Thai Sayings and Phrases Wanted

[klons]

looks like no one has posted here for a while so i might kick start it again could anyone give me a translation for these (preferably thai script)

"so whats in the news"? (when someone is reading a paper or watching t.v)

"what have you been up to since i last saw you?"

cheers.

I don’t have the question, but I have an answer.

"so whats in the news"? (when someone is reading a paper or watching t.v)

รู้นาก ยากนาน (ruu maak, yaak naan)

Knowing too much causes trouble

"what have you been up to since i last saw you?"

ลับลม คมใน (lap lom, kom nai)

A secret that is known only to a few.

[hunterdavies]

Hey thanks for your help Klons!! much appreciated!

[klons]

I extracted a few I thought were colorful from the link below. The last one is missing some info. What could it possibly mean ?

ไฟลนก้น

◦ Transliteration: Fai lhon kon

◦ Literal: Having your buttocks on fire.

◦ Meaning: Describing the manner in which one is pressured by something, usually a deadline.

งามแต่รูปจูบไม่หอม

◦ Transliteration: Ngam tae rup, jub mai horm

◦ Literal: Great look but bad breath.

◦ Meaning: Those who have good apperance, but do not behave nicely or have no manner.

พบไม้งามเมื่อยามขวานบิ่น

◦ Transliteration:Pob mai ngarm muea yam kwan bin.

◦ Literal: Found a nice tree when your axe broken.

◦ Meaning: Found a pretty women when you older

กระดังงาลนไฟ

◦ 'Transliteration:Kra dang nga lon fai

◦ Literal:

◦ Meaning:

http://www.snr.ac.th/wita/Story/thai_proverbs.htm

[bannork]

I extracted a few I thought were colorful from the link below. The last one is missing some info. What could it possibly mean ?

ไฟลนก้น

◦ Transliteration: Fai lhon kon

◦ Literal: Having your buttocks on fire.

◦ Meaning: Describing the manner in which one is pressured by something, usually a deadline.

งามแต่รูปจูบไม่หอม

◦ Transliteration: Ngam tae rup, jub mai horm

◦ Literal: Great look but bad breath.

◦ Meaning: Those who have good apperance, but do not behave nicely or have no manner.

พบไม้งามเมื่อยามขวานบิ่น

◦ Transliteration:Pob mai ngarm muea yam kwan bin.

◦ Literal: Found a nice tree when your axe broken.

◦ Meaning: Found a pretty women when you older

กระดังงาลนไฟ

◦ 'Transliteration:Kra dang nga lon fai

◦ Literal:

◦ Meaning:

http://www.snr.ac.th/wita/Story/thai_proverbs.htm

I was told, something along the lines of a woman who's married but still dresses beautifully, perhaps still seeking admirers?

กระดังงา is a type of tree, ลนไฟ is to be singed (by fire)!

[agent69]

I was told, something along the lines of a woman who's married but still dresses beautifully, perhaps still seeking admirers?

กระดังงา is a type of tree, ลนไฟ is to be singed (by fire)!

it rather means women who have been with men before know know how to please them. Similarly, Thai ylang-ylang flowers, that are softened by flame, usually give out more fragrant. They are usually used for extra fragrant in the Thai sweet.

[bannork]

I was told, something along the lines of a woman who's married but still dresses beautifully, perhaps still seeking admirers?

กระดังงา is a type of tree, ลนไฟ is to be singed (by fire)!

it rather means women who have been with men before know know how to please them. Similarly, Thai ylang-ylang flowers, that are softened by flame, usually give out more fragrant. They are usually used for extra fragrant in the Thai sweet.

Thanks for that clear explanation, agent.

[nakachalet]

กระดังงา is a type of tree ?

sorry, gra-dung-nga (กระดังงา)

is NOT a tree.

it is a shrub, when matured will produce different colored flowers

about the size of one's thumb, with intoxicatingly sweet aroma.... lol

[nakachalet]

could anyone give me a translation for these (preferably thai script)

"so whats in the news"? (when someone is reading a paper or watching t.v)

mee khow ar-rai-bung? มีข่าวอะไรบ้าง?

