I always tell the som tam seller "mai sai prik" to ensure it is not at all spicy but sometimes there's so much chilli juice and seeds in the mortar and pestle that it turns out spicy anyway. Usually I make silly hand movements to suggest I want her to give the mortar and pestle a quick clean with some water. How would I say in Thai something like "Please clean the mortar and pestle" or "Please wash the mortar and pestle" or "Please rinse the mortar and pestle"?

ล้างครกก่อนนะครับ

Since it a tonal language, it is difficult to mimic the sound in English. You should print this page and let her teach you how to pronounce it.

Edited December 25, 201015 yr by a51mas

I'll give it a go! According to thai2english that first word laang means "[to] wash clothes ; launder ; clean". Can it be used in the sense of washing dishes as well as washing clothes?

I'll give it a go! According to thai2english that first word laang means "[to] wash clothes ; launder ; clean". Can it be used in the sense of washing dishes as well as washing clothes?

'Laang' means to clean, clothes are normally 'sak'. actually there is no way she is going to lose the seasoning in the crok I suspect, so there isn't going to be any confusion.

chamralaang is rinse too. - ko chamra laang gon noy (gor) glua wa yang ja pet pai. Can you rinse it first, I am afraid it will still be too hot.

You can put a 'gor' where the comma goes in English.

Edited December 25, 201015 yr by tgeezer

That reminds me of a Thai saying you might be able to work in there somewhere.

เล่นกับหมาหมาเลียปาก เล่นกับสากสากต่อยหัว

Play with a dog the dog will lick your mouth, play with a pestle and it will hit your head.

(I forgot the english equivalent meaning of that.)

Edited December 25, 201015 yr by klons

That reminds me of a Thai saying you might be able to work in there somewhere.

เล่นกับหมาหมาเลียปาก เล่นกับสากสากต่อยหัว

Play with a dog the dog will lick your mouth, play with a pestle and it will hit your head.

(I forgot the english equivalent meaning of that.)

"Play with fire and you'll get burned"? Or, "Play with a sharp stick and you'll poke an eye out"?

Also want to point out that a51mas's offering is perfect and requires no second guessing... it's just a polite way of saying in Thai what the OP asked for. I'll try to provide a romanization: ล้างครกก่อนนะครับ laang krok gawn na krap, but it would still be best for the OP to follow a51mas advice to print the Thai and learn how to pronounce it from a Thai speaker--as mentioned, tones are essential to the meaning, and they'll be impossible to get right if you don't know the words already.

If "wash clothes" or "launder" is actually given anywhere as a definition or translation of ล้าง, it's wrong: ล้าง laang does mean to wash or clean with water, but for clothes only the word ซัก sak is used, as pointed out by Tgeezer. And there's a separate word for washing hair, as well: สระ sa. As for ชำระ chamra, it's a rather formal word for washing, like "cleanse" in English--perhaps not the best choice for the situation here.

That reminds me of a Thai saying you might be able to work in there somewhere.

เล่นกับหมาหมาเลียปาก เล่นกับสากสากต่อยหัว

Play with a dog the dog will lick your mouth, play with a pestle and it will hit your head.

(I forgot the english equivalent meaning of that.)

"Play with fire and you'll get burned"? Or, "Play with a sharp stick and you'll poke an eye out"?

Also want to point out that a51mas's offering is perfect and requires no second guessing... it's just a polite way of saying in Thai what the OP asked for. I'll try to provide a romanization: ล้างครกก่อนนะครับ laang krok gawn na krap, but it would still be best for the OP to follow a51mas advice to print the Thai and learn how to pronounce it from a Thai speaker--as mentioned, tones are essential to the meaning, and they'll be impossible to get right if you don't know the words already.

If "wash clothes" or "launder" is actually given anywhere as a definition or translation of ล้าง, it's wrong: ล้าง laang does mean to wash or clean with water, but for clothes only the word ซัก sak is used, as pointed out by Tgeezer. And there's a separate word for washing hair, as well: สระ sa. As for ชำระ chamra, it's a rather formal word for washing, like "cleanse" in English--perhaps not the best choice for the situation here.

Thank you Peppy for your kind words.

That reminds me of a Thai saying you might be able to work in there somewhere.

เล่นกับหมาหมาเลียปาก เล่นกับสากสากต่อยหัว

Play with a dog the dog will lick your mouth, play with a pestle and it will hit your head.

(I forgot the english equivalent meaning of that.)

"Play with fire and you'll get burned"? Or, "Play with a sharp stick and you'll poke an eye out"?

The English expression is 'play with fire' and it means to 'take foolish risks' This expression says 'don't get involved if you don't want to be implicated'. It says ลดตัวลงไปหรอืวางตัวไม่เหมาะสมจึงถูกลามปาน

I guess you could say that taking risks is inappropriate or demeaning but I wouldn't.

Peppy, as usual, is right on the button. Just like to add that while สระ is the correct word for 'wash' (hair) - such as you will see on the windows of hairdressers accompanied with the price - in colloquial speak its more usual (at least in my household) to hear sak^H pom^R ซักผม.

I withdraw the previous comment. It transpires that I've been mishearing the difference between สระ and ซัก for the last seven years.

Peppy, as usual, is right on the button.

But not when it comes to sayings.

ขอล้างครกหน่อยให้พริกที่ติดมันออกก่อนครับ

I withdraw the previous comment. It transpires that I've been mishearing the difference between สระ and ซัก for the last seven years.

5555....i am with you on this one. I had been mishearing this for for 10 years until one fine day about a year ago!!

That reminds me of a Thai saying you might be able to work in there somewhere.

เล่นกับหมาหมาเลียปาก เล่นกับสากสากต่อยหัว

Play with a dog the dog will lick your mouth, play with a pestle and it will hit your head.

(I forgot the english equivalent meaning of that.)

"Play with fire and you'll get burned"? Or, "Play with a sharp stick and you'll poke an eye out"?

Also want to point out that a51mas's offering is perfect and requires no second guessing... it's just a polite way of saying in Thai what the OP asked for. I'll try to provide a romanization: ล้างครกก่อนนะครับ laang krok gawn na krap, but it would still be best for the OP to follow a51mas advice to print the Thai and learn how to pronounce it from a Thai speaker--as mentioned, tones are essential to the meaning, and they'll be impossible to get right if you don't know the words already.

If "wash clothes" or "launder" is actually given anywhere as a definition or translation of ล้าง, it's wrong: ล้าง laang does mean to wash or clean with water, but for clothes only the word ซัก sak is used, as pointed out by Tgeezer. And there's a separate word for washing hair, as well: สระ sa. As for ชำระ chamra, it's a rather formal word for washing, like "cleanse" in English--perhaps not the best choice for the situation here.

"Chamra" means cleanse???? I thought it was the word for 'pay' as in "pay money at this counter"?????

"Chamra" means cleanse???? I thought it was the word for 'pay' as in "pay money at this counter"?????

Yes, that too.

I withdraw the previous comment. It transpires that I've been mishearing the difference between สระ and ซัก for the last seven years.

5555....i am with you on this one. I had been mishearing this for for 10 years until one fine day about a year ago!!

That's why I like reading this forum.......you really do learn something new everyday, could of sworn blind it was ซัก?. Thanks to the more knowledgable ones :jap: