Hello,

How would you translate "what the hell is this again?" to Thai? I need something, a little bit sarcastic, but I don't want to insult anyone ...

I use this, "นี้คือนรกใช่ไหม?".

Today as I was waiting for elevator, Thai family came over, 'typical' Thai family, Myanmar servants, lots of shopping bags, smartphones ... And 10 years old boy sitting in pram. When I've seen it, I told for myself quitly "นี้คือนรกใช่ไหม?", but boy's mother heard that and started yelling at me, how dare are you and something I didn't understand ...

I think I cross the line ...

Is it vulgar phrase?

I used it many times, white Watson girls, traffic. No problems, until now ...

You certainly crossed the line!

That sentence นี้คือนรกใช่ไหม means "This is hell, right?"

In English, "what the hell" doesn't actually mean "hell" as in where the devil lives.

Your remarks would be almost like cursing them to go to hell.

So you can't translate it word by word into Thai, because in Thai language it doesn't work that way, so when you use the Thai word for "hell" นรก it will always means that place where sinners go after death.

In Thai language this word is very negative.

The reason why nobody else has ever had any "problems" with you when you've said it before is that they don't care and also you're a stranger, so obviously they're not gonna start lecturing you or something. They're just thinking, "stupid farang, cannot speak Thai properly...", or "WHTF is wrong with this farang".

If you want the meaning of "What the hell is this?" in Thai, it'll have to be something like "นี่มันอะไรอีกแล้วเนี่ย" or "นี่มันอะไรเนี่ย" or just "อะไรวะ", this will be like a sarcastic remark. Or if you're among very close friends, one can even use a bit profanity and say "นี่มันเหี้ยอะไรเนี่ย" or "เหี้ยอะไรวะเนี่ย". DO NOT use those 2 last sentenced with your family or strangers! It's meaning in English will be something like "What the phukk is this?"

....

However, after reading your story more carefully, I still don't understand why you felt like the need to utter something like "What the hell is this again?" when that family entered the elevator????

Even if it was in a western country and a western family like that entered the elevator and you said such a thing, I think they would not find it amusing!

You certainly crossed the line!

That sentence นี้คือนรกใช่ไหม means "This is hell, right?"

In English, "what the hell" doesn't actually mean "hell" as in where the devil lives.

Your remarks would be almost like cursing them to go to hell.

So you can't translate it word by word into Thai, because in Thai language it doesn't work that way, so when you use the Thai word for "hell" นรก it will always means that place where sinners go after death.

In Thai language this word is very negative.

The reason why nobody else has ever had any "problems" with you when you've said it before is that they don't care and also you're a stranger, so obviously they're not gonna start lecturing you or something. They're just thinking, "stupid farang, cannot speak Thai properly...", or "WHTF is wrong with this farang".

If you want the meaning of "What the hell is this?" in Thai, it'll have to be something like "นี่มันอะไรอีกแล้วเนี่ย" or "นี่มันอะไรเนี่ย" or just "อะไรวะ", this will be like a sarcastic remark. Or if you're among very close friends, one can even use a bit profanity and say "นี่มันเหี้ยอะไรเนี่ย" or "เหี้ยอะไรวะเนี่ย". DO NOT use those 2 last sentenced with your family or strangers! It's meaning in English will be something like "What the phukk is this?"

....

However, after reading your story more carefully, I still don't understand why you felt like the need to utter something like "What the hell is this again?" when that family entered the elevator????

Even if it was in a western country and a western family like that entered the elevator and you said such a thing, I think they would not find it amusing!

You are right. I'll try to control myself more. When I'll see them again I apologize.

Thank you for translation.

Hilarious example of how one-to-one translations can fail. Thanks!