'utter the thai word 'khow---ข่าว'--with medium tonation--it means 'news'

----------------------------

whereas when it is pronouned with a high tonation 'khow-ข้าว'--it means 'rice' per se....

mee khow ar-rai-bung? มีข้าวอะไรบ้าง? means--what sorts of rice do you have?

khow gang? khow suey? khow tom?... lol

----------------------------

what have you been up to since i last saw you?

pai tum ar-rai-mar mung? ไปทำอะไรมามั่ง?

---------------------------

ลับลม คมใน should be pronounced as lup lom, kom nai

it does not mean--A secret that is known only to a few....

rather, it means--a secretive person with ulterior motives.... lol

--------------------------

cheers

Edited July 29, 2009 by nakachalet

[meadish_sweetball]

Thank you for your explanations nakachalet. Much appreciated.

'utter the thai word 'khow---ข่าว'--with medium tonation

The tone of ข่าว is referred to as the 'low tone' when discussing Thai in English.

when it is pronouned with a high tonation 'khow-ข้าว'

This tone is referred to as the 'falling tone' in English.

The high tone - เสียงตรี

The rising tone - เสียงจัตวา

The mid tone - เสียงสามัญ

The low tone - เสียงเอก

The falling tone- เสียงโท

[nakachalet]

meadish_sweetball

likewise, much appreciated as well for the followings:

which is very interesting....

The high tone - เสียงตรี

The rising tone - เสียงจัตวา

The mid tone - เสียงสามัญ

The low tone - เสียงเอก

The falling tone- เสียงโท

=======================

won't the thais arrange the above in the following orders?

The mid tone - เสียงสามัญ

The low tone - เสียงเอก

The falling tone- เสียงโท

The high tone - เสียงตรี

The rising tone - เสียงจัตวา

=======================

gee.... i'd better watch out:

mar--to come

mar--to be afraid

mar--auntie (chinese)

mar--horse

mar--dog

=======================

and another confusing bunch contains the followings:

kai--who

kai--sell

kai--egg

kai (gai)--chicken

------------------------------

fellow thaivisa.... see.... one is never too old to learn new tricks.... lol

Edited July 29, 2009 by nakachalet

[meadish_sweetball]

won't the thais arrange the above in the following orders?

The mid tone - เสียงสามัญ

The low tone - เสียงเอก

The falling tone- เสียงโท

The high tone - เสียงตรี

The rising tone - เสียงจัตวา

Yes, they will.

[PawyiLee]

The one I like is " Kee chang chup takataan", ride an elephant to catch grasshopers, in other words something like "breaking eggs with a sledge hammer"

Or US-er's War on Terror.

[PawyiLee]

งู ๆ ปลา ๆ 'ngoo ngoo bplaa bplaa' - a little bit

Lit. 'snake snake fish fish'

To be more precise, I think this has the meaning "for someone to know very little."

Yes. It's a description of an eel by someone who does not know what an eel is.

[agent69]

งู ๆ ปลา ๆ 'ngoo ngoo bplaa bplaa' - a little bit

Lit. 'snake snake fish fish'

To be more precise, I think this has the meaning "for someone to know very little."

Yes. It's a description of an eel by someone who does not know what an eel is.

that's a nice explanation. thanks. I kind of know what the expression means but didn't know the origin of it.

[nakachalet]

Edited July 30, 2009 by nakachalet

[mazimus]

My favourite Thai saying is som num nah,it basically means hard luck/you get what you deservre

[sazermus]

Hi

I know this isn't really for this thread, but I posted this at the tattoo thread and didn't get response, so I thought it might be more appropriate here. I found a poem, and I would like to get a correct translation of. I did an online translation, but I'd like to know

how you guys would translate this

หวัง ใจ เรา สว่าง ท่ามกลาง ความมืด มน

wăng jai rao sà-wàang tâam-glaang kwaam-mêut mon

and if possible a translation of all of the ending in the poem:

