Replies To เป็นยังไงบ้าง

[Slappz]

If asked เป็นยังไงบ้าง (Bpen yang ngai baang) by a Thai person you know, what kinds of variations can you use to answer the question?

When someone asks สบายดีไหม (Sabai dii mai) the answer seems quite structured - I feel good, I feel bad, etc. But with เป็นยังไงบ้าง I feel you can go with a lot more directions / slang / etc. Anything people usually reply with?

Thanks.

[mkawish]

เหมือนเดิม same same

ดีขึ้นเยอะ much better

ก๊ออย่างนั้นเหละ what do you expect

สุดยอด levitated, super

แล้วเพื่อนละ? and you?

the above are more challenging responses used by imaginative Thai friends

Edited December 7, 2010 by mkawish

[bhoydy]

I guess it depends on what's happening in your life at the moment. You could reply that you have a lot of work on at the moment, you're not feeling well, you're bored, lazy...the list is endless, where as สบายดีไหม is a bit more restricted in your answers, although it doesn't necessarily have to be.

[DavidHouston]

My favorite response to the question is the fairly ambiguous, "ค่อยยังชั่ว". This seems to mean "getting better" although a more close literal meaning might be, "still not so good".

Can someone help explain this to us? Thanks.

[SoftWater]

This is a good question, and one I've never really felt comfortable about answering. I love mkawish's suggestions - all very useful. I'm afraid I don't understand David's offering. In what circumstances would this be/not be appropriate? I'm not quite sure I get the meaning.

My own routine answer - unless I have something specific to report - has always been a rather reflexive and slightly hesitant "โอเคครับ"

[coma]

I try to asnwer positively to this question at all times. Sets a good mood up between both speaker and listener. When my conversation gets going then I can move on to any negative thoughts and feelingsthat maybe bugging me at the time. I find this works well ยิ้มก่อนแล้วก็บ่นเลย อิอิ

เป็นยังไงบ้าง สบายดีไหม สบายดีเหรอ IMO are all the same questions and can be answered as such.

This is a good question, and one I've never really felt comfortable about answering. I love mkawish's suggestions - all very useful. I'm afraid I don't understand David's offering. In what circumstances would this be/not be appropriate? I'm not quite sure I get the meaning.

My own routine answer - unless I have something specific to report - has always been a rather reflexive and slightly hesitant "โอเคครับ"

[Tod Daniels]

The tip off to this question which roughly translates into the equally mindless engrish frozen phrase question; "How's it going?" is the ending word "บ้าง". When used at the end of a question it immediately means you could give more than one answer. In other words the person who asked doesn't know the answer leaving the playing field open to answer how ever you want to .

Questions ending in บ้าง don't have nearly as clear cut and dried answer(s) like 'yes/know' questions or ones ending with the thai "verbal question mark" word ไหม; where to answer in the affirmative you usually just repeat the verb and include no and the verb to give an answer in the negative.

Although it is my opinion, just like the same question in engrish, no one really gives a flyin' <deleted> how you're doing . It's just a pleasantry to be exchanged between people more than an actual interest in you personally.

The other thing is; เป็นยังไงบ้าง is already a shortened or colloquial version of the 'real sentence' เป็นอย่างไรบ้าง. Yet nowadays I hear thais shorten it even further to just เป็นไงบ้าง or usually just ไงบ้าง, although it still carries the exact same meaning. Much like สวัสดี has now has morphed in colloquial speak to just วัสดี.

FWIW: I always answer เป็นยังไงบ้าง with ยังมีชีวิตอยู่ แล้วคุณล่ะ; (I'm) still alive and you? That usually gets a chuckle from them . And yes it is a tongue in cheek, rather flippant answer . Obviously if I am walking past them I'm most likely still alive, but for me and my style of interaction with the thais, it seems to play ok.

Then again, even with engrish speaking foreigners I see on a daily basis I'm not big on pleasantries and in thai I'm even less so. Usually answering 'hi' to every thai on my soi who says it to me is more than enough interaction.

Edited December 9, 2010 by tod-daniels

[meadish_sweetball]

<br />My favorite response to the question is the fairly ambiguous, "ค่อยยังชั่ว".  This seems to mean "getting better" although a more close literal meaning might be, "still not so good".<br /><br />Can someone help explain this to us?  Thanks.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

I have yet to find even a Thai who can convincingly explain why the phrase is structured ค่อยยังชั่ว - we've discussed it before in the forum but no conclusive answers given then either as I recall.

For simple comprehension, it is used to mean 'better' or 'getting better' as in David's suggestion (if you have been sick).

I believe I have also heard it used as an exclamation in the (similar) sense of 'That's better!' (when you've just escaped an uncomfortable or stressful situation or person).

[DavidHouston]

My favorite response to the question is the fairly ambiguous, "ค่อยยังชั่ว";. This seems to mean "getting better"; although a more close literal meaning might be, "still not so good". Can someone help explain this to us? Thanks.

