Every morning on my run I encounter a woman who is sweeping the street in front of her house. She always says to me:

ไปก่อนแล้ว

I know what the words mean, but I can't figure out what she's trying to say to me.

She never says anything else. Just that. Every day.

You've already done that before.

You've already done that before.

In other words she's commenting on the fact that I run by her home every day?

Thanks.

If I'm right, it's a sort of lame joke to the effect that you don't need to do that again - you've already done it once.

It is actually uses as a sort of goodbye.

My neices allways say it to me when they are leaving our house to go home. I think many years ago la gorn was more commonly used but due to tv soapies that has got the meaning of goodbye and good riddence now.

Edited August 8, 201312 yr by harrry

Where in Thailand is this? I spoke to a Thai friend of mine in Chiang Mai and he says they are probably trying to use Bangkok (Central) Thai and not translating it correctly from Northern (Lanna) Thai. Lanna Thai would say bpy gahn nah, meaning goodbye. แล้ว has no meaning in the above context, just a filler word.

This is in Korat.

Keep in mind that I do not speak or understand spoken Thai. I have heard this lady say the same thing every day for a long time, but it is entirely possible that I have written what she says incorrectly.

This is in Korat.

Keep in mind that I do not speak or understand spoken Thai. I have heard this lady say the same thing every day for a long time, but it is entirely possible that I have written what she says incorrectly.

Also asked a Thai ajarn friend and he couldn't figure it out either. He said it wasn't slang but something wrong with it. Maybe have her write down what she said next time, though that could be delicate? I suspect it is just 'goodbye' in some form. I thought maybe she was saying 'leaving again?' but he discounted that also.

My wife was also baffled.

I probably just heard wrong - as usual.

You said you don't speak or understand spoken Thai, how can you be exactly sure that's what she said??

When I read your OP, I thought you must have heard wrong, but didn't want to suggest this since you wrote "I know what the words mean" and it seemed that you could understand Thai.

But now that you have revealed yourself that you don't speak or understand Thai, I'm pretty sure you've heard it wrong.

It's in Korat so she may even be speaking Lao/Isan dialect.

Maybe next time you pass her, you can secretly record what she says on your phone or something and play it to your wife.

Edited August 8, 201312 yr by Mole

I don't think I've ever kept it a "secret" that I don't speak Thai. In fact you, Mole, have helped me before with things that I don't understand. I've always tried to make it clear that I just don't do spoken Thai.

I did say:

it is entirely possible that I have written what she says incorrectly.

So, you're telling me that I should only ask questions here if I am absolutely sure about what I've heard and that I must fully disclose in the OP that I don't speak Thai?

In this case I have listened to this lady say the same thing for months. I didn't post here until I was fairly sure about what she said. And, of course, I asked my wife first.

I can read and understand some Thai and I know how to use a Thai dictionary. In this case, knowing the words and what they mean didn't help me much.

Next time I'll seek help elsewhere.

Look, don't put words in my mouth here.

I'm just merely saying that in your first post, it looked as if you understood Thai and pretty sure you heard correctly what she said and that's what I assumed. That's why I didn't posted a suggestion that you may have heard it wrong.

Then suddenly, you reveal that you don't speak and understand Thai at all, in this case, it is pretty obvious that you must have heard it wrong.

I don't really remember people here, so if I have helped you in the past, I wouldn't have known.

If she really says that, then she clearly must be some kind of lunatic, because it doesn't make sense in your context.

In fact, it should have dawned on you that you must have heard it wrong, since you know what the words means and am aware that it doesn't make any sense why she would say such thing, but you said she's been saying this for months and you're pretty sure that's what she says.

Maybe you can bring a piece of paper and tell her to write down for you what she says to you so you can ask your wife.

Since she's seen you for months now, you're not a stranger and it's not weird request from a curious farang.

(Hmm, forgot you don't speak Thai, how are you gonna be able to tell her to write down what she says...)

Maybe print this out and show her:

ช่วยเขียนให้ผมหน่อยได้ไหมครับ ว่าที่คุณทักผมว่าอะไร ผมพูดภาษาไทยไม่ได้ แต่สนใจว่าคุณพูดว่าอะไร เพราะผมสนใจที่จะเรียนรู้ภาษาไทยครับ

Or even better, gesture to her that you'd like to record what she says and record it to your phone, then let the wife tell you what she says.

My hunch is that she's saying something in Lao/Isan.

Edited August 8, 201312 yr by Mole

"you've gone first" or "you just beat me"

Someone about to go out will say it to someone who just beat them out the door.

Well this forum seems to have changed. It used to be one that helped and welcomed people who were interested enough to ask about something in thai language. Is it one just for experts now?

He is pretty close actually. It is near enough to understand that the person is now saying goodbye probably in a northern way although I do not now now if it is now more general.

No more silly than people asking you How are you? in the west, it is a greeting and there they really could not care less how you are.

If people like the OP keep asking questions it may be that some of the always helpful thai experts we had will contribute again. I only use thai for speakiing at home and around but my written thai is not good, I have little use for it. We do have people who really know.

ไป แล้ว · ลาก่อน

the full form which used lagorn

ลา = goodbye

These are from Thai2English dictionary.

ไป แล้ว · ลาก่อน

the full form which used lagorn

ลา = goodbye

These are from Thai2English dictionary.

ลาก่อน is used by the person leaving. Eg. someone who is leaving a friend's house would say ลาก่อน but not the friend.

ไป แล้ว · ลาก่อน

the full form which used lagorn

ลา = goodbye

These are from Thai2English dictionary.

ลาก่อน is used by the person leaving. Eg. someone who is leaving a friend's house would say ลาก่อน but not the friend.

I remember reading in a Laos language book the same.

Person leaving would announce ลาก่อน

Person staying would reply ไปก่อน

(or maybe it was the other way round)

Don't think I I ever heard it being used though.

It’s a semi-polite way for you to acknowledge, she are leaving now after finished her purpose reason for her visit. Reply kraph [high tone], then hug her...joking

If you are just about to enter/leave somewhere before your Thai friend, they will say this to mean 'you first' but with the แล้ว she's just making small talk in a typically Thai way, 'you've beat me to it' as another poster said. I mean how many times do Thais say the same thing to you every time you've just popped off to the shop 'where are you going' and 'where have you been' five minutes later. Yes, it can get tedious.

BTW I use ลาก่อน as a jokey way of saying goodbye accompanied by 'no! no!s' from Thais as it does indeed mean 'this is the last time I will ever see you again'. And they get very very upset

It is actually uses as a sort of goodbye.

Yes this is correct.

I also believe you've not heard it correctly.

I know:

ไปก่อนนะ I have to go now, bye

and

ไปก่อนอีกแล้ว You went out before me again.

Maybe you've heard the second expression. I've never heard anybody using it without อีก.

Edited August 10, 201312 yr by kriswillems

I also believe you've not heard it correctly.

I know:

ไปก่อนนะ I have to go now, bye

and

ไปก่อนอีกแล้ว You went out before me again.

Maybe you've heard the second expression. I've never heard anybody using it without อีก.

I don't think that you can read too much into one liners but ไปก่อน means going early or going ahead of the stipulated time, and แล้ว means that the act is done, so knowing that, does the meaning change if a Thai person says it? I don't think that it does, it is just a greeting.

I checked with my gf, and she said that it has a few meanings, depending on the context:

It can mean goodbye (If the speaker is the one leaving)

It can mean that the speaker has finished something first (e.g. If you were going somewhere, and arrived before the other person)

It can mean that someone has left/gone already (e.g. If you're going to go out to a restaurant with your friends, they ask where your other friend is, and you want to say that he has left for the restaurant already)

In Isaan it'd be the same but durr instead of แล้ว