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Thai Sayings and Phrases Wanted


RamdomChances

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Heard this one recently but I can't remember right off what it means:

ทนมือ ทนตีน  Ton Muu Ton Tdeen

I gather it's not too polite either as the slang word for feet is never polite.

Cheers,

บุญมี

It means you can tolerate anything, it's good in that you can endure heat, hard work, etc, but is it good if you endure exploitation, cheating employees, faithless women, bus drivers that refuse to stop, et al?

A good idiom in the paper today, ขี้เเพ้ชวนตี khi pair chuan dtee, to be a bad loser, to pass the blame when you lose, but why 'sheepshit invites you to fight?'

bannork

Thanks Bannork,

Missed the meaning of "sheepshit invites you to fight" though? (I'm probably thick today) :o

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ทนมือ ทนตีน

used for things mean "durable"

E.g. โทรศัพท์เครื่องนี้ทนมือทนตีนดีจริง ๆ means this phone is really durable. ( Although it fell down several times but still be able to use)

used for people mean "tolerate or endure" , tolerate with manhandled.

ขี้เเพ้ชวนตี

means to be a bad loser. Something like although you lose in the game but you don't accept and try to pick a quarrel with your rival.

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Heard this one recently but I can't remember right off what it means:

ทนมือ ทนตีน  Ton Muu Ton Tdeen

I gather it's not too polite either as the slang word for feet is never polite.

Cheers,

บุญมี

It means you can tolerate anything, it's good in that you can endure heat, hard work, etc, but is it good if you endure exploitation, cheating employees, faithless women, bus drivers that refuse to stop, et al?

A good idiom in the paper today, ขี้เเพ้ชวนตี khi pair chuan dtee, to be a bad loser, to pass the blame when you lose, but why 'sheepshit invites you to fight?'

bannork

Thanks Bannork,

Missed the meaning of "sheepshit invites you to fight" though? (I'm probably thick today) :o

:D Sorry Mr. Countryside, but there is no sheep (or goat) buried here.

Once you see that the word is "lose" and not "goat", you might also see how to analyse the expression.

Also, " ขี่ " in this context is not to be interpreted or understood literally as "shit". It is a prefix meaning "having habitual characteristics of being" with negative connotations.

The words for "goat" and "lose" look a bit similar, but the vowel sound in "goat" is short, whereas the vowel sound in "lose" is long.

แพะ /phae[HS]/ = a goat

แพ้ /phae[HS]/ = to lose

So the expression can be analyzed as:

ขี้เเพ้ชวนตี

khii[F] phae[HL] chuan[M] tii[M]

neg.prefix lose invite hit/beat

He always (khii) picks(=invites) (chuan) a fight (tii) when losing (phae).

Do you see the structure now or have I muddled it up even more for you?

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And it is not the other khii (low tone) which means to ride.

Eg:

ขี่ช้าง จับตั๊กแตน khii chaang, jab tag-ga-tain

Ride elephants to catch grasshoppers ( = Burn your house to frighten away the mice.).

To overdo something, go over the top, etc...

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Heard this one recently but I can't remember right off what it means:

ทนมือ ทนตีน  Ton Muu Ton Tdeen

I gather it's not too polite either as the slang word for feet is never polite.

Cheers,

บุญมี

It means you can tolerate anything, it's good in that you can endure heat, hard work, etc, but is it good if you endure exploitation, cheating employees, faithless women, bus drivers that refuse to stop, et al?

A good idiom in the paper today, ขี้เเพ้ชวนตี khi pair chuan dtee, to be a bad loser, to pass the blame when you lose, but why 'sheepshit invites you to fight?'

bannork

Thanks Bannork,

Missed the meaning of "sheepshit invites you to fight" though? (I'm probably thick today) :o

:D Sorry Mr. Countryside, but there is no sheep (or goat) buried here.

Once you see that the word is "lose" and not "goat", you might also see how to analyse the expression.

Also, " ขี่ " in this context is not to be interpreted or understood literally as "shit". It is a prefix meaning "having habitual characteristics of being" with negative connotations.

The words for "goat" and "lose" look a bit similar, but the vowel sound in "goat" is short, whereas the vowel sound in "lose" is long.