I have yet to find even a Thai who can convincingly explain why the phrase is structured ค่อยยังชั่ว - we've discussed it before in the forum but no conclusive answers given then either as I recall.

For simple comprehension, it is used to mean 'better' or 'getting better' as in David's suggestion (if you have been sick).

I believe I have also heard it used as an exclamation in the (similar) sense of 'That's better!' (when you've just escaped an uncomfortable or stressful situation or person).

Thanks, Meadish.

Go into a small retail shop and ask the owner or เจ้าหน้าที่, "How's business?", as in "เป็นยังไงครับ ขายคีไหม". My limited experience is that the best you will get in response is, "ก็ เรื่อยๆ". I think that this is the business equivalent of "ค่อยอย่างชั่ว".

Is there a notion here of "don't tempt the fates" by opining that business is good?

Thanks.

[tgeezer]

<br />My favorite response to the question is the fairly ambiguous, "ค่อยยังชั่ว". This seems to mean "getting better" although a more close literal meaning might be, "still not so good".<br /><br />Can someone help explain this to us? Thanks.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

I have yet to find even a Thai who can convincingly explain why the phrase is structured ค่อยยังชั่ว - we've discussed it before in the forum but no conclusive answers given then either as I recall.

I think it is a bit much to expect an explanation for the structure; mixed-words which need definitions in the RID are there because they are not the sum of their parts surely.

[meadish_sweetball]

You do have a good point, tgeezer. Even so, in the case of some phrases which seem strange at first glance, there is a logic of sorts (other than just 'the sum of their parts') that one can follow to gain a better understanding. The only type of parsing I can guess at is some type of ellipsis such as "khoi (dii khuen), tae yang chua" - i.e back translated, something like "gradually better, but still bad". But I have not seen anything actually supporting that idea, it's just my own little theory.

[tgeezer]

You do have a good point, tgeezer. Even so, in the case of some phrases which seem strange at first glance, there is a logic of sorts (other than just 'the sum of their parts') that one can follow to gain a better understanding. The only type of parsing I can guess at is some type of ellipsis such as "khoi (dii khuen), tae yang chua" - i.e back translated, something like "gradually better, but still bad". But I have not seen anything actually supporting that idea, it's just my own little theory.

Thank you for answering. I was in the process of doing something just like that when I stumbled upon the fact that ค่อยยังชั่ว was in the dictionary!

I didn't intend to post but I like trawling the RID, which incidentally seems to say that to say 'still bad' you need อยู่ since ชั่ว is a คำวิเศษณ์ ie. ยังชั่วอยู่?

[mkawish]

You do have a good point, tgeezer. Even so, in the case of some phrases which seem strange at first glance, there is a logic of sorts (other than just 'the sum of their parts') that one can follow to gain a better understanding. The only type of parsing I can guess at is some type of ellipsis such as "khoi (dii khuen), tae yang chua" - i.e back translated, something like "gradually better, but still bad". But I have not seen anything actually supporting that idea, it's just my own little theory.

"khoi (dii khuen), tae yang chua"

"ค่อย (ดี ขึ้น), แต่ ยัง ชั่ว"

meadish_sweetball, are you certain that the Thai phrase means "gradually better, but still bad" ?

In Thai culture that phrase seems congruent in thought and meaning: the first part seems to mean 'getting somewhat better'; the second part seems to mean 'but improving' .

'ดี ขึ้น เรื่อยๆ, แต่ ก๊ ยัง ห่วย เหมือน เดิม ' appears to fit into ' gradually better but sill bad ' slightly better. Just a slightly different thought. L O L

[mkawish]

You do have a good point, tgeezer. Even so, in the case of some phrases which seem strange at first glance, there is a logic of sorts (other than just 'the sum of their parts') that one can follow to gain a better understanding. The only type of parsing I can guess at is some type of ellipsis such as "khoi (dii khuen), tae yang chua" - i.e back translated, something like "gradually better, but still bad". But I have not seen anything actually supporting that idea, it's just my own little theory.

Thank you for answering. I was in the process of doing something just like that when I stumbled upon the fact that ค่อยยังชั่ว was in the dictionary!

I didn't intend to post but I like trawling the RID, which incidentally seems to say that to say 'still bad' you need อยู่ since ชั่ว is a คำวิเศษณ์ ie. ยังชั่วอยู่?

ยัง ชั่ว อยู่ appears to mean--still rotten to the core! Or did I get it all wrong? LOL

However, ยัง ชั่ว ขึ้น appears to embrace feelings, just like when an intern asks a patient ยัง ชั่ว ขึ้น ไหม (feeling better) ? I just might have gotten it all wrong here too! L O L

[tgeezer]

You do have a good point, tgeezer. Even so, in the case of some phrases which seem strange at first glance, there is a logic of sorts (other than just 'the sum of their parts') that one can follow to gain a better understanding. The only type of parsing I can guess at is some type of ellipsis such as "khoi (dii khuen), tae yang chua" - i.e back translated, something like "gradually better, but still bad". But I have not seen anything actually supporting that idea, it's just my own little theory.

