Cool Response To The Can You Speak Thai Question?

[narako]

Obv. I can just say ได้ คุณพูดไม่ได้หรอ but Thai's never seem to understand that I am being sarcastic

If you just want to joke around then you'd better try another joke, because it isn't nice to answer like that (for Thai its quite rude to speak w/ stranger ).

[argentum]

Yang mai tugn kanthep

[ChAoS87]

argentum's ยังไม่ถึงขั้นเทพ would be interesting too. It means my thai hasn't reach 'god-like' level.

[Peppy]

I agree. That's probably the first really "cool" response so far--it'd go over especially well with younger people. (Anyone over 30 will just look at you funny.) Bravo argentum!

[argentum]

I just like the construction of this sentence.

It is so formal for a talk that you will get at least a smile.

[llz]

What about พอได้ ? It means "not bad", but could it be seen as a little pretentious ?

[wprime]

งูๆปลาๆ

ngoo ngoo pla pla

It's an idiom meaning nit noi that young children use.

[GarryP]

Sarcasm and satire.. don’t bother. But forget the nitnoy. พูดได้บ้าง

I would have to agree with this as พูดได้บ้าง or ได้บ้าง is more natural. Snake,snake, fish, fish sounds too contrived and as another poster has pointed out, many foreigners cannot pronounce ง so would sound like they are saying rat, rat fish, fish or just gibberish.

[GarryP]

What about พอได้ ? It means "not bad", but could it be seen as a little pretentious ?

Actually it means sufficiently. I use this often. It is a very natural response. I do not think it pretentious at all unless I am wearing my top hat and tails in which case everything I say is pretentious.

Edited September 25, 2012 by GarryP

[rgs2001uk]

Sarcasm and satire.. don’t bother. But forget the nitnoy. พูดได้บ้าง

I would have to agree with this as พูดได้บ้าง or ได้บ้าง is more natural. Snake,snake, fish, fish sounds too contrived and as another poster has pointed out, many foreigners cannot pronounce ง so would sound like they are saying rat, rat fish, fish or just gibberish.

งูๆปลาๆ from what I remember reading somewhere, was the reply given by a non Thai speaker when asked to describe or asked what was the word for an eel.

I also remember reading it was a Thai expression used mockingly to describe non Thai speakers who think their knowledge of the language to be better than it actually is.

Not an expression I would use.

Perhaps our resident experts would care to elaborate.

[ALFREDO]

To the question, -Can you speak Thai- I answer

-Pood Thai mai dai- ฉันไม่พูดภาษาไทย

I do not speak Thai ฉันไม่พูดภาษาไทย

worked always very well and is usual answered with a smile or a laugh

[rgs2001uk]

To the question, -Can you speak Thai- I answer

-Pood Thai mai dai- ฉันไม่พูดภาษาไทย

I do not speak Thai ฉันไม่พูดภาษาไทย

worked always very well and is usual answered with a smile or a laugh

ฉันพูดภาษาไทยไม่ได้ sure you dont mean this?

[Thaddeus]

To the question, -Can you speak Thai- I answer

-Pood Thai mai dai- ฉันไม่พูดภาษาไทย

I do not speak Thai ฉันไม่พูดภาษาไทย

worked always very well and is usual answered with a smile or a laugh

ฉันพูดภาษาไทยไม่ได้ sure you dont mean this?

Run that through google translate and it says "I do not speak English"

[rgs2001uk]

To the question, -Can you speak Thai- I answer

-Pood Thai mai dai- ฉันไม่พูดภาษาไทย

I do not speak Thai ฉันไม่พูดภาษาไทย

worked always very well and is usual answered with a smile or a laugh

ฉันพูดภาษาไทยไม่ได้ sure you dont mean this?

Run that through google translate and it says "I do not speak English"

ฉันไม่พูดภาษาไทย just ran this through google translate, it says I dont speak Thai.

People wonder why I dont use or recommend google translate.

[ALFREDO]

To the question, -Can you speak Thai- I answer

-Pood Thai mai dai- ฉันไม่พูดภาษาไทย

I do not speak Thai ฉันไม่พูดภาษาไทย

worked always very well and is usual answered with a smile or a laugh

ฉันพูดภาษาไทยไม่ได้ sure you dont mean this?

Why you ask? I think I speak and I can write English a bit.

Edited September 25, 2012 by ALFREDO

[ALFREDO]

ฉันไม่พูดภาษาไทย just ran this through google translate, it says I dont speak Thai.

People wonder why I dont use or recommend google translate.

Yes and that is what I say, what I posted above and what I answer, if somebody asks me, if I speak Thai!

See my posting.

So, where is the problem?

