Deserted Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 So as the title suggests, my question is 'Is there a term for a sponger in Thai? By this I mean someone who just wants to get things for free all the time or get money given to them all the time, with no intention of ever returning the good deeds done to them. I'm thinking more in the context of 'friendship&acquaintances' more than anything else. I'm guessing there's quite a few, tx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyG Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 ขี้อ้อน (adj.) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deserted Posted January 28, 2015 Author Share Posted January 28, 2015 So someone would be 'kon kee awn'? (sorry can't type Thai. Are there more negative /positive synonyms? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 I thought KHEE AWN ขี้อ้อน was more like a crybaby, whining, affection seeking etc?http://youtu.be/WLrbTflR4Y0?t=42sKHEE KHAW ขี้ขอ might fitขี้ขอ - to sponge of someone; คนขี้ขอ - (n) a sponger.eg there's a thread on Pantip started by a Thai girl asking for help on how to deal with her roommate who's always sponging off her - money and borrowing stuff etc:ทำยังไงกับเพื่อน(ขี้ขอ) แบบนี้ดี (What can I do about my friend who's always sponging off me?).http://pantip.com/topic/30582442 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMBob Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Agree that "kon kee awn" is more like a crybaby or whiner. As for "sponger", I've rarely heard the term (I think it's more British than American English) and I'm wondering if the American term "freeloader" might be about the same meaning; if so, there's a thai verb - เอาเปรียบคนอื่น - which means to freeload or take advantage of others but I'm not sure how to correctly write that as an adjective. Also found at least one definition of a "freeloader" on the net - which is คนเหห้าชำระคนอีก - but I'm not sure of the meaning there (this phrase may be more idiomatic than literal in meaning). Best I can figure out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyG Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 FWIW, thai-language.com defines ขี้อ้อน as: "moocher; sponger; schnorrer; cadger; a person who habitually takes advantage of the generosity of others"http://thai-language.com/id/133212#def3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samsensam Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 friend and/or family? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyG Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Also found at least one definition of a "freeloader" on the net - which is คนเหห้าชำระคนอีก I'm pretty sure that that source isn't reliable. There's no word เหห้าชำระ in any dictionary that I could find. ชำระ means (amongst other things) to settle a debt, which is rather the opposite of a sponger's proclivities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bannork Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 เห็นแก่ได้ is not a bad translation for sponger, freeloader- just see what I can get/useful for me เอาเปรียบ- take advantage of , what's in it for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidHouston Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 (edited) I believe that ขี้อ้อน and the verb อ้อน describe the manner in which the begging or imploring is done. The person who is engaged in this behavior wheedles, whimpers, whines, and simpers to achieve what he or she wants. Here are some sentences from "New Model Thai-English Dictionary", So. Sethaphtra, Thai Watana Panich Press Co., Ltd., Fifth Edition 1984, Volume II, Page 1033: "ลูกอ้อนจะเอาขวดนม" - "Baby is whimpering for the bottle." "เธออ้อนเขาจนเขาต้องอยู่กับเธอ" - "She cajoled him into staying with her." "ถึงแม้จะอ้อนวอนเขาเท่าไร เขาก็คงไม่ยอมสละเงินของเขา" - "No amount of pleading will induce him to part with his money." "เขาอ้อนวอนให้ผมรับตำแหน่งนี้" - "He implored me to accept the post." "ผมเสียอ้อนวอนเขาไม่ได้" - "I could not resist his pleading." Note that the translations are in So Sethaphtra dictionary and that the language may be dated. Also, the combination term อ้อนวอน carries a variation of the base term. The dictionary also carries the following definition for ขี้อ้อน as "peevish, fretful." Let's consider the use of the word "กินแรง" to answer the question of the OP. "คลังคำ" defines the term as "เอาเปรียบผู้อื่นในการทำงาน" (to take advantage of others in the work place). อาจารย์ นววรรณ provides the following sample sentence: "เขาถูกนินทาว่ากินแราเพื่อน" (He is rumored to take advantage of his co-workers.)I'll try to find other examples. I'll try to find some examples. Edited January 29, 2015 by DavidHouston Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GanDoonToonPet Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Surely 'kee nok' = 'bird shit' as is usually applied to farangs, equally applies across the board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidHouston Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 "เบื่อ พวกไม่ทำงาน กินแรงเพื่อน" - I'm really tired of people who don't work and take advantage of their friends. "เราจะทำอย่างไรดีกับเพื่อนร่วมงานที่ชอบกินแรงเพื่อน เพื่อผลประโยชน์ของตัวเอง" - What can we do about coworkers who don't do their fair share just for their own advantage." "นิสัยคนที่ชอบกินแรงเพื่อนนี้บอกตรงๆว่ามีเยอะมาใน โลกนี้ คนลักษณะนี้เราจะทำอย่างไร" - Let me say this very frankly: There are many people in this world who habitually take advantage of others. What can we do with people like this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deserted Posted January 29, 2015 Author Share Posted January 29, 2015 Agree that "kon kee awn" is more like a crybaby or whiner. As for "sponger", I've rarely heard the term (I think it's more British than American English) and I'm wondering if the American term "freeloader" might be about the same meaning; if so, there's a thai verb - เอาเปรียบคนอื่น - which means to freeload or take advantage of others but I'm not sure how to correctly write that as an adjective. Also found at least one definition of a "freeloader" on the net - which is คนเหห้าชำระคนอีก - but I'm not sure of the meaning there (this phrase may be more idiomatic than literal in meaning). Best I can figure out. Hi yes, the American equivalent is freeloader. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgs2001uk Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Ka fak, Ka jok? The first one I think is parasite. The second I hear for freeloader, eg one who drinks beer for free but doesnt put his hand in his pocket. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rak sa_ngop Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 How about calling them เพื่อนกิน as opposed to เพื่อนตาย A friend who is only a friend for the free food and drink he can get as opposed to a friend who will die for you. A เพื่อนตาย is hard to find! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deserted Posted January 31, 2015 Author Share Posted January 31, 2015 Ka fak, Ka jok? The first one I think is parasite. The second I hear for freeloader, eg one who drinks beer for free but doesnt put his hand in his pocket. I'm told by a native Thai that Kar-jok is used to describe a poor person not worth considering and that its a very negative term and that Kar-faak is a parasite as you say but again a very negative term. I was hoping for something less offensive, I'll keep trying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyG Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Just to throw one more possibility on the pyre: ขี้ยืม Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kriswillems Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 I agree with เพื่อนกิน Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gk10002000 Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Agree that "kon kee awn" is more like a crybaby or whiner. As for "sponger", I've rarely heard the term (I think it's more British than American English) and I'm wondering if the American term "freeloader" might be about the same meaning; if so, there's a thai verb - เอาเปรียบคนอื่น - which means to freeload or take advantage of others but I'm not sure how to correctly write that as an adjective. Also found at least one definition of a "freeloader" on the net - which is คนเหห้าชำระคนอีก - but I'm not sure of the meaning there (this phrase may be more idiomatic than literal in meaning). Best I can figure out. USA er here. In my mind a sponger is a worst connotation than a freeloader. Freeloaders are more obvious and they are what they are (lazy uncle, bumb cousin). When I use sponger I think of a more devious or conniving person that of course has the goal of not paying their way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schweizer Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 I have heard farangs use the word teelak for someone who takes as much as possible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KhaoNiaw Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 เกาะกินคนอื่น 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 (edited) ... Edited February 6, 2015 by katana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baa_Mango Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 เกาะ is very good. It is means to cling on to someone else.. but also is the (miss represented..) Ko from Ko Samui, etc.. meaning island. literal meaning. Can be used in a verb which i've heard a few times.. not to be negative but heard a girl use it as a verb meaning to just hang on implying just stay with someone for free stuff. That still isn't a word for freeloader or sponger though. think เห็นแก่ได้ เอาเปรียบ are both ok and ขี้ขอ is more about someone who just wants wants wants Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briggsy Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 I used ปลิง in this context because I did not know a word-for-word translation. It seemed to be understood. But beware this was purely me guessing. I have never heard a Thai use it first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgs2001uk Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 ^^^^^, yes pling (ปลิง) is understood, but its not what I hear used. Sometimes we farang have to accept the fact there is no direct word for word translation, and at times explanations are required. Same same for Thai to English. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briggsy Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Searching back through my memory, I am sure I have heard ขี้ขอ as other posters have mentioned. To widen the discussion, 'sponger' is a derogatory term. Thais, of course, use derogatory terms but their culture pushes them to avoid using them. A glance through a Thai dictionary will discover a disproportionate number of derogatory terms are loan words from Tae Jiu, a southern Chinese language. One of my girlfriend's bugbears is the prominence of students now in Thailand living off their parents' cash, all with nice Finos, going out getting drunk at pricey pubs. She clearly has no respect for this kind of sponging behaviour but instead of calling them spongers, does the Thai thing and turns the situation around and comes out with, "สงสารพ่อแม่" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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