Respect / Disrespect - How To Say In Thai

[mja1906]

I'm hoping some of you can help me out on this.

I would like to know how to say or convey the meaning of 'respectful' and 'disrespectful' in Thai

The context I mean, is that for example a husband is flirting with other women, then this is 'disrespectful' to his wife

By his flirting, it means he is not respecting his wife or their marriage

Oh, and 'trust' in the same context (wife trusting husband) how do you say that in Thai?

Thanks,

Edited November 21, 2012 by mja1906

[coma]

Respect = noun: ความเคารพ verb: เคารพ Disrespect = ขาดความเคารพ

Trust = วางไว้ใจ

Edited November 22, 2012 by coma

[tgeezer]

I doubt that the word respect has anything to do with this situation. In English you seem to want to raise the level of this chap's misbehaviour to what you perceive as a higher level. I don't think that เคารพ does this because he probably does that already. You may as well say สามีไม่รักเมีย but would that be true? who knows?

Why not just say that you think his behaviour is not the way you would behave?

สามีไม่ควรทำอย่างนั้นผมไม่ตามแบแบเขา I think this at least stands a chance of showing your attitude to marriage and reinforces the impression that Thais have of us.

[rgs2001uk]

I regularly flirt with other women in a joking fashion, doesnt mean I disrespect my wife or my marriage.

Are the same women who flirt with me disrespecting their husbands or marriage?

Its just friendly banter at the local market.

In situations like this I tend to use Thai colloquialisms,

ไม่เกรงใจ mai greng jai, no consideration.

For trust what I usually see written and hear spoken is,

ไว้ใจ wai jai to trust or ไม่ไว้ใจ not to trust.

[mja1906]

I doubt that the word respect has anything to do with this situation. In English you seem to want to raise the level of this chap's misbehaviour to what you perceive as a higher level. I don't think that เคารพ does this because he probably does that already. You may as well say สามีไม่รักเมีย but would that be true? who knows?

Why not just say that you think his behaviour is not the way you would behave?

สามีไม่ควรทำอย่างนั้นผมไม่ตามแบแบเขา I think this at least stands a chance of showing your attitude to marriage and reinforces the impression that Thais have of us.

Interesting does that mean that in Thai there is no one word/concept to describe 'respect' in this manner.

I understand what you mean by - สามีไม่รักเมีย and สามีไม่ควรทำอย่างนั้นผมไม่ตามแบแบเขา but it's just not the same meaning as the concept of 'respect'

I would have thought that with the seniority system being so important here, that there would have been 1word to convey the meaning of 'respect' as in 'respecting authority' or 'respecting elders' or 'respecting your wife'. For example a younger person should 'wai' an elder person here first, not only for politeness, but to show respect

[mja1906]

I regularly flirt with other women in a joking fashion, doesnt mean I disrespect my wife or my marriage.

Are the same women who flirt with me disrespecting their husbands or marriage?

Its just friendly banter at the local market.

In situations like this I tend to use Thai colloquialisms,

ไม่เกรงใจ mai greng jai, no consideration.

For trust what I usually see written and hear spoken is,

ไว้ใจ wai jai to trust or ไม่ไว้ใจ not to trust.

I think it's the level of flirting to be considered and every couple is different. What is acceptable behaviour for one couple, would be unacceptable to another.

Thanks for the 'wai jai' , I didn't know that. How about เชื่อใจ ? how are they different?

[rgs2001uk]

^^^^^^,

I use wai jai for trust and cheua jai for believe.

Eg, if someone was telling me a story I didnt believe I would use mai cheua.

If i trust a friend I would say, pom wai jai peuan, if I believe a friend I would say pom cheua peuan.

For respect, what type of respect do you wish to refer to, try here.

http://www.thai2english.com/dictionary/respect.html

[mja1906]

^^^^^^,

I use wai jai for trust and cheua jai for believe.

Eg, if someone was telling me a story I didnt believe I would use mai cheua.

If i trust a friend I would say, pom wai jai peuan, if I believe a friend I would say pom cheua peuan.

For respect, what type of respect do you wish to refer to, try here.

http://www.thai2engl...ry/respect.html

Thanks for the clarification. I had tried that online dictionary already, but not sure which of the translations it gives is most suitable for the type of respect I mean. I mean respect in the sense of human relationships, that you don't behave a certain way out of respect for your parents/partners etc.....