เรา พยายาม เดินตาม หา ความหมาย

rao pá-yaa-yaam dern dtaam hăa kwaam măai

กล้าเผชิญ ดีร้าย สิ่งกีดขวาง

glâa păy-chin dee ráai sìng gèet-kwăang

มุ่งมั่น ฟันฝ่า ผอง ภัย ใน หนทาง

môong-mân fan fàa pŏng pai nai hŏn taang

หวัง ใจ เรา สว่าง ท่ามกลาง ความมืด มน

wăng jai rao sà-wàang tâam-glaang kwaam-mêut mon

I just copied and pasted this from thai2english.com

[nakachalet]

sazermus et al: what is your cosmic address, pls? so we might send you proper billing.... lol

Hi

I know this isn't really for this thread, but I posted this at the tattoo thread and didn't get response, so I thought it might be more appropriate here. I found a poem, and I would like to get a correct translation of. I did an online translation, but I'd like to know

how you guys would translate this

------------------------------

หวัง ใจ เรา สว่าง ท่ามกลาง ความมืด มน

wăng jai rao sà-wàang tâam-glaang kwaam-mêut mon

and if possible a translation of all of the ending in the poem:

hopefully our heart shines brightly amidst darkness

-----------------------------

เรา พยายาม เดินตาม หา ความหมาย

rao pá-yaa-yaam dern dtaam hăa kwaam măai

we are following and searching for meanings

-----------------------------

กล้าเผชิญ ดีร้าย สิ่งกีดขวาง

glâa păy-chin dee ráai sìng gèet-kwăang

brave enough to face obstructing goods and evils

-----------------------------

มุ่งมั่น ฟันฝ่า ผอง ภัย ใน หนทาง

môong-mân fan fàa pŏng pai nai hŏn taang

fighting with purpose and determination thru harms and dangers along the way

-----------------------------

หวัง ใจ เรา สว่าง ท่ามกลาง ความมืด มน

wăng jai rao sà-wàang tâam-glaang kwaam-mêut mon

hopefully, our heart shines brightly amidst darkness

-----------------------------

I just copied and pasted this from thai2english.com

sir/madam, do you by any chance carry an american express titanium card, pls? as our policy dictates that we do not accept other low limit credit cards, the like of visa or master card....

whom should i send the bill to? ....lol

Edited August 7, 2009 by nakachalet

[sazermus]

sazermus et al: what is your cosmic address, pls? so we might send you proper billing.... lol

sir/madam, do you by any chance carry an american express titanium card, pls? as our policy dictates that we do not accept other low limit credit cards, the like of visa or master card....

whom should i send the bill to? ....lol

Don't worry about the bill, I'll send at owl for it

Thank you so very much for helping.

[bannork]

Here's a description of a typical female Thai teacher ถือถุง พุงป่อง น่องทู่

[nakachalet]

bannork

geeweezzzz.... are we bashing the poor thai ladies again....? why do we need to belittle those less fortunate thai ladies so very often any way?

we all know, most farangs are afforded better opportunity to education and employment than thailand has to offer her citizen including these pathetic ladies mostly from the northeastern rural farming areas.

no.... you surely won't find too many thai ladies from the south in the shining glass show case.... southerners mostly are merchants and traders and most families are self-sufficient, so there is no need for most ladies in the south to stray.... very much unlike the economic conditions in the east or northeast of thailand where natural resources are far and few in between.... my heart often bleeds for them....

for the benefits of those who were born after 1975--do we realize that:

before vietnam war (1970)....

before the R & R....

before the 6-lane freeway in nongkai....

the farang vices of such proportion were not known to these lovely barn-nork ladies.... !

whether we like it or not, whether the current majority of farangs in thailand realize it or not--we the farangs are one of the significant major contributors to these simple-minded ladies' road to present pathetic and offensive social disparities....

may i pls repeat--we and our brothers have been the significant major contributors to these thai ladies downfall.... don't we, the latter generation, ever forget that.... !!!

HONESTLY, WE SHOULD NOT RIDICULE NOR BELITTLE ANY MORE.... most of these ladies are so simple minded and are so easily led astray by materialism offered by us who have more natural urges than octopus.... lol

yes, i for one was equally guilty.... many times over.... and i already promised myself never never again....

Edited August 10, 2009 by nakachalet

[mangkorn]

Uh, time to climb down from that high horse...

Bannork was repeating a stereotypical physical description of TEACHERS, while you are obviously on to something else.