From Google Translate to -rgs2001uk-

"I do not understand the problem"

"Ich verstehe das Problem nicht"

" ฉันไม่พูดภาษาไทย"

Edited September 25, 2012 by ALFREDO

[TommoPhysicist]

To the question, -Can you speak Thai- I answer

-Pood Thai mai dai- ฉันไม่พูดภาษาไทย

I do not speak Thai ฉันไม่พูดภาษาไทย

worked always very well and is usual answered with a smile or a laugh

The negation goes on the end in Thai.

You have it at the start!

They laugh cos what you said is <deleted>.

[rgs2001uk]

ฉันไม่พูดภาษาไทย just ran this through google translate, it says I dont speak Thai.

People wonder why I dont use or recommend google translate.

Yes and that is what I say, what I posted above and what I answer, if somebody asks me, if I speak Thai!

See my posting.

So, where is the problem?

From Google Translate to -rgs2001uk-

"I do not understand the problem"

"Ich verstehe das Problem nicht"

" ฉันไม่พูดภาษาไทย"

Whats the difference between this,

ฉันพูดภาษาไทยไม่ได้ and this,

ฉันไม่ได้พูดภาษาไทย, please dont use google, as has already been pointed out its crap.

BTW nothing wrong with your English its way better than my German.

[Slappz]

Obv. I can just say ได้ คุณพูดไม่ได้หรอ but Thai's never seem to understand that I am being sarcastic

If you just want to joke around then you'd better try another joke, because it isn't nice to answer like that (for Thai its quite rude to speak w/ stranger ).

Can you explain what about this response is rude? Besides the fact that I never wrote in ครับ at the end. Thanks.

[ALFREDO]

To the question, -Can you speak Thai- I answer

-Pood Thai mai dai- ฉันไม่พูดภาษาไทย

I do not speak Thai ฉันไม่พูดภาษาไทย

worked always very well and is usual answered with a smile or a laugh

The negation goes on the end in Thai.

You have it at the start!

They laugh cos what you said is <deleted>.

I do not know, who is, or was your Thai teacher, but all my Thai GF and all people I know in TH, said to me, that it is correct, how I say it!

I live in TH since years have 3 children here and I am just lazy to really learn Thai or Lao-Isaan Dialect.

Anyway, the people lough not, because I talk wrong, but, because I say in Thai, -I cannot speak Thai-!

That is the joke.

If you or your Thai teacher still disagree, send me PM and lets talk my GF and your teacher together on the mobile.

I just asked my GF now and she said, that the Thai language is not so straight forward, there are often different ways to say something and all can be right.

She says, same I say it it is ok, but I could say it different and the meaning would be than, like "I do not speak Thai now"

No wonder Google Translate has problems to translate right!

I was once writing a heart warming sorry Love letter, to the mother of my than GF I had problems with and let him translate in Vienna

from an office.

There, I was told from the translator, that he had to completely rewrite my words, because in Thai you have to juggle with words to bring that what I wanted to say in a way, that Thais understand it.

PS: To your respond, "what you said is <deleted>"

I can only lough about people, who want to tell Thais, how they have to talk in their own Native language!

You are not the first I met who is doing that. But I still find them amusing.

Edited September 26, 2012 by ALFREDO

[ALFREDO]

Whats the difference between this,

ฉันพูดภาษาไทยไม่ได้ and this,

ฉันไม่ได้พูดภาษาไทย, please dont use google, as has already been pointed out its crap.

BTW nothing wrong with your English its way better than my German.

My GF is sleeping now, I ask in the morning, but look my answer to -TommoPh..-

Its not always clear red and blue when you translate and speak Thai, there are many color nuances.

And sure between Isaan and full educated Bangkok people.

But, again, because the books are written like that, I would not teach grown Thais their native language when I am a Falang.

That is laughable.

[GarryP]

To the question, -Can you speak Thai- I answer

-Pood Thai mai dai- ฉันไม่พูดภาษาไทย

I do not speak Thai ฉันไม่พูดภาษาไทย

worked always very well and is usual answered with a smile or a laugh

The negation goes on the end in Thai.

You have it at the start!

They laugh cos what you said is <deleted>.

I do not know, who is, or was your Thai teacher, but all my Thai GF and all people I know in TH, said to me, that it is correct, how I say it!

I live in TH since years have 3 children here and I am just lazy to really learn Thai or Lao-Isaan Dialect.

Anyway, the people lough not, because I talk wrong, but, because I say in Thai, -I cannot speak Thai-!

That is the joke.

If you or your Thai teacher still disagree, send me PM and lets talk my GF and your teacher together on the mobile.

I just asked my GF now and she said, that the Thai language is not so straight forward, there are often different ways to say something and all can be right.

She says, same I say it it is ok, but I could say it different and the meaning would be than, like "I do not speak Thai now"

No wonder Google Translate has problems to translate right!

I was once writing a heart warming sorry Love letter, to the mother of my than GF I had problems with and let him translate in Vienna

from an office.

There, I was told from the translator, that he had to completely rewrite my words, because in Thai you have to juggle with words to bring that what I wanted to say in a way, that Thais understand it.