Thank you for answering. I was in the process of doing something just like that when I stumbled upon the fact that ค่อยยังชั่ว was in the dictionary!

I didn't intend to post but I like trawling the RID, which incidentally seems to say that to say 'still bad' you need อยู่ since ชั่ว is a คำวิเศษณ์ ie. ยังชั่วอยู่?

ยัง ชั่ว อยู่ appears to mean--still rotten to the core! Or did I get it all wrong? LOL

However, ยัง ชั่ว ขึ้น appears to embrace feelings, just like when an intern asks a patient ยัง ชั่ว ขึ้น ไหม (feeling better) ? I just might have gotten it all wrong here too! L O L

Meadish is just musing on how you could make ค่อยยังชั่ว mean something grammatically, which doesn't appear possible.

The dictionary says that ยังชั่วอยู่ means no more than a steady state of ชั่ว ; I don't think there is any extra meaning.

I think ชั่วขึ้น would be getting worse! In the definition of ค่อยยังชั่ว ว. เริ่มดีขึ้นเล็กน้อย ดี is 'good' and ขึ้น is 'to a greater extent than before' .

[mkawish]

You do have a good point, tgeezer. Even so, in the case of some phrases which seem strange at first glance, there is a logic of sorts (other than just 'the sum of their parts') that one can follow to gain a better understanding. The only type of parsing I can guess at is some type of ellipsis such as "khoi (dii khuen), tae yang chua" - i.e back translated, something like "gradually better, but still bad". But I have not seen anything actually supporting that idea, it's just my own little theory.

Thank you for answering. I was in the process of doing something just like that when I stumbled upon the fact that ค่อยยังชั่ว was in the dictionary!

I didn't intend to post but I like trawling the RID, which incidentally seems to say that to say 'still bad' you need อยู่ since ชั่ว is a คำวิเศษณ์ ie. ยังชั่วอยู่?

ยัง ชั่ว อยู่ appears to mean--still rotten to the core! Or did I get it all wrong? LOL

However, ยัง ชั่ว ขึ้น appears to embrace feelings, just like when an intern asks a patient ยัง ชั่ว ขึ้น ไหม (feeling better) ? I just might have gotten it all wrong here too! L O L

Meadish is just musing on how you could make ค่อยยังชั่ว mean something grammatically, which doesn't appear possible.

The dictionary says that ยังชั่วอยู่ means no more than a steady state of ชั่ว ; I don't think there is any extra meaning.

I think ชั่วขึ้น would be getting worse! In the definition of ค่อยยังชั่ว ว. เริ่มดีขึ้นเล็กน้อย ดี is 'good' and ขึ้น is 'to a greater extent than before' .

You are so right as well.

If and when asked, how is that son of yours doing in the reform school (God forbids)?

If the respondent answers-- ชั่ว ขึ้น ! That would definitively mean as you suggested, he is worse than before conduct-wise....

Merry Christmas everyone--farang and otherwise. L O L

Edited December 10, 2010 by mkawish

[keo]

from Outrageous Thai...

ก็ เป็นยังงี้แหละ

which is a "cocky" reply meaning "well.. it's going."

I've heard ก็ เรื่อยๆ from a friend when I asked him เป็นยังไงบ้าง before, and then he said something about a carpenter and started laughing. No idea what he was on about!

[Peppy]

I've heard ก็ เรื่อยๆ from a friend when I asked him เป็นยังไงบ้าง before, and then he said something about a carpenter and started laughing. No idea what he was on about!

เลื่อย means "saw" (as in a carpenter's saw)--which of course sounds the same as เรื่อย if you pronounce ร the same as ล.

[keo]

ah cool, thanks!

[mkawish]

from Outrageous Thai...

ก็ เป็นยังงี้แหละ

which is a "cocky" reply meaning "well.. it's going."

I've heard ก็ เรื่อยๆ from a friend when I asked him เป็นยังไงบ้าง before, and then he said something about a carpenter and started laughing. No idea what he was on about!

carpenter????

Did he say-- ช่าง ไม้ ( chung-maai ) or

Did he say-- ช่าง มัน ( chung-mon ) ?

chung-maai does mean carpenter.

However, chung-mon means forget it, leave him/her/it alone, not important, let by gone be bygone et certera.

Could it be that he was saying the latter, chung-mon, which is almost indistinguishable from chung-maai?

Besides, ก็ เป็นยังงี้แหละ can not be considered cocky in Thai culture.

It rather means that is the way it is....

Not intend to offend any soul, particularly during this joyful seasonal greetings period. Merry Christmas everyone.

chung-mon-thert (ช่าง มัน เถิด ) .... forget it

[Peppy]

-- เป็นไงบ้างหะเพื่อน

-- ยังกะช่างไม้ครับ

-- หา?

-- ก็เลื่อย ๆ ไง...