He made that very clear, and the description certainly does not fit "northeastern ladies" who "stray."

(Nobody becomes a schoolteacher because they've been "led astray by materialism.")

[nakachalet]

mangkorn

do you know what these most despicable thai words mean, especially when used to describe a feminine gender and particularly a thai female teacher?

i tried to avoid using these thai words in my post, particularly to refrain from belittling the feminine gender.

ถือถุง พุงป่อง น่องทู่

mangkorn, you might find this description particular comical in some way, but many others do not see it that way....

to put it mildly, it is obnoxious and offensive for someone coming from a more civilized society to describe any female gender, whether thais or farangs or other nationalities with such detrimental terminologies.

my comment is a personal response and it is not to attach you or anyone, ok? just want to explain the meaning of those unsettling words.

Edited August 10, 2009 by nakachalet

[yoot]

mangkorn

do you know what these most despicable thai words mean, especially when used to describe a feminine gender and particularly a thai female teacher?

i tried to avoid using these thai words in my post, particularly to refrain from belittling the feminine gender.

ถือถุง พุงป่อง น่องทู่

mangkorn, you might find this description particular comical in some way, but many others do not see it that way....

to put it mildly, it is obnoxious and offensive for someone coming from a more civilized society to describe any female gender, whether thais or farangs or other nationalities with such detrimental terminologies.

my comment is a personal response and it is not to attach you or anyone, ok? just want to explain the meaning of those unsettling words.

I think you are misunderstanding something about this description. There is nothing bad about it. It describes the characteristic of teachers in general, kind of stereotype.

"พุงปอง (เพราะว่ากินยังไม่ทันย่อย หรือ มีกินบ้างไม่มีกินบ้าง เนื่องจากงานยุ่ง ) น่องทู่ (ต้องยืนหรือเดิน หรือ วิ่งยุ่ง ๆ ทั้งวัน) ถือถุง (การบ้านนักเรียน)"

Is there anything bad about these ? I think it is a praise for teachers, rather than detrimental terminologies, if you look at it deep enough.

Edited August 10, 2009 by yoot

[mangkorn]

Yes, I know what the words mean. By the way, they are all common words, not "despicable words."

You said you "just want to explain the meaning of those unsettling words," but then did not do so. If you have some unique knowledge of that expression, by all means, please share it.

But you are way out of line attacking me. I never said I find it comical; I offered no opinion whatsoever about it. In your zeal to mount a high pedestal with your knee-jerk reaction to Bannork's post, you obviously failed to comprehend it. This thread is dedicated to Thai sayings, and he is a knowledgeable and thoughtful contributor of same: he has shared many sayings and idioms that exist, such as this one; he doesn't post any expressions that he invents himself.

Clearly, you completely misunderstood his post, ranting that "most of these ladies are so simple minded and are so easily led astray by materialism offered by us who have more natural urges than octopus." In that, you were not referring to schoolteachers, not by any stretch of imagination nor post-hoc justification. But you can't seem to muster the humility to admit your mistake. It's okay, everybody makes mistakes. No harm done, just own up to it.

You might also check your self-righteousness long enough to review your own prejudice: what does "someone coming from a more civilized society" mean? It is very difficult to imagine that whomever you are pretending to defend would be flattered by your base condescension toward them as "less-civilized." Certainly not teachers. But then you weren't referring to teachers...

In any event, none of that has any relevance to his post, which merely contained a Thai expression, as per the title of this thread.

Carry on.

[nakachalet]

yoot:

your own quote: I think you are misunderstanding something about this description. There is nothing bad about it. It describes the characteristic of teachers in general, kind of stereotype.

"พุงปอง (เพราะว่ากินยังไม่ทันย่อย หรือ มีกินบ้างไม่มีกินบ้าง เนื่องจากงานยุ่ง ) น่องทู่ (ต้องยืนหรือเดิน หรือ วิ่งยุ่ง ๆ ทั้งวัน) ถือถุง (การบ้านนักเรียน)"

Is there anything bad about these ? I think it is a praise for teachers, rather than detrimental terminologies, if you look at it deep enough.

