Passa Angkrit Buat Hua!

[stevehaigh]

can anyone help me explain why:

gin khao ru yang = have you eaten yet?

set ru yang? = are you ready yet?

baan set ru yang = is your house ready (finished) yet?

how to explain the difference between have, are and is? i'm english and i can't explain it, i just know it!

thanks.

[chownah]

"Have you eaten yet?" is a question (interrogative) with the verb (have eaten) being in the tense called the present perfect. The present perfect is constructed by using the past participle of the action (in this case the action is "to eat") and using the present tense of the auxilliary verb "to have". If I asked you to conjugate the verb "to eat" in the present perfect tense you would write:

I have eaten

You have eaten

He/she/it has eaten

We have eaten

You have eaten

They have eaten

The first three (using I, you, he/she/it) are singular and the last three (using we, you, and they) are all plural. I and We are called first person because the subject of the sentence (the one doing the action) is the speaker. You and you (singular and plural) are called second person because the subject of the sentence is the person the speaker is talking to. He/she/it and They are called third person because the subject of the sentence is the person the speaker is talking about.

"are" and "is" are both present tense of the verb "to be". If I asked you to conjugate the verb "to be" in the present tense you would write:

I am

You are

He/she/it is

We are

You are

They are

Seems like you need to study up on your verb tenses.

I just realized that you might be talking about these verbs in the Thai language. If this is the case then the examples you used do not have verbs in them because in Thai language these verbs are either optional or just plain not used.

Edited December 19, 2005 by chownah

[PeaceBlondie]

Being just a bit naughty here - do you suppose that the Thai obsession of asking everybody "Have you eaten yet?" comes from some period of ancient Thai history, when there were rice famines?

I don't eat breakfast, usually. Sometimes I skip lunch as well. If I were to answer truthfully, all Hades might break loose in Thailand. "Omigod, this person hasn't eaten yet! He'll die of rice famine!" But I think the question is about as serious as the question in English, "How are you?" You could be terminally ill and bankrupt, but you have to say, "Fine, thank you. And youuuuuu?"

[stevehaigh]

"Have you eaten yet?" is a question (interrogative) with the verb (have eaten) being in the tense called the present perfect.  The present perfect is constructed by using the past participle of the action (in this case the action is "to eat") and using the present tense of the auxilliary verb "to have".  If I asked you to conjugate the verb "to eat" in the present perfect tense you would write:

I have eaten

You have eaten

He/she/it has eaten

We have eaten

You have eaten

They have eaten

The first three (using I, you, he/she/it) are singular and the last three (using we, you, and they) are all plural.  I and We are called first person because the subject of the sentence (the one doing the action) is the speaker.  You and you (singular and plural) are called second person because the subject of the sentence is the person the speaker is talking to. He/she/it and They are called third person because the subject of the sentence is the person the speaker is talking about.

"are" and "is" are both present tense of the verb "to be".  If I asked you to conjugate the verb "to be" in the present tense you would write:

I am

You are

He/she/it is

We are

You are

They are

Seems like you need to study up on your verb tenses.

I just realized that you might be talking about these verbs in the Thai language.  If this is the case then the examples you used do not have verbs in them because in Thai language these verbs are either optional or just plain not used.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i'm trying to explain English to a Thai person. I see what you are saying, "Have you eaten yet?" implies past tense where as "are you ready yet?" implies present tense. I think i can explain that.

thanks

[mbkudu]

i'm trying to explain English to a Thai person. I see what you are saying, "Have you eaten yet?" implies past tense where as "are you ready yet?" implies present tense. I think i can explain that.

thanks

"Have you eaten yet?" is a simple yes/no question about the recent past or time close to the present (present perfect), but not a particular time. If you wanted the answer to a particular time, you would use the simple past tense: "Did you eat at

noon?"

"Are you ready yet?" is asking about the present 'condition' of the person. 'Ready' is an adjective (predicate adjective) or describing word, like the following: Is he tall? Is your house red?

Is she ready? Are they nice people?

Edited December 20, 2005 by mbkudu

[robitusson]

Being just a bit naughty here - do you suppose that the Thai obsession of asking everybody "Have you eaten yet?" comes from some period of ancient Thai history, when there were rice famines?

I don't eat breakfast, usually.  Sometimes I skip lunch as well.  If I were to answer truthfully, all Hades might break loose in Thailand.  "Omigod, this person hasn't eaten yet!  He'll die of rice famine!"  But I think the question is about as serious as the question in English, "How are you?"  You could be terminally ill and bankrupt, but you have to say, "Fine, thank you.  And youuuuuu?"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Could be true. But we don't ask each other "have you had your potatoes yet?" back in Ireland anyway.