Just for fun, I’ve decided to add a new category to my blog titled “Thai language”. In here I’ll put some short items designed for the casual visitor to Thailand who’d like to have a few words or phrases in the local language to impress the girls with.
These items will be short, and focused on simple, easy to learn-easy to remember language.
These items are NOT intended to assist people who know the language or live here full time. They are also NOT intended to teach anyone to speak or read Thai. If you want to learn the language, buy a book, a CD or take a class.
I’m simply trying to entertain, and provide some simple vocabulary that people can retain and use on their next trip to Thialand.
Today I want to talk about basic politeness in Thai.
In Thai the word for polite or good manners is soopab and impolite is mai soopab.
If you want to be soopab (and I’m sure you do) then you’ll want to know the following language rules in Thai:
Krab & Kaa
Thai is like other asian languages, and unlike English, because you have to add a word to the end of sentences to be polite.
The word doesn’t really mean anything, but if you don’t use it, you are probably being impolite. I can’t really explain why you say the word… it’s just good manners. It’s part of showing respect.
Men add the word “krab“
Women add the word “kaa“
So, if I want to ask you your name, I need three words:
cheu = your name
arai = asks the question “what?”
krab = being polite
Cheu arai krab = What is your name?
If you want to ask me if I’m hungry, you would ask Hue mai krab?
I would answer either:
Hue krab = Yes, I’m hungry; or
Mai hue krab = No, I’m not hungry
If my girlfriend calls me on the phone and wants to know where I am, she’ll ask me Yoo teenai kaa?
If I’m at home, I would answer Yoo tee baan krab.
If I’m at work, I would answer Yoo tee taamgnaan krab.
Yes and No
The formal words for yes and no in Thai are:
Chai = yes
Mai Chai = no
So, if a girl asked me if I have an older sister, she would ask Mee peesaow mai kaa?
and I would answer either
Chai, mee peesaow krab = Yes, I have an older sister; or
Mai Chai, mai mee peesaow krab = No, I don’t have an older sister.
The same girl could ask me if I have a telephone: Mee torasap mai kaa?
and I would answer either
Chai, mee torasap krab = Yes, I have a telephone; or
Mai Chai, mai mee torasap krab = No, I don’t have a telephone.
Of course, just like English, I can get away with answering just ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
In addition, in Thai, if my answer is ‘yes’ or ‘okay’ or ’sure’… basically any type of positive agreement, I can simply say “krab” (if I am a man) or “kaa” (if I am a woman).
So, If I ask several friend if they smoke cigarettes, they might answer in the following ways:
Chai kaa= yes
Krab = yes
Mai chai krab= no
Kaa = yes
Listening to a girl talking on her mobile phone, you might hear her say the word “kaa” five or ten times in a row. She is simply acknowledging that she hears and understands, or that she agrees with what the person on the phone is saying. It’s the equivalent of saying in English: “sure…. uh-huh…. yes….I see…. okay… yeah sure… okay… yes… right…”
But what you’ll hear from the Thai girl will be “kaa… kaa… kaa… kaa… kaa… kaa… kaa… kaa… kaa…”
So when you are talking to Thai people, remember to add krab or kaa (depending on your gender) to your sentences whenever you speak, or risk being impolite.
And remember that the words krab and kaa also provide a simple easy way to be polite and substitute for a whole range of words (like yes, sure, okay, I understand, uh-huh, right, etc).
And remember that when you want to say no, you say mai chai krab or mai chai kaa.
January 7, 2008 at 1:29 pm |
err…sort of. But not quite. Actually the word “chai” and “mai chai” don’t strictly mean “yes” and “no” and shouldn’t be used as we would in English. They actually mean “correct” and “not correct” which is subtly different. You would only use “chai” when the questions specifically ends with “chai mai?” (meaning: is that correct?)
So if your friend asks you if you have an older sister (mee pee sao mai?), the correct reponse is “mee” or “mai mee”, which means “have” or “have not”. The wrong response is “chai” or “mai chai”.
You would use “chai” or “mai chai” only when your friend asks “Mee pee sao chai mai?” (You have an older sister, right?) Correct answer is: “Chai” (that’s correct) or “mai chai” (no, that’s not right).
So I will mark your report card with “Good effort, but can do better”. Here endeth the boring lesson. Can we talk about sex now please?
January 7, 2008 at 1:43 pm |
I’ve just been informed by my gf that my comment above was that of a pompous arsehole (Her words are much worse). On rereading I concur. So you’ll be delighted to know I’ve amended your report card to “good effort”. OK, I can have sex now.
January 7, 2008 at 5:29 pm |
ST: No prob. The blog on question words doesn’t post until the 11th, so I tried to stick with the question form ending with ‘mai’. In these blogs I trade off gramattical accuracy for simplicity.
Your comment however was concise and clear, so you get an ‘A’ for effort and an ‘A’ for execution. Thanks for improving the blog. I started to go back and amend the blog, but figured your comment makes things clear, so I’ll leave it as is.
On the issue of sex… between the cost of my Singapore trip and a certain lack of restraint over the New Year period, my finances are at a relatively low point. Until pay day — another week away — blog research will be at a minimum. We will concentrate on Living & Working in Bangkok with slightly less stress on playing.
Any readers who wish to contribute to the research fund can make payments to Werewolf’s Single Mother’s Support & Research Fund at any branch of the Siam Commercial Bank. All contributions will go towards getting sex back on the blogsite more immediately.
January 7, 2008 at 7:42 pm |
WW, while on politeness, (and waiting for the cash cow) i was wondering if you could shed some light on rudeness around head and feet during sex play. I seem to recall being berated once long ago when in Thailand for pointing my foot and also recall admonishment for touching the top of a girl’s head. I’m being lazy here and could probably wiki or google this but i doubt i’d easily uncover the sexual etiquette surrounding these body bits.
cheers
h
January 7, 2008 at 8:32 pm |
hooboy: I’m surprised that you got admonished during sex play, when basically anything goes. In normal social and business situations, though, it’s pretty clear cut.
There’s a million good articles on the internet on the topic, so I’ll just hit a couple highlights.
In Buddhist philosophy some body parts are more sacred than others. The head is most sacred, the feet are very dirty.
In Thailand you never point at ANYTHING with your foot — you’d be better off spitting in someone’s face.
I recently turned off the fan in my room using my big toe (which is how it was designed to be done) and was admonished by a Thai friend for being rude.
You don’t touch another person’s head… normally you can scrap this rule with your teerak (your darling) in the