Thai Sayings and Phrases Wanted

[bannork]

When someone won't listen to you in spite of repetition and reiteration, either they're stubborn or just plain thick, you might say-

พูดปากเปียกปากเเฉะ talk until you're blue in the face, like talking to a brick wall.

[In the Rai!]

When someone won't listen to you in spite of repetition and reiteration, either they're stubborn or just plain thick, you might say-

พูดปากเปียกปากเเฉะ talk until you're blue in the face, like talking to a brick wall.

Bannork thats a great one. I have never heard of it but I will certainly be putting it to good use with my kids.

You also have to put something at the end (so I found out)

พูดปากเปียกปากเเฉะ เเต่ลูกยังไม่ทำ

I am suprised I havent heard used at me. The amount of times I have been asked to do the dishes and havent.

[baennaenae]

สีซอให้ควายฟัง = talk as in to give advices to someone but that person doesn't liten and doesn't take any adivice. Basically you are wasting your time with that person.

ตีวัวกระทบคราด = you smack child in front of the people who hurt your child when you cannot do anything to them, for example,

Your child came home with tears one day after playing with your neighbours, and told you that your neighbour's child had hit him in the nose and you got angry but doesn't know what to do so you smack your child in order to let them know that you are not happy. Sometimes they don't have to see it.

Edited November 29, 2006 by baennaenae

[In the Rai!]

สีซอให้ควายฟัง = talk as in to give advices to someone but that person doesn't liten and doesn't take any adivice. Basically you are wasting your time with that person.

ตีวัวกระทบคราด = you smack child in front of the people who hurt your child when you cannot do anything to them, for example,

Your child came home with tears one day after playing with your neighbours, and told you that your neighbour's child had hit him in the nose and you got angry but doesn't know what to do so you smack your child in order to let them know that you are not happy. Sometimes they don't have to see it.

สีซอให้ควายฟัง I like it alot (thats a good one).

ตีวัวกระทบคราด I would use it a different way myself as I wouldnt hit my child if he or she was upset. (I know your was just an example)

IMO ตีวัวกระทบคราด = is when something is said about someone negatively to someone but the person who it is about can hear.

for example. Person A does not like person B. One day person B walks into the office a lttle late so person A turns to person C and says "person B is late again" and saying it loud enough to have person B hear them.

ITR

Edited November 30, 2006 by In the Rai!

[bannork]

To grumble, moan about things-บ่นกระปอดกระเเปด

[baennaenae]

?????????????? = talk as in to give advices to someone but that person doesn't liten and doesn't take any adivice. Basically you are wasting your time with that person.

?????????????? = you smack child in front of the people who hurt your child when you cannot do anything to them, for example,

Your child came home with tears one day after playing with your neighbours, and told you that your neighbour's child had hit him in the nose and you got angry but doesn't know what to do so you smack your child in order to let them know that you are not happy. Sometimes they don't have to see it.

?????????????? I like it alot (thats a good one).

?????????????? I would use it a different way myself as I wouldnt hit my child if he or she was upset. (I know your was just an example)

IMO ?????????????? = is when something is said about someone negatively to someone but the person who it is about can hear.

for example. Person A does not like person B. One day person B walks into the office a lttle late so person A turns to person C and says "person B is late again" and saying it loud enough to have person B hear them.

ITR

Your example is more for พูดเสียดสี หรือ พูดเหน็บแนม หรือ พูดเหน็บพูดแนม

Another example for ตีวัวกระทบคราด is You friend uset you but you don't know what to do to him so you smash your computer.

Edited November 30, 2006 by baennaenae

[Grover]

Question. I dont know how to spell this slang. Is it correct to translate to: "hey mate, don't worry about it" ??

chang maaaang her...

???

[Rikker]

ช่างมันเหอะ

(Side note: the เหอะ comes from เถอะ which comes from เถิด.)

It's note quite as "friendly" as "Hey mate, don't worry about it."

Particularly, เหอะ feels more forceful than เถอะ to me, where เถอะ is more like a suggestion.

Lots of possible ways to translate it... "Hey, don't worry about it." "Forget about it!" "Screw it!" "F--- it" etc. depending on how much it is a command vs. a suggestion, who it's said to and in what way. You're not going to want to say ช่างมันเหอะ to someone you're not really acquainted with, I'd guess.

[juleschester]

This is a wicked thread. Learnt loads already.

PLEASE KEEP IT UP for those of us that are trying to expand our vocabulary, especially those everyday words that you need to use, that arent in the Thai dictionarys!!

MAI CHORP,MAI MORNG HEN=DONT LIKE IT, DONT LOOK!!

IE; If you dont like my fat arse then dont look at it!!

cheers guys

chester

[Rikker]

The command "don't" = อย่า, not ไม่

And มองเห็น is "see" not "look." Shutting off one's ocular receptors is not voluntary, and thus logically you can't tell someone อย่ามองเห็น. You'll need to say มอง by itself or ดู for "look."

Roughly,

เห็น = see

มอง = look at

ดู = watch

You can pair มอง with either เห็น or ดู.. but the meaning will differ:

มองเห็น = see

มองดู = look

ไม่ชอบ ก็อย่ามอง

"If you don't like (it), don't look (at it)!"

Edited December 4, 2006 by Rikker

[bannork]

?????????????? = talk as in to give advices to someone but that person doesn't liten and doesn't take any adivice. Basically you are wasting your time with that person.

?????????????? = you smack child in front of the people who hurt your child when you cannot do anything to them, for example,

Your child came home with tears one day after playing with your neighbours, and told you that your neighbour's child had hit him in the nose and you got angry but doesn't know what to do so you smack your child in order to let them know that you are not happy. Sometimes they don't have to see it.

?????????????? I like it alot (thats a good one).

?????????????? I would use it a different way myself as I wouldnt hit my child if he or she was upset. (I know your was just an example)

IMO ?????????????? = is when something is said about someone negatively to someone but the person who it is about can hear.

for example. Person A does not like person B. One day person B walks into the office a lttle late so person A turns to person C and says "person B is late again" and saying it loud enough to have person B hear them.

ITR

Your example is more for พูดเสียดสี หรือ พูดเหน็บแนม หรือ พูดเหน็บพูดแนม

Another example for ตีวัวกระทบคราด is You friend uset you but you don't know what to do to him so you smash your computer.

This is the same as the idiom 'to cut off your nose to spite your face'. You are the victim and you feel upset but you've no way to retaliate so you do something that can only cause yourself further loss, but I guess you feel better as it vents your frustration!

I've seen this several times with couples who have split up bitterly where the girlfriend has deliberately destroyed photos,TVs,mobile phones,etc, things of value she could have walked away with but, I guess it's to do with pride, she abandoned.( I don't need anything of his\ours).

[In the Rai!]

Another example for ตีวัวกระทบคราด is You friend uset you but you don't know what to do to him so you smash your computer.

This is the same as the idiom 'to cut off your nose to spite your face'. You are the victim and you feel upset but you've no way to retaliate so you do something that can only cause yourself further loss, but I guess you feel better as it vents your frustration!

I've seen this several times with couples who have split up bitterly where the girlfriend has deliberately destroyed photos,TVs,mobile phones,etc, things of value she could have walked away with but, I guess it's to do with pride, she abandoned.( I don't need anything of his\ours).

I have never heard it used like that. Interesting as I didnt know it had that meaning too. Can anyone put it into a sentence (context) as to how it is used with this meaning as I only ever used it as per my previous post.

previous post " ตีวัวกระทบคราด = is when something is said about someone negatively to someone but the person who it is about can hear.

or example. Person A does not like person B. One day person B walks into the office a lttle late so person A turns to person C and says "person B is late again" and saying it loud enough to have person B hear them."

cheers guys

[katana]

Here's a definition of the ตีวัวกระทบคราด idiom from a Thai webpage:

โกรธคนหนึ่งแต่ทำอะไรเขาไม่ได้ไพล่ไปรังความอีกคนหนึ่งที่เกี่ยวข้องและตนสามารถทำได้ (something like, 'Angry with one person but you can't do anything about it, so instead you take it out on a related person who you can take it out on.')

There also seems to be an example here.

[In the Rai!]

Here's a definition of the ตีวัวกระทบคราด idiom from a Thai webpage:

โกรธคนหนึ่งแต่ทำอะไรเขาไม่ได้ไพล่ไปรังความอีกคนหนึ่งที่เกี่ยวข้องและตนสามารถทำได้ (something like, 'Angry with one person but you can't do anything about it, so instead you take it out on a related person who you can take it out on.')

There also seems to be an example here.

Thanks Katana,

that example helps alot..

cheers ITR

[bannork]

Here's a definition of the ตีวัวกระทบคราด idiom from a Thai webpage:

โกรธคนหนึ่งแต่ทำอะไรเขาไม่ได้ไพล่ไปรังความอีกคนหนึ่งที่เกี่ยวข้องและตนสามารถทำได้ (something like, 'Angry with one person but you can't do anything about it, so instead you take it out on a related person who you can take it out on.')

There also seems to be an example here.