แพะ /phae[HS]/ = a goat

แพ้ /phae[HS]/ = to lose

So the expression can be analyzed as:

ขี้เเพ้ชวนตี

khii[F] phae[HL] chuan[M] tii[M]

neg.prefix lose invite hit/beat

He always (khii) picks(=invites) (chuan) a fight (tii) when losing (phae).

Do you see the structure now or have I muddled it up even more for you?

Thanks for the lesson S.M. but really no need, realised my mistranslation about half an hour after leaving the Internet cafe but too late to go back.

The lesson is:

drinking beer leads to careless translationการกินเบียร์ทำให้คนเเปลหนังสือไม่ถูกด้อง

bannork

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เกลียดปลาไหล ยังกินน้ำแกง

Even though he hates the eel, he still eats the curry.

Anyone who has heard this before (except for native speakers like Khun Yoot)? Very useful.

:D I won't answer this question, but I'd like to add another idiom which has the same meaning.Sometimes they are mentioned together.

เกลียดตัวกินไข่ เกลียดปลาไหลกินน้ำแกง

This is my question. Anyone here know the meaning of this idiom?

กบอยู่ในกะลาครอบ

A frog is under the cover of a coconut shell :o

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เกลียดปลาไหล ยังกินน้ำแกง

Even though he hates the eel, he still eats the curry.

Anyone who has heard this before (except for native speakers like Khun Yoot)? Very useful.

:D I won't answer this question, but I'd like to add another idiom which has the same meaning.Sometimes they are mentioned together.

เกลียดตัวกินไข่ เกลียดปลาไหลกินน้ำแกง

This is my question. Anyone here know the meaning of this idiom?

กบอยู่ในกะลาครอบ

A frog is under the cover of a coconut shell :o

All the frog sees of the world is the space under the coconut shell, yet because this is all he sees he assumes it's the whole world; thus he thinks he knows everything. The frog can be compared to people who have lived narrow lives yet through their ignorance pontificate and pronounce opinions about things of which they know little.

ถูกไหมคุณยุทธ If I'm wrong I'm going back under that coconut shell.

bannork

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How about

เกลียดปลาไหล ยังกินน้ำแกง

Even though he hates the eel, he still eats the curry.

Anyone who has heard this before (except for native speakers like Khun Yoot)? Very useful.

To hate someone whom you personally benefit from; ie the drummer in the rock band doesn't leave even though the lead singer is a complete prick because they make so much money. Michael Jackson's lawyer doesn't abandon his child loving client because there's so much money to be made.

Am I on the right track, when did Michael last make a decent track?

bannork

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All the frog sees of the world is the space under the coconut shell, yet because this is all he sees he assumes it's the whole world; thus he thinks he knows everything. The frog can be compared to people who have lived narrow lives yet through their ignorance pontificate and pronounce opinions about things of which they know little.

ถูกไหมคุณยุทธ If I'm wrong I'm going back under that coconut shell.

bannork

Absolutely right!! เก่งจัง

You don't need to go back under that coconut shell. I was thinking of putting someone there while I ask that question. :o

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  • 3 weeks later...

Here's one I've recently become aware of & hope it hasn't been posted before! :o

ไม่เป็นสับปะรด "mai pen saparot"

Used when describing food that doesn't taste too good.

บุญมี

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Here's one I've recently become aware of & hope it hasn't been posted before! :D

ไม่เป็นสับปะรด  "mai pen saparot"

Used when describing food that doesn't taste too good.

บุญมี

Isn't pineapple? :Dไม่ เข้าใจ

The online Thai/English dictionary as it as "sàp-bpà-rót"? :o

It's a slang phrase for sure.

Edited by Boon Mee
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Here's one I've recently become aware of & hope it hasn't been posted before! :D

ไม่เป็นสับปะรด  "mai pen saparot"

Used when describing food that doesn't taste too good.

บุญมี

Isn't pineapple? :Dไม่ เข้าใจ

The online Thai/English dictionary as it as "sàp-bpà-rót"? :o

It's a slang phrase for sure.

Sorry - a little confusion here :D

I wrote "Isn't pineapple? :D " -- this was my translation of your Thai phrase.

I then wrote "ไม่ เข้าใจ " -- which is Thai for "I don't understand".

