Ka / Na / Ja / ..... And Farang / Bakseeda / Chompoo

[andrewbkk]

Hi

Are Ka, Na and Ja the same? Is it just a regional thing? Do people in the south of Thailand use Ja more often?

Is Chompoo the southern equivalent of Farang or Bakseeda?

[mikenyork]

All three words (particles) are used in central dialect. ka and ja are used in Northeast dialect these days although I wouldn't guarantee that they weren't an influence from central dialect being taught there for a couple of generations now. The use of appropriate particles with the right people at the right time in the right way is one of the more subtle and difficult parts of this language. I stick to khap (and na, which is pretty simple to use and doesn't carry the complicated issues of ja). If you're really at the level of being able to use ja convincingly and appropriately, you will knock the socks off of Thais. I've heard two or three farangs in my life use this word well. For most of us the advice should be "don't try this at home".

[bifftastic]

Lots of different uses of what we transliterate as 'ja'

It's for use amongst close friends or family really. It's more complicated than that though! would be wouldn't it?

If you want a simple use for it...you can use it on a loved one, like your wife g/f

a longer 'jaaa' with a rising tone as in 'korb khun ja mia jaaa' should get you a sweet smile in return. When I first used it I got 'huh? who tell you how to say that?!' with a scowl

The more abrupt shorter version can be heard from family or close friends as a version of 'ka' as in an affirmative response, mostly from females, in my experience.

Over use, as a male, will make you sound effeminate so reserve it for the closer ones you can use it to soften your sentences, say for instance with your children as in 'na ja' at the end of a sentence.

I heard it a lot on a Thai soap (yeah, I know, mind rotting stuff ) there was a young monk who used it at the end of nearly every sentence when he was speaking to pretty much everyone, it had a rising tone, but was shorter in length.

There's ja, short and low (ish) ja, falling (and a bit longer) and the one I mentioned earlier long with a rising tone, complicated stuff!

as for chompoo, that's pink isn't it?

up north you'll also hear jaao instead of ka

[mca]

I've often had "ja" used on me by women slightly older or younger than myself . My wife said it's because I come over as a big kid ( I'm 44 ) and they're being affectionate.

One boost to my ego ( or so I thought) is the little cutie in my local 7-11 always uses "ja" with me and " ka " with everyone else. Once I had a chance to test her as she was serving a younger western guy who lives in our village who's a million times better looking than me. She used "ka" with him too and back to " ja" when serving me. I strutted out only for my wife to deflate my ego after telling her " I think that girl in the 7 fancies me" by informing me that because I'm so amiable female Thais feel comfortable using "ja".

[bifftastic]

amiable leading to them being affectionate? I think you're in there mate

[mca]

That's what I'm trying to convince myself ! I'm a family man but we can all have our little fantasies. ( Sighs wistfully)

[AyG]

Perhaps the most common use of ja not mentioned before is with children; with them it's almost always used.

[andrewbkk]

as for chompoo, that's pink isn't it?

Big thanks to you and everyone else for replying. I've learned a lot. And yes, chompoo means pink.

I have met a really lovely girl from the deep south of Thailand who calls me "Chompoo Andrew". She says that Chompoo is the equivalent of Farang.

She is strange mix of Thai, Chinese, Indian and Muslim. Maybe the word Chompoo is more Malaysian than Thai. I really don't know about these things.

She also combines particles and says "take care na ja".

Before I read the comments above, I assumed that Ja was a uniquely southern term.

Edited August 24, 2011 by andrewbkk

[AyG]

Chompuu can either be pink (ชมพู) or rose apple (ชมพู่). First syllable mid-tone in both words; second syllable mid and high respectively.

Farang (ฝรั่ง) can either mean an occidental or guava - both pronounced the same way.

When she says "Chompoo is the equivalent of Farang" she might mean in the sense that they are both fruits.

Edited August 24, 2011 by AyG

[Familyonthemove]

I really like these language threads ...

I'd always thought that 'naam farrang' as a name for guava juice was because it was a juice imported by foreigners .... Doh!

And gourd juice is even more fun!

Is she using the term chompoo because the OP has a pink face? Or does Chompoo Araya get her name from being half English?

(Back to work now ....)

[andrewbkk]

Chompuu can either be pink (ชมพู) or rose apple (ชมพู่). First syllable mid-tone in both words; second syllable mid and high respectively.

Farang (ฝรั่ง) can either mean an occidental or guava - both pronounced the same way.

When she says "Chompoo is the equivalent of Farang" she might mean in the sense that they are both fruits.

Hey -- thanks. I'll ask her about that.

And to the other guy (Family on the move), no -- I don't have a pink face. I'm quite tanned.

Thanks guys.

[andrewbkk]

Well .......... this is the news from Pattani. The last paragraph refers to the bomb which went off yesterday (Tuesday, August 23).

Ja, Ka, Na are same meaning but ja I usually say with friends, ka I usually say with elder friends, elder brothers, elder sisters and everyone who older than me, it's polite more than ja (same krap) and na is same ja but I use for force or plead to you, for example I say "don't angry me na" it means (please) don't angry me.

Chompoo is mean farang (southern language) or pink color. Don't worry about it na ja. No, it's only some places call farang "chompoo". Mostly, both men and women, call farangs, khao jai na ka?

1 soldier and 1 monk died. 12 people injured.

[bifftastic]

as for chompoo, that's pink isn't it?

She also combines particles and says "take care na ja".

in this instance, 'na' is similar to the 'question' particle as in 'take care of yourself ok?' and 'ja' is the friendly, less formal version of 'ka/khap'

When she says that to you, you can reply "ja ja" which is the same as when someone says "khaaap" in agreement, basically saying "yes, I will"

If you really want to make her smile, you can say it first..."doo-lae dtua eng duay na ja" ดูแลตัวเองด้วยนะจ๊ะ

I'll break up the words as well, which might help ดูแล ตัว เอง ด้วย นะ จ๊ะ

[joy16]

Chompuu can either be pink (ชมพู) or rose apple (ชมพู่). First syllable mid-tone in both words; second syllable mid and high respectively.

Farang (ฝรั่ง) can either mean an occidental or guava - both pronounced the same way.

When she says "Chompoo is the equivalent of Farang" she might mean in the sense that they are both fruits.

In some parts of southern Thailand, they call guava (ฝรั่ง) as chompoo (ชมพู่).