----------

yoot, it appears that you are the one who is grossly mistaken... but i won't make an issue of that at all either.... lol

read again carefully the following direct quote ok? then ask yourself:

does the quoted statement attribute to male teachers in general as you summarily pointed out, or

does it say something else....like labeling certain gender other than male teachers....????

typical female Thai teachers ถือถุง พุงป่อง น่องทู่

----------

yoot, honestly i would not have given a hoot, had the statement been what you mistakenly pointed out that it attributed to male teachers in general.... but as you can read for yourself, it does otherwise.

yoot, one thing though, if you are farang, i would owe you an apology because thai is not the easiest language to master for sure. but if you are thai as your name indicated, then i should say kor toat krup, jnar-tuur-sar na-krup อย่าถือสานะครับ did i say it right?.... lol

cheers, yoot buddie.... we all learn something new everyday.... lol

Edited August 10, 2009 by nakachalet

[nakachalet]

mangkorn

did you or did you not see the last sentence in my post which said:

....my comment is a personal response and it is not to attach you or anyone, ok?

----------

those group of words when used together directing toward a feminine gender, female teachers in particular, it could be construed as:

sexual intimidation or sexual harassment; either or both is an offense punishable by laws.

you do not have to believe me.... tomorrow morning just go to any thai school or english school and ask the lady principal or the human resource director.... if what i said here is correct?

or do you think they will agree with you and other contributors that the application of those bunches of common thai words toward female teachers constitute nothing more than a crude male joke? yes, some male teachers might joke about it in private, but to utter those words to a female teacher might cost him his job at this age and time....

again as i said if you are farang, i would owe you an apology because thai language is not the easiest to master. but if you are thai, then kor toat krup, njar tuur sar na krup อย่าถือสานะครับ

โอกาสหน้า กรุณาให้เกียติ็็์์์์สุภาพสตรีบ้าง นะครับ

come to think of it, why are we picking on things like this? there are many more pleasant and pleasurable thai words and phases to explore.... lol

Edited August 10, 2009 by nakachalet

[bannork]

I'm not sure what Nakachalet is on but if he's got a few seeds spare I wouldn't mind planting a few on my wife's farm in Udon.

I'm a teacher, and on entering the classroom a few days ago the 'offending' phrase was written on the board. The (female) Thai teacher who had taught the previous lesson had written it for the students, she was laughing and asked me to translate it.

I guessed that น่องทู่ meant stout or thick legs but I wasn't sure why, so thank you Yoot for the explanation.

[meadish_sweetball]

Showing respect for other posters is one of the basic rules in this forum.

I'd like to see that rule observed in this sub forum as has almost invariably been the case before.

Otherwise I will need to put on my silly little moderator's hat and wield my silly moderator's stick, and I feel so much more comfortable without having to use it.

So can we please try to discuss things on topic, constructively, without belittling and snide remarks? Thank you.

[nakachalet]

bannork, mangkorn and yoot

in reference to our last night conversation on the appropriateness and meaning of that thai phrase, and in order to disquiet my own inquisitiveness and my desire to ascertain that i am not really barking up the wrong tree so to speak, i quickly hand carried the attached simple survey to two high school principals in town. the survey handed over to the school principals is enclosed herewith for you to examine. it was the best that i could come up with considering the limitation of time this morning.

on the school playgrounds, i also showed the survey questions to 6 female students. each one said that it was inappropriate and crude to refer to koon-kroo like that. that was only 6 female students' opinion, ok?

around 4 pm this afternoon, i received calls from both principals expressing concerns and they thought that i made up the story to initiate a survey for parents teachers group.... lol

both principals thought that at the beginning of this school year, each school in thailand organized several administrators-teachers conferences and workshops dealing with teachers-students behavioral expectations and administrators-teachers professional relationships....

i was told that if incident such as i described, if it were true, and if it would happen in their schools, teachers concerned would be given a written reprimentation, for the first offense. and for the second similar offense which the particular teacher was already warned, the licensed teacher would be summarily dismissed.

bannork, did your school provide such meetings before the school year began this year, as the two adminstrators claimed? or did they just talking tough to impress me, so i would not stir up other farangs in the area? .... lol

for what it is worth, here is the survey questions

opinion_survey_090811_m.doc

Edited August 11, 2009 by nakachalet