PS: To your respond, "what you said is <deleted>"

I can only lough about people, who want to tell Thais, how they have to talk in their own Native language!

You are not the first I met who is doing that. But I still find them amusing.

What you have written in English transliteration and English does not correspond with what is written in Thai:

Pood Thai mai dai - I do not speak Thai is correct.

But ฉันไม่พูดภาษาไทย would be written as Chan mai put passa Thai, which means "I don't speak Thai language". It does not necessarily mean you cannot speak Thai, just that you don't.

So Tommo's comment is not necessarily correct either, depending on what message you are trying to get across.

[ALFREDO]

Whats the difference between this,

ฉันพูดภาษาไทยไม่ได้ and this,

ฉันไม่ได้พูดภาษาไทย, please dont use google, as has already been pointed out its crap.

My GF said,the first wording means, -I do not speak Thai-

the second wording means, -I do not speak Thai now- meaning, I speak Thai, but do not like to speak Thai now.

I think -GarryP- showed that difference very well in his above posting.

Edited September 27, 2012 by ALFREDO

[ALFREDO]

Pood Thai mai dai - I do not speak Thai is correct.

But ฉันไม่พูดภาษาไทย would be written as Chan mai put passa Thai, which means "I don't speak Thai language". It does not necessarily mean you cannot speak Thai, just that you don't.

So Tommo's comment is not necessarily correct either, depending on what message you are trying to get across.

-GarryP- (From Sagittarius 1961 to Sagittarius )

Thank you for your helpful respond.

That confirms what my GF said and all the Thai people I know and knew, understand.

-I, can not speak Thai- Can not speak Thai at all.

GOOGLE TRANSLATE, would write,

-Can not speak Thai at all- like this, ไม่สามารถพูดภาษาไทยได้ทั้งหมด, if I let that run threw the loudspeakers and my GF listens, she comes to the same conclusion, -Cannot speak Thai at all-, so that would be maybe the wording everybody, even

-TommoPhicyst- can live.

But, -Pood Thai mai dai - I do not speak Thai is correct! and is well understood by the Thai native-regulars,

possibly not from all Falangs, (TommoPh.) but that does not matter.

And, the Thais smile, not because of my wrong wording, but because, I speak Thai, but say, I can not speak Thai!

I learned that phrase 1998 from a Lufthansa air cargo 747 pilot in Phuket who was married to a Thai-Chinese woman,

who should also know how to talk Thai.

Edited September 27, 2012 by ALFREDO

[TheChiefJustice]

แล้วแต่อารมณ์และสถานการณ์ usually stops them in their tracks.

or since obtaining Thai citizenship, a friendly เป็นคนไทยไง usually gets a laugh.

Edited November 2, 2012 by TheChiefJustice

[Puccini]

ฉันพูดภาษาไทยไม่ได้ sure you dont mean this?

When translating the English verb "can" into Thai, should one not make a distinction between the physical and the intellectual ability of doing something, meaning that "can" should not be the same in Thai for example in "I cannot swim" and "I cannot speak Thai"?

ว่ายน้ำไม่ได้ครับ I cannot swim

พูดภาษาไทยไม่เป็นครับ I cannot speak Thai

Edited November 18, 2012 by Puccini

[coma]

อู้บะได๋ หรือ มะฮู้เรื่่อง อิอิ !

Edited November 19, 2012 by coma

[rgs2001uk]

ฉันพูดภาษาไทยไม่ได้ sure you dont mean this?

When translating the English verb "can" into Thai, should one not make a distinction between the physical and the intellectual ability of doing something, meaning that "can" should not be the same in Thai for example in "I cannot swim" and "I cannot speak Thai"?

ว่ายน้ำไม่ได้ครับ I cannot swim

พูดภาษาไทยไม่เป็นครับ I cannot speak Thai

"พูดภาษาไทยไม่เป็นครับ I cannot speak Thai" I would translate this as, I dont know how to speak Thai.

เป็น in this case I would assume to be the ability to do something.

ว่ายน้ำไม่ได้ครับ I cannot swim, agree,

ว่ายน้ำไม่เป็นครับ I dont know how to swim.

Others more informed will chip in.

[eric67]

The way I learned it is that ได้ is the general word for "can", while เป็น and ไหว are more specific:

เป็น - can, because you learned how to do it

ไหว - can, because you're physically able to do it

So you can always use ได้ instead of เป็น or ไหว (in the meaning of "can"), but not the other way around.

[leosmith]

Whats the difference between this,

ฉันพูดภาษาไทยไม่ได้ and this,

ฉันไม่ได้พูดภาษาไทย

ฉันพูดภาษาไทยไม่ได้ = I can't speak Thai.

ฉันไม่ได้พูดภาษาไทย = I didn't speak Thai.

I recommend you learn the difference - it's an important one.