For example, I would not talk behind my friends back, out of respect for my friend

As I mentioned in a prior post, the seniority system is very important here in Thailand, and you have to show certain levels of behaviour and respect according to those levels. So thats why I thought there would definitely be 1 word to convey this type of respect

[rgs2001uk]

^^^^^'

เกรงใจ greng jai is probably the ideal phrase in this situation, to have consideration for.

[mja1906]

^^^^^'

เกรงใจ greng jai is probably the ideal phrase in this situation, to have consideration for.

Hmmmm.....interesting. I know and understand 'greng jai'.....but I can't help but feel its not exactly the same meaning as how we would say in English 'respecting your elders' .

Maybe its one of those concepts, which really does not have an equivalent word in Thai. Just how there is no 1 English word for 'sabaii sabaii'

[Groongthep]

I would have thought that with the seniority system being so important here, that there would have been 1word to convey the meaning of 'respect' as in 'respecting authority' or 'respecting elders' or 'respecting your wife'. For example a younger person should 'wai' an elder person here first, not only for politeness, but to show respect

In the context of 'respecting authority' or 'respecting elders' the term นับถือ is most frequently used.

[tgeezer]

I doubt that the word respect has anything to do with this situation. In English you seem to want to raise the level of this chap's misbehaviour to what you perceive as a higher level. I don't think that เคารพ does this because he probably does that already. You may as well say สามีไม่รักเมีย but would that be true? who knows?

Why not just say that you think his behaviour is not the way you would behave?

สามีไม่ควรทำอย่างนั้นผมไม่ตามแบแบเขา I think this at least stands a chance of showing your attitude to marriage and reinforces the impression that Thais have of us.

Interesting does that mean that in Thai there is no one word/concept to describe 'respect' in this manner.

I understand what you mean by - สามีไม่รักเมีย and สามีไม่ควรทำอย่างนั้นผมไม่ตามแบแบเขา but it's just not the same meaning as the concept of 'respect'

I would have thought that with the seniority system being so important here, that there would have been 1word to convey the meaning of 'respect' as in 'respecting authority' or 'respecting elders' or 'respecting your wife'. For example a younger person should 'wai' an elder person here first, not only for politeness, but to show respect

I don't know if there is or there isn't a word for respect, a Thai steeped in English could probably cobble something together, I can't.

I always have problems with translating English into Thai word for word like this; is it Thai or English? You don't agree with his behaviour, is what you seem to be saying. The English makes sense to me, and if it is put straight into Thai; เขาไม่นับถือ/เคารพภัญญา makes me wonder in what way he doesn't respect his wife because of the manners associated with เคารพ :กราบ ไหว้ นั่งพับเพียบ etc, the out ward signs of respect. I wonder if one didn't respect the law one wouldn't just be described not afraid of the law, if you did'n't respect your wife I don't know how it would be described.

But this sort of thing is what I am here to find out, simply finding a word in the dictionary doesn't always work.

[mja1906]

Yes, I agree with you, exactly. You wouldn't say 'being afraid of the law', its a different sentiment to 'respect' and yes dictionaries aren't helping here. So any other suggestions out there from Thai<>English speakers much appreciated. If I ever find an answer to this one, will post

[lilleOle]

If I had a wife and she happens to flirt with a guy, the only decent thing to say would be แม่งเอ๋ยมึงไม่เลิกจีบมึงโดนตบนะมึง in my humble opinion.

[meadish_sweetball]

Yes, yes. Good luck with that, Ole.

[Dag Ekeberg]

ให้เกียรติ (Hai Giad) is a fairly general term for showing respect. ไม่ได้ให้เกียรติเขา

I’m curious to learn how เกรงใจ or นับถือ would apply in this situation.

[bannork]

Dag is right with this one IMHO.

I think I may have heard ไม่ให้ศักดิ์ศรี (not treat her honourably) used as well.This may tie in with the up to very recent law whereby a wife couldn't sue for divorce on the grounds of adultery only, the man had to flaunt the mistress publicly causing the wife to lose face,to be sufficient grounds for divorce.

[Bbt]

By his flirting, it means he is not respecting his wife or their marriage

For this context, If i try to explain this situation I often say..

สามีไม่ "ให้เกียรติ" ภรรยา

Samee mai "hai kiat" panya

And I say

สามีขาด "ความเชื่อ" ในชีวิตแต่งงาน

Samee kad "kwam chuea" nai cheewit tang-ngan.

Both could not be translated directly to what you say in english, but I think that these are what I, as Thai, use to explain husband's attitude to his wife and marriage life.