Thanks Katana,

that example helps alot..

cheers ITR

Judging from the examples so far it seems to be for situations where one is powerless to act against the perpetrator so someone junior gets the rage, frustration.

Different to 'cut off your nose' as you're only hurting yourself in that case.

I can't think of an English idiom offhand to match that situation. I think we need some more examples, where's Yoot when he's needed? No doubt enjoying the holiday somewhere!

I found some good หัว idioms today:

หัวหมอ a know-it-all

หัวกะทิ the cream of the crop, the very best

หัวเเก้วหัวเเหวน to be the apple of someone's eye

[yoot]

First, I have to disagree with these examples.

Your child came home with tears one day after playing with your neighbours, and told you that your neighbour's child had hit him in the nose and you got angry but doesn't know what to do so you smack your child in order to let them know that you are not happy. Sometimes they don't have to see it.

Another example for ตีวัวกระทบคราด is You friend uset you but you don't know what to do to him so you smash your computer.

" ตีวัวกระทบคราด = is when something is said about someone negatively to someone but the person who it is about can hear.

or example. Person A does not like person B. One day person B walks into the office a lttle late so person A turns to person C and says "person B is late again" and saying it loud enough to have person B hear them."

As from katanas post,

ตีวัวกระทบคราด idiom from a Thai webpage:

โกรธคนหนึ่งแต่ทำอะไรเขาไม่ได้ไพล่ไปรังความอีกคนหนึ่งที่เกี่ยวข้องและตนสามารถทำได้ (something like, 'Angry with one person but you can't do anything about it, so instead you take it out on a related person who you can take it out on.')

This is the correct meaning and usage of this saying. So, to correct baennaenae's examples, it should be.

"Your child came home with tears one day after playing with your neighbours, and told you that your neighbour's child had hit him in the nose and you got angry but doesn't know what to do, but you saw your neighbor's dog was walking around, so you kick his dog instead just for satisfying yourself .

Or,

"You friend upset you but you don't know what to do to him so you smash his computer."

Sorry to say, In The Rai. But your example has nothing to do with this saying.

Back to English equivalent. From what I read,

' ตีวัวกระทบคราด ' is equivalent to English saying ' Beat the dog before the lion '. But I don't know for sure about the meaning of this English saying, so, I won't convince you guys to believe me.

Actually in the book I mentioned about 'vicous circle', it has this saying too which the writer give the English equivalent as 'to cut off one's nose to spite one's face'. But the writer said he thought the meaning which given by RID is unclear. So, he said from his understanding, this saying in English can be used equivalently to this Thai saying too.

But IMO I think the English saying 'to cut off one's nose to spite one's face' has the equivalent meaning with Thai saying ' ตายประชดป่าช้า ' - To die to spite the graveyard more.

[bannork]

ตีวัวกระทบคราด I asked the wife and she said exactly the same as the earlier poster, namely A is not happy with B so blames B to C within earshot of B.

It seems the Thais don't agree on this one.

For to cut off your nose to spite the face she recommended หยิกเล้บเจ็บเนื้อ

[meadish_sweetball]

หยิกเล็บเจ็บเนื้อ, right?

[In the Rai!]

Sorry to say, In The Rai. But your example has nothing to do with this saying.

Yoot, check with some of your Thai friends about this. Maybe there is more than 1 meaning. I have heard it used like this for a few years and learnt it from my wife. I asked some of the teachers at my school to see what they thought and they all agreed in my example. I am not doubting that your example is also correct (I will ask the teachers about this one) I am just saying that I am now confused as to what is correct and what isnt as it seems even Thais are not sure.

ITR

[yoot]

In The Rai,

I have to accept that many Thai people don't understand the meaning of any Thai saying well. Many used it even without knowing what the correct saying is.

If you want to ask a Thai about the usage of any Thai saying, first you should let them explain the meaning of it first, if they can explain it correctly then they should be able to give you the correct usage too.

For this saying 'ตีวัวกระทบคราด' it means 'โกรธคนหนึ่งแต่ทำอะไรเขาไม่ได้ไพล่ไปรังควานอีกคนหนึ่งที่เกี่ยวข้องและตนสามารถทำได้' which shown in every Thai textbook. So, if the person you ask can tell you this definition then you can be sure that they can give you the correct usage. The fine point for this definition is 'ไปรังควานอีกคนหนึ่งที่เกี่ยวข้อง' which on your example, there is no this part.

Person A does not like person B. One day person B walks into the office a lttle late so person A turns to person C and says "person B is late again" and saying it loud enough to have person B hear them."

