What Is " Som Nam Naa " In English ?

[meadish_sweetball]

Go on and take some credit Rikker, we are all very impressed.

[the scouser]

I'm a native speaker of English....

That's a bold statement for an American to make.

Scouse.

[samran]

Go on and take some credit Rikker, we are all very impressed.

seconded, thirded, and fourthered

You are a fantastic teacher to boot.

[Rikker]

Thanks, all. I am constantly learning new things about Thai on this board, so allow me to reiterate that I'm in the company of a number of experts on Thai, which helps make things fun.

Most recently, I had a blast when I stumbled across the thread about the origin of ณ [นะ]. Great stuff!

And also...

I'm a native speaker of English....

That's a bold statement for an American to make.

Touche. I'm a native speaker of Pacific Northwest American

[the scouser]

On a serious note, I'd like to add my thanks, too, for the useful contribution you make to this forum.

Scouse.

PS. One of my Thai teachers at SOAS in London was an American. Was it you, perchance?

[Rikker]

Alas, it was not. Thai language forums are the only Thai teaching I do at the moment. Interesting you should mention SOAS, though. I'm in the market for an MA in SEA Studies, and SOAS is at the top of my list to apply to.

Another bit of good news: Two months and counting until my wife and I will be heading back to Thailand. We are planning to stay for the better part of the year. Indulge me on this one: Woohoo!!

[meadish_sweetball]

If you're staying for a whole year, please come over to Chiang Mai for a beer.

[In the Rai!]

If you're staying for a whole year, please come over to Chiang Mai for a beer.

and Chaing Rai for 2 or 3

[Rikker]

Not much of a beer drinker, but if I can escape the big city grind I'll let you know!

[meadish_sweetball]

Coffee, jiaogulan or regular green tea works as well. I also have a bottle of ginseng yaa dong which makes for good discussions.

[Rikker]

Those work, too.

[RAZZELL]

Ok here is my take…

This phrase is used when one is pleased about a particular event, when one is pleased about an event involving the misfortune of another, especially if that person deserved it.

Similar meaning as

“Pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others”

“You got what you deserved”

“I'm laughing at your bad luck”

As we're getting all intellectual... :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schadenfreude

RAZZ

[pkrv]

I was told it's the English equivalent to "in your face"

Wrong?

What is the difference between ' in your face ' and ' serves you right ' ?

I would say aggression.

The first comment is extremely aggressive, the second is not.

[Thongkorn]

IT means clumsy

[mangkorn]

สมน้ำหน้า from Buddhism? Nah.. don't see that one.

Why not, it was a native speaker who told me this!

"Native speaker" refers to Thai language, not to Buddhism. Apples and kiwis. There is no such thing as a native speaker of Buddhism. To suggest that all Thais are expert in Buddhism is akin to saying that every native Hebrew speaker is a Torah scholar. I know several Thai people who don't know a single thing about Siddharta - nor his teachings about the folly of attachment - although they do know how to light incense and give money to monks for good luck in the hope of acquiring temporal material things that they desire. That is not what ทำคุณ is supposed to be about. And fortune-telling is about as far away from the Buddha's fundamental belief system as one can get...

[mangkorn]

I'm a native speaker of English....

That's a bold statement for an American to make.

Scouse.

And that is a bold statement for someone from Liverpool to make, perhaps...

[pkrv]

I was told it's the English equivalent to "in your face"

Wrong?

What is the difference between ' in your face ' and ' serves you right ' ?

I would say aggression.

The first comment is extremely aggressive, the second is not.

OK I did not truthfully answer the question - The answer also implies social status. "In your face" Is probably also at the bottom of the social scale from a western perspective.

[mangkorn]

I was told it's the English equivalent to "in your face"

Wrong?

What is the difference between ' in your face ' and ' serves you right ' ?

I would say aggression.

The first comment is extremely aggressive, the second is not.

OK I did not truthfully answer the question - The answer also implies social status. "In your face" Is probably also at the bottom of the social scale from a western perspective.

The two English idioms are not at all related. "In your face" is street slang, derived from the playground basketball courts in the US, as an aggressive taunt from someone who has just bested you in some way (i.e., made a basket while you were defending him). "Serves you right" is said when you have done something yourself to bring about the consequences that you are lamenting. In the first case, there are two parties; in the second, only one.

Edited December 17, 2009 by mangkorn

[mangkorn]

- double post deleted -

Edited December 17, 2009 by mangkorn

[mangkorn]

- double post deleted -

Edited December 17, 2009 by mangkorn

[pkrv]

The two English idioms are not at all related. "In your face" is street slang, derived from the playground basketball courts in the US, as an aggressive taunt from someone who has just bested you in some way (i.e., made a basket while you were defending him). "Serves you right" is said when you have done something yourself to bring about the consequences that you are lamenting. In the first case, there are two parties; in the second, only one.

But there are social consequences to the use of English, and in a way these two expressions define them.

I have already worked out that there are also social consequences to the use of Thai, politely BTW.

[pjclark1]

what about

"min nam na"

Edited December 18, 2009 by pjclark1

[mangkorn]

The two English idioms are not at all related. "In your face" is street slang, derived from the playground basketball courts in the US, as an aggressive taunt from someone who has just bested you in some way (i.e., made a basket while you were defending him). "Serves you right" is said when you have done something yourself to bring about the consequences that you are lamenting. In the first case, there are two parties; in the second, only one.

But there are social consequences to the use of English, and in a way these two expressions define them.

I was merely pointing out that those two expressions are neither synonymous nor interchangeable.

[mangkorn]

what about

"min nam na"

I rather doubt that anybody would say หมิ่นน้ำหน้า - but in the event, it wouldn't mean the same thing at all. Again, สมน้ำหน้า refers to something that a person did to him/herself. หมิ่น means to disparage, slander, look down upon someone. Two different things, surely. Saying "serves you right" does not fit the word หมิ่น

Speaking of fit, it is with great trepidation that I dare to take minor issue with our estimable Rikker (considering the above posts - with which I also heartily concur): "fits your face" seems a rather tortured word-for-word translation of the concept. I don't believe Thai people think of one's "face" when they use that expression: it simply refers to a characteristic or particular behavior of the other person.

I'm fairly sure Rikker would agree, and was only simplifying it to make the point. I merely bring it up for the benefit of lesser students that some words - like หน้า and ใจ - don't necessarily always neatly translate to the physical face or heart (ใจ also means mind, spirit, essence of self). It depends on the entirety of the expression. In the case of สมน้ำหน้า, the phrase isn't really separated into three distinctly translatable words. (And น้ำ most definitely does not mean "water.")

Cheers.

[mangkorn]

Its not a disapproving statement; its an approving statement regarding the consequences for their action. Saying "I approve of what happened to you because you deserved it."

It sounds like your inability to comprehend English both grammatically and culturally are impeding your understanding of this one!

Before criticizing a non-native speaker's command of English, the native-speaking pedant should submit himself to a remedial course in his own language. "Its" is possessive; the contraction is "it's" - apropos both of the two incorrect usages in one single sentence above; the incomplete "sentence" that follows it in the same paragraph is grammatically incorrect, by any possible criteria.

[Rikker]

You're right, Mangkorn -- I was simplifying (this is a very old thread, btw). But I don't believe น้ำหน้า refers to "face" in that sense, though. That's an argument that's really beside the point, though.

Also, thank you for demonstrating the truth of McKean's Law (aka Muphry's Law -- no that's not a typo).