I didn't mean that "pineapple" is spelt "ไม่ เข้าใจ " :D .

Back to your phrase... I guess "pineapple" is considered very tasty in Thailand, so when something "isn't pineapple", it means it "doesn't taste good".

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QUOTE(meadish_sweetball @ 2005-02-19 14:09:16)

How about

เกลียดปลาไหล ยังกินน้ำแกง

Even though he hates the eel, he still eats the curry.

Anyone who has heard this before (except for native speakers like Khun Yoot)? Very useful.

To hate someone whom you personally benefit from; ie the drummer in the rock band doesn't leave even though the lead singer is a complete prick because they make so much money. Michael Jackson's lawyer doesn't abandon his child loving client because there's so much money to be made.

Am I on the right track, when did Michael last make a decent track?

bannork

This makes sense Bannork. What about the "kee mao" who can't get off the sauce? Would this phrase be apt? I heard this before when talking about my father in law, who is "dtit suraa reua rang". I think it may be something to do with him not liking me(at first anyway), but loving my daughter.

Edited by Neeranam
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Correct, RDN. It's one of those slang Thai expressions that come around all the time. I guess you could say it to your partner when you were with a bunch of Farang and didn't want to insult the host. :o

I was confused by your reference to ไม่ เข้าใจ"

Didn't know right off what you were referring to! :D I guess we just have to:

เราต้องเข้าใจกันเเลกัน

Cheers,

บุญมี

Edited by Boon Mee
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Correct, RDN.  It's one of those slang Thai expressions that come around all the time.  I guess you could say it to your partner when you were with a bunch of Farang and didn't want to insult the host. :D

I was confused by your reference to ไม่ เข้าใจ"

Didn't know right off what you were referring to! :D I guess we just have to: 

เราต้องเข้าใจกันเเลกัน 

Cheers,

บุญมี

เออ! :o

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QUOTE(meadish_sweetball @ 2005-02-19 14:09:16)

How about

เกลียดปลาไหล ยังกินน้ำแกง

Even though he hates the eel, he still eats the curry.

Anyone who has heard this before (except for native speakers like Khun Yoot)? Very useful.

To hate someone whom you personally benefit from; ie the drummer in the rock band doesn't leave even though the lead singer is a complete prick because they make so much money. Michael Jackson's lawyer doesn't abandon his child loving client because there's so much money to be made.

Am I on the right track, when did Michael last make a decent track?

bannork

This makes sense Bannork. What about the "kee mao" who can't get off the sauce? Would this phrase be apt? I heard this before when talking about my father in law, who is "dtit suraa reua rang". I think it may be something to do with him not liking me(at first anyway), but loving my daughter.

Neeraman, are you sure you don't mean his daughter? Or do you mean he didn't like you until his granddaughter came along, then loving her he had to accept you.

So you're the eel and she's the curry, but take heart because the eel is considered cunning in Thai, admittedly he's slippery but he's difficult to pin down and he's a survivor.

I like this idiom,มาเจอไม้งามเมื่อขวานบิน ma jer mai ngam meua kwan bin, literally- find the lovely wood when the axe is useless, meaning a lost opportunity; for example you're married with 3 young kids and then you meet the woman of your dreams ......

Which leads me on to รักพี่เสียดายน้อง rak pee sia dai nong, love the older sister shame about the younger one; in other words to be in 2 minds about something, unable to make up one's mind, to hesitate.

bannork

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Neeraman, are you sure you don't mean his daughter? Or do you mean he didn't like you until his granddaughter came along, then loving her he had to accept you.

So you're the eel and she's the curry, but take heart because the eel is considered cunning in Thai, admittedly he's slippery but he's difficult to pin down and he's a survivor.

I think it was meaning that he puts up with me because of his grand-daughter, so yes he didn't like me until she came along, then realised if he wanted to see her, he would have to put up with me in the house. Doesn't bother me. I think he doesn't like me as he knows I used to be a heavy drinker and managed to stop, unlike him.
I like this idiom,มาเจอไม้งามเมื่อขวานบิน ma jer mai ngam meua kwan bin, literally- find the lovely wood when the axe is useless, meaning a lost opportunity; for example you're married with 3 young kids and then you meet the woman of your dreams ......

Which leads me on to รักพี่เสียดายน้อง rak pee sia dai nong, love the older sister shame about the younger one; in other words to be in 2 minds about something, unable to make up one's mind, to hesitate.

bannork

I have heard the one about "รักพี่เสียดายน้อง rak pee sia dai nong" quite often, I think that tells you something about me :o

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funny that one; there's actually a hebrew song called " why didnt u tell me about your younger sister?( i.e. the beautiful one)

this thread is too long: maybe we could somehow put all the sayings onto a list... i've been doingthat but my files arent really organized and i ahve tons of stuff .... maybe i'.. try to do it and then post somehow ....

now have to try and use some

btw found the site of thai bumper stickers through the learningthai.com site..... thinking of printing some out and putting on my car here in israel.... although some i didnt understand the references (probably inside thai jokes)

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When someone keeps saying the same thing, either stuck in the past or incessantly complaining repeatedly about the same thing you can say คุณตกร่อง- khun dtok rong, literally you have fallen in the ditch or you're stuck in the groove, like a record player needle constantly repeating itself as it jumps back. For instance your wife constantly infers you come home late because you have a mistress tucked away somewhere whilst in reality you're innocently sending emails here and there.

The lonely old farang man constantly moaning about the state of the Thai postal service.

bannork.

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  • 2 weeks later...
One for the regulars: I've seen ตอกลิ่ม used idiomatically meaning 'to drive a wedge between' and I was wondering if there's a Thai idiom for 'the thin end of the wedge'.

bannork.

I reckon a Thai idiom which should be matched with this one is น้ำผึ้งหยดเดียว. It means there is a situation which is started by some unimpartant thing and later it causes a bad situation.

Edited by yoot
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  • 4 weeks later...
bannork2005-02-15 20:50:55

A good idiom in the paper today, ขี้เเพ้ชวนตี khi pair chuan dtee, to be a bad loser, to pass the blame when you lose, but why 'sheepshit invites you to fight?'

bannork

meadish_sweetball

2005-02-16 10:29:17

Sorry Mr. Countryside, but there is no sheep (or goat) buried here.

Once you see that the word is "lose" and not "goat", you might also see how to analyse the expression.

แพะ = a goat

แพ้ /phae= to lose

Well,Meadish...I never said he was smart! :o

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bannork2005-02-15 20:50:55

A good idiom in the paper today, ขี้เเพ้ชวนตี khi pair chuan dtee, to be a bad loser, to pass the blame when you lose, but why 'sheepshit invites you to fight?'

bannork

meadish_sweetball

2005-02-16 10:29:17

Sorry Mr. Countryside, but there is no sheep (or goat) buried here.

Once you see that the word is "lose" and not "goat", you might also see how to analyse the expression.

แพะ = a goat

แพ้ /phae= to lose

Well,Meadish...I never said he was smart! :o

A poem you should remember Snowleopard-

คชสารเเม้ม้วยมีงา โคกระบือมรฌา

เขาหนังก็เป็นสำคัญ

บุคคลถึงการอาสัญ สูญสิ้นสารพัน

คงเเต่ความชั่วกับดี

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How would you say this is thai correctly?

"It is better to have loved and lost then to have never loved."

This is my feeble attempt:

Man dii-gwaa mii rak gap haai gwaa mii mai-kuui rak

I think you could say:

OK HAK DEE GWA RAK MAI PEN อกหักดีกว่ารักไม่เป็น

Edited by katana
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How would you say this is thai correctly?

"It is better to have loved and lost then to have never loved."

This is my feeble attempt:

Man dii-gwaa mii rak gap haai gwaa mii mai-kuui rak

I think you could say:

OK HAK DEE GWA RAK MAI PEN อกหักดีกว่ารักไม่เป็น

Awesome Thank you

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I think you could say:

OK HAK DEE GWA RAK MAI PEN อกหักดีกว่ารักไม่เป็น

Hm, I'm not sure that that is correct.

Back translating that into English would come out as: "A broken heart is better than not knowing how to love".

You're probably looking for something like: OK HAK DEE GWA MAI KOIE LONG RAK อกหักดีกว่าไม่เคยหลงรัก

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