For your example, if person C is someone who is involved with B by working under B, then it's 'อีกคนหนึ่งที่เกี่ยวข้อง' but person A told person C this, it doesn't mean A ไปรังควาน C. In this case it's just person A กำลังนินทา B out loud, just that.

But if person C works under person B and never been late but A want to sayor do something 'ตีวัวกระทบคราด', A would tell C something like 'นี่เธอ ถ้าเธอมาทำงานสายบ่อย ๆ นะ ถ้าชั้นเป็นหัวหน้าเธอ ชั้นไล่เธอออกไปนานแล้ว'

Do you see the difference?

I will show you another example from this page ;

http://www.siamtower.com/supasit/p09.html

'ตีวัวกระทบคราด : เป็นสำนวนหมายถึง การแสร้งทำหรือแสร้งพูด เพื่อให้กระทบกระเทือนไปถึงอีกฝ่ายหนึ่ง การเอาวัวกับคราดมาเปรียบ ก็เพราะคราดซึ่งใช้เป็นเครื่องมือกวาดลานฟางหรือหญ้าในนานั้นผูกเป็นคันยาวใช้วัวลากและคราดจะเป็นฝ่ายกระตุ้นให้วัวทำงานลากคราดไป ซึ่งผลงานคงจะอยู่ที่คราดเป็นตัวกวาด เมื่อคราดไม่ทำงานก็เลยใช้วิธีตีวัวให้ลากคราด เป็นทำนองว่า " ตีวัวกระทบคราด " วัวเลยกลายเป็นแพะรับบาปเพราะคราด ความหมายคล้ายกับว่า เราทำอะไรคนหนึ่งไม่ได้ เช่น โกรธเขาแต่กลับไปเล่นงานสัตว์เลี้ยงหรือคนใกล้ชิดของเขา เป็นการตอบแทน.'

[yoot]

หยิกเล็บเจ็บเนื้อ - ทำกับคนหนึ่งแต่ผลกระทบกลับมาเจ็บตัวเอง

ตายประชดป่าช้า - แกล้งทำหรือพูดแดกดันประชดอีกฝ่ายหนึ่งแต่ตัวเองกลับเป็นฝ่ายเสียหายจากการทำหรือพูดนั้น

cut off one's nose to spite one's face - cause harm to yourself in order to do harm to an adversary

For this definition of each sayings, I think they are quite close. But the usage of both Thai saying are different.

Example for หยิกเล็บเจ็บเนื้อ ;

The interim government found out some fault from the previous government but they ignore it becuase if they try to accuse the previous government for this fault they might get the result that this interim government have done the same mistake. มันจะเป็นการหยิกเล็บเจ็บเนื้อเสียเปล่า

Example for ตายประชดป่าช้า ;

You and your girlfriend plan to go to a party which you want to go so much but your girlfriend just feel ok to go with you. Suddenly, before going, both of you have argument, you tell your girlfriend that you won't to go to the party, just for wanting to threaten your girlfriend. Your girlfriend says 'ok, we won't go'. So, you can't change your word and then you have to get that result with unhappy but your girlfriend is just fine with it. แบบนี้เขาเรียกว่า เป็นการตายประชดป่าช้าแท้ ๆ สมน้ำหน้า

[In the Rai!]

In The Rai,

I have to accept that many Thai people don't understand the meaning of any Thai saying well. Many used it even without knowing what the correct saying is.

If you want to ask a Thai about the usage of any Thai saying, first you should let them explain the meaning of it first, if they can explain it correctly then they should be able to give you the correct usage too.

For this saying 'ตีวัวกระทบคราด' it means 'โกรธคนหนึ่งแต่ทำอะไรเขาไม่ได้ไพล่ไปรังควานอีกคนหนึ่งที่เกี่ยวข้องและตนสามารถทำได้' which shown in every Thai textbook. So, if the person you ask can tell you this definition then you can be sure that they can give you the correct usage. The fine point for this definition is 'ไปรังควานอีกคนหนึ่งที่เกี่ยวข้อง' which on your example, there is no this part.

Person A does not like person B. One day person B walks into the office a lttle late so person A turns to person C and says "person B is late again" and saying it loud enough to have person B hear them."

For your example, if person C is someone who is involved with B by working under B, then it's 'อีกคนหนึ่งที่เกี่ยวข้อง' but person A told person C this, it doesn't mean A ไปรังควาน C. In this case it's just person A กำลังนินทา B out loud, just that.

But if person C works under person B and never been late but A want to sayor do something 'ตีวัวกระทบคราด', A would tell C something like 'นี่เธอ ถ้าเธอมาทำงานสายบ่อย ๆ นะ ถ้าชั้นเป็นหัวหน้าเธอ ชั้นไล่เธอออกไปนานแล้ว'

Do you see the difference?

I will show you another example from this page ;

http://www.siamtower.com/supasit/p09.html

'ตีวัวกระทบคราด : เป็นสำนวนหมายถึง การแสร้งทำหรือแสร้งพูด เพื่อให้กระทบกระเทือนไปถึงอีกฝ่ายหนึ่ง การเอาวัวกับคราดมาเปรียบ ก็เพราะคราดซึ่งใช้เป็นเครื่องมือกวาดลานฟางหรือหญ้าในนานั้นผูกเป็นคันยาวใช้วัวลากและคราดจะเป็นฝ่ายกระตุ้นให้วัวทำงานลากคราดไป ซึ่งผลงานคงจะอยู่ที่คราดเป็นตัวกวาด เมื่อคราดไม่ทำงานก็เลยใช้วิธีตีวัวให้ลากคราด เป็นทำนองว่า " ตีวัวกระทบคราด " วัวเลยกลายเป็นแพะรับบาปเพราะคราด ความหมายคล้ายกับว่า เราทำอะไรคนหนึ่งไม่ได้ เช่น โกรธเขาแต่กลับไปเล่นงานสัตว์เลี้ยงหรือคนใกล้ชิดของเขา เป็นการตอบแทน.'

Yoot excellent website

I ahvent had a chance to run anything by friends, family or teachers at school yet but I will when I get a chance.

Here is a good one.

หว่านพืชใดได้ผลอย่างนั้น I guess its like saying "You make the bed you sleep in"

meaning

If you steal money than you deserve to get caught

If you study real hard then you deserve to be number 1.

[bannork]

ทุเรศ is back with a vengeance, in the papers yesterday was the story of a Thai celebrity Miss Youwadee compering a sports parade in Phitsanulok. When the media and parents rushed forward to take pictures of the parade, she vented her displeasure by describing it as ทุเรศ on air. Such was the anger of the local people they demanded Miss Youwadee apologise publicly to the people of Phitsanulok for her rude words.

Now what would we call ทุเรศ in this case in English?

Bear in mind the people were probably rushing forward papparazi style, a bit of jostling here and there, somewhat unseemly.

[Pilchard]

"Thai Sayings and Phrases Wanted"

Lang nar gai = Wash chickens face = sex before breakfast (early morning Sh@g)

Made me luagh and had to share it, sorry

[In the Rai!]

"Thai Sayings and Phrases Wanted"

Lang nar gai = Wash chickens face = sex before breakfast (early morning Sh@g)

Made me luagh and had to share it, sorry

ล้างหน้าไก่ larng nar gai

I have heard this slang used as well. I would love to hear from anyone who knows where it comes from. I can only get if your awake early enough to wash chickens faces than it means you had an early shag(to be up so early) But I think I am clutching at straws..

[tgeezer]

Back when the "war on drugs" was going on we where at the local market and a car pulled up and shot two people allegedly involved in drugs, apparently this was carried out by the police.

Anyway, my friend turns to me and says " shuak gai hi ling do" basicly

"Cut the chickens throat and let the monkeys watch"

ie They were being made an examlpe of.

Anyone esle know any thai sayings and their meanings?

Cheers

kwai hai lue= baffalo escaped? Very rude, to someone who is rushing without thought for others, most drivers in Bangkok, it implies, since he obviously doesn't have a buffalo, that you do not think he is as sophisticated as he appears.

[Trev]

Not sure if this one has been mentioned but it is my favourite and one that I find very useful when someone is making excuses,

Ram mai di tôht pie tôht glong - A bad dancer blames the flute and the drum.

Edited December 20, 2006 by Trev

[JimsKnight]

A good one I've seen at a temple in Changers was

'Voice of a deer, heart of a lion' - Which is the equivalent of our 'Wolf in sheeps clothing.'

Sorry I don't know it in thai!

[bannork]

I think this one could be equivalent to the English 'woo', it means to go and visit everyday to chat up, woo.

มาเทียวไล้เทียวขื่อ, the writer amusingly adds ส่งขนมจีบ

[bannork]

สร้างความเดือดร้อนรำคาญให้กับชาวบ้านเป็นอย่างมาก เเต่ไม่มีใครกล้าตอแยด้วย

ตอแย in dictionaries it says-interfere, meddle,etc but I don't think that's the meaning here, more like ' to protest to',' to speak and complain about, to complain directly to.

Perhaps it should be considered with ไม่กล้า as in 'dare not complain to or about'.

Any thoughts Yoot etc?