smoking or drinking; เลิกดื่มเหล้าแล้ว, เลิกสูบบุหรี่แล้ว. .. I could be mistaken but I think the last word 'already; แล้ว is only a time marker indicating that you quit whatever in the past and that now, in the present, you've still stopped.

If indeed this is another valid word for stop, quit, cease, etc, gives us;

จบ

เสร็จ

หยุด

หมด

เลิก

I am dubious about the word พอ carrying any inherent meaning as in finished, complete, stop, etc. I've always thought it meant 'sufficient', or 'enough' the examples used in a previous post reflect that usage and meaning as well. Translated roughly as 'enough', 'not enough'; both for monetary and in the instance of a waiter pouring wine.

[bhoydy]

There is also, เรียบร้อย

ทานข้าวหรือยัง(ไหม)ครับ - can ไหม be used here? i'm not sure hence the brackets

เรียบร้อยแล้วค่ะ

I have also been asked เลิกหรือยัง when talking about my work.

[bina]

leurk (leuk) is like: finished /the thais here always ask 'leuk gnen mai' 'leuk lao'... uve finished work? yep, finished (for the day)... like being finished with doing a lesson or day of school.

jop is what movies do. they end. relationships end. kuun taam ngan mai? mai, jop lao. (are u working? no, ive finished (quit).

set - finished with the particular thing u are doing (like coming in the sexual act)- are u finished mixing the cake? set lao... are u finished with mixing the cake? .... set liyang?....(finished yet?)

mut- finished as in 'there is no more'. mee kafe mai? mut lao. (is there (still) coffee (left)? mut lao (finished (to the last drop/granule))

i here these words often with hubby....

bina

israel

[bangkokburning]

Thanks, this is al quite helpful!!

[mangkorn]

There is also งด