using ka/krap incorrectly: what is the meaning?

[razorramone]

I'm talking about if a woman uses krup, or a man uses ka.

I've heard several different reasons:

To express your sexual orientation (guy using ka to be feminine)

but I've also had it suggested that it can be to express politeness, or to flirt/show interest in someone.

Which is more accurate? I've had guys use ka on me, does that mean they were gay, hitting on me, or just being more formal? What if I use ka on a woman?.

[andrewrooney]

I've noticed sometimes people will use the opposite word when talking to little kids. For example a woman might say "krup" to a little boy, or a man might use "ka" when talking to a little girl. I'm guessing they do this because they're encouraging the kid to speak using that ending? My girlfriend's mom does it to me sometimes also.

Effeminate gay men will use "ka" instead of "krup," I've heard that lots of times.

I've never had any straight guys use "ka" when talking to me, that I can think of.

I always stick to "krup" personally.

[rubberduck]

Many Thai guys have more feminine then male genes hence the confusion they create.

I have never heard a Thai saying 'krup' actually, just khrap or khap (male or tomboy) or kha or khaaa or khaaaaaaaaa (women and ladyboy).

About the meaning, it's pretty much meaningless just cultural and used as 'yes' or 'yes I understood you' (no matter if they did or not) often used as 'line break' in a conversation or an easy way to end a conversation. What more ?

[bytebuster]

I've noticed sometimes people will use the opposite word when talking to little kids. For example a woman might say "krup" to a little boy, or a man might use "ka" when talking to a little girl. I'm guessing they do this because they're encouraging the kid to speak using that ending? My girlfriend's mom does it to me sometimes also.

Absolutely correct, except that females saying "khrub" primarily to express the levels at social hierarchy:

Parents do that to their kids, to request the kids to obey parents;

in military services and police, females answer "khrub" or even "khrub phom" to show their obedience to their officers (compare: "sir yes sir!");

and your mother-in-law may jokingly show that she's older, and you should respect her.

[sfokevin]

I've heard more than one straight farrang man say Ka... Most likely because they learned it from their girlfriend

[jayboy]

You are correct.Occasionally a straight man will use ka when he is being flirtatious with the opposite sex.It's not that common however and I certainly wouldn't recommend the practice to a foreigner.

[LazyYogi]

My ex-wife's mother used to say "khrap" to me. And it annoyed me because I felt like she was talking to me like I was a four-year old kid.

If an older Thai woman talks to you with "khrap" it's not because she's trying to show that she's older and you should respect her.

She's doing it because she assumes you don't know how to speak properly and she can't bring herself to treat you as an adult.

I often overhear Japanese or Korean men using "kha", which I assume is just because they hear it from bar hostesses, waitresses, flight attendants, etc... and nobody ever corrected their pronunciation.

[andrewrooney]

My ex-wife's mother used to say "khrap" to me. And it annoyed me because I felt like she was talking to me like I was a four-year old kid.

If an older Thai woman talks to you with "khrap" it's not because she's trying to show that she's older and you should respect her.

She's doing it because she assumes you don't know how to speak properly and she can't bring herself to treat you as an adult.

Glad to know it's not just me

[NewlyMintedThai]

I've heard older (straight) Thai men using "ka" when speaking to women, but always much younger ones. I'm told that the practice is somewhat condescending to the woman, as if she were a child.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Who says what

kap for men

ka for girls (or people who want to be girls)

Jow for northern girls

Wa for pals and fellow gang members

[NewlyMintedThai]

Who says what

kap for men

ka for girls (or people who want to be girls)

Jow for northern girls

Wa for pals and fellow gang members

Not so cut and dried, if you've read the rest of this thread.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Who says what

kap for men

ka for girls (or people who want to be girls)

Jow for northern girls

Wa for pals and fellow gang members

Not so cut and dried, if you've read the rest of this thread.

I've always found

Foreigners who try to be clever, tend to end up sounding like <deleted>.

Best to stick to the official rules and not worry about the essentially meaningless words IMHO.

[NewlyMintedThai]

As a Thai, I agree with you whole-heartedly. Just don't call them "rules", as there are plenty of perfectly acceptable exceptions.

[snake24]

My ex-wife's mother used to say "khrap" to me. And it annoyed me because I felt like she was talking to me like I was a four-year old kid.

If an older Thai woman talks to you with "khrap" it's not because she's trying to show that she's older and you should respect her.

She's doing it because she assumes you don't know how to speak properly and she can't bring herself to treat you as an adult.

I often overhear Japanese or Korean men using "kha", which I assume is just because they hear it from bar hostesses, waitresses, flight attendants, etc... and nobody ever corrected their pronunciation.

It does not apply to foreign men or women alike. Since they aren't thais they are assumed to not have a really good grasp of the thai language or even know how to speak thai hence it doesn't matter whether they say kap or ka cos they don't know the effect or the nuances when they say it.