A silly question for all you thai language experts

[Deserted]

I was recently watching The Holy Grail (Monty Python Film) with some thai friends, the question 'What is your quest?' appeared a few times and a debate occurred on what it meant. Unsurprisingly it went unsolved and confusion reigned.

Any ideas from our resident tv experts how to ask such a question?

[laowai1960]

คุณหาอะไรหนักและยาว

การสำรวจของคุณคืออะไร

ความท้าทายของคุณคืออะไร

[starrdog]

I've got the movie with Thai subtitles. "What is you quest?" is translated as "What are you looking/searching for?":

ท่านค้นหาอะไร

ท่านกำลังตามหาอะไร

ท่านหาอะไร

[KhaoNiaw]

The suggestions so far don't really go beyond 'What are you looking for?'

Perhaps use แสวงหา. This is my effort: สิ่งที่คุณออกแสวงหาคืออะไร

[starrdog]

The suggestions so far don't really go beyond 'What are you looking for?'

That's what the movie used. Without the actual subtitles I probably would have guessed "What is your mission?" ภารกิจของคุณคืออะไร

[Deserted]

I've got the movie with Thai subtitles. "What is you quest?" is translated as "What are you looking/searching for?":

ท่านค้นหาอะไร

ท่านกำลังตามหาอะไร

ท่านหาอะไร

Yes, that's what I've got but I was trying to explain that it means a bit more than that, like a long difficult search or something.

[Johpa]

Some terms, as well as most jokes, don't always translate without further elaboration. Thais don't go on quests, that is a western concept. Thais go on "tios". Aussies go on "walkabouts".

[Deserted]

What do you mean by 'tios'?

[Johpa]

What do you mean by 'tios'?

เที่ยว, there is quite a bit of culture encapsulated within this word.