If I try to translate the above sentence directly into thai, I will say

สามีขาด "ความนับถือ" ต่อภรรยา / ชีวิตแต่งงาน

Samee kad " kwam nub tue" tor panya / cheewit tang-ngan

I think that the listener also understand what I try to tell him. But i will avoid talking to the linguist or the one who try to speak Thai very correctly because i dont want to be asked "what does kwam nub tue mean? " ...

Samee - husband

Panya - wife

Mai - does not

Hai kiat - give an honor ???

Kwam chuea - belief

Cheewit - life

Tang-ngan - marriage

Kad - lack of

Kwam nub tue - respect

[GarryP]

ไม่ไว้หน้าภรรยา (mai wai na paraya) fits the bill I believe.

[rgs2001uk]

ไม่ไว้หน้าภรรยา (mai wai na paraya) fits the bill I believe.

paraya edited for spelling panraya.

Sometimes shortened to panya.

[rgs2001uk]

Another poster touched on it before, depends on the level of respect and to whom it refers.

Lets assume we are talking about love, what type of love are we talking about?

I love my wife and family,

I love my country,

I love my football team,

I love my dog.

Are all the above the same type of love, which is more love than the others?

[DavidHouston]

Thank you, Khun Bdt.

I also found the following at http://clearjai.blog...-post_4660.html

สามีมีหน้าที่ 5 ประการ

The husband has five duties:

1. ให้ความนับถือ ยอมรับฐานะแห่งภรรยา

To respect and accept the status of his wife.

2. ยกย่องให้เกียรติ ไม่ดูหมิ่นเหยียดหยาม

To esteem and honor (his wife) and not to disrespect or show contempt toward her.

* * *

Edited November 26, 2012 by DavidHouston

[klons]

You guys have it backwards, I think, if I'm reading this right.

ฉันเคยได้ยินว่าผู้ชายไทย ถ้าใครรักเดียวใจเดียว ไม่เคยเจ้าชู้ ถือเป็นเรื่องผิดปกติและเสื่อมเสียอย่างยิ่ง

[tgeezer]

You guys have it backwards, I think, if I'm reading this right.

ฉันเคยได้ยินว่าผู้ชายไทย ถ้าใครรักเดียวใจเดียว ไม่เคยเจ้าชู้ ถือเป็นเรื่องผิดปกติและเสื่อมเสียอย่างยิ่ง

I don't quite understand what you have written there but I think that David's quote shows that the words นับถือ ยกย่องให้เกียรติ are used with reference to the missus.

เคย goes before a verb and จ้าชู้ is a noun, เคยชู้สาว fits there.

[TommoPhysicist]

^^^^^'

เกรงใจ greng jai is probably the ideal phrase in this situation, to have consideration for.

greng jai is 'fear of offending', not 'to have consideration'

[tgeezer]

^^^^^'

เกรงใจ greng jai is probably the ideal phrase in this situation, to have consideration for.

greng jai is 'fear of offending', not 'to have consideration'

Surely that is the other side of the same coin, เกรงใจ is not wanting to inconveniance, trouble, make things difficult, but it is how the subject feels, you can put a modifier after it (or object if you consider it transitive), but it describes the person more than anything. So the 2nd person hears you say of the 3rd person เขาไม่เกรงใจเมีย it means that he is not concerned about how เมีย feels or is hurt by his actions. However the relationship of สามี เมีย is not really one where ความเกรงใจ is credible. Similarly I have the same feeling about นับถือ so would prefer to simply describe what is going on.

Naturally anything one says in English can be explained in Thai, has to be so, but they don't always adopt it as Thai. Thai expression is being lost in favour of English, making Thai a lot more precise and a lot less interesting. There is room for maneouvre in Thai, the listener has the freedom to take what he wants from a conversation. Some subjects one should be careful with, opining on other people's behaviour is perhaps one.

Our innermost thoughts transmitted in English may mean something to other English speakers, but when put in Thai word for word, there is no way of knowing if our wonderful insight has been appreciated.

[tgeezer]

If I had a wife and she happens to flirt with a guy, the only decent thing to say would be แม่งเอ๋ยมึงไม่เลิกจีบมึงโดนตบนะมึง in my humble opinion.

This is more like Thai, you have to know the context and work out from the words which are correct what it means.

มึง 2nd person pronoun

เอ๋ย particle used to diminish.

ไม่เลิกจีบ (if) don't stop sweet talking (flirting)

โดนตบ get slapped.

I think that แน่ instead of นะ on the end meaning 'for sure', would work too.

What you don't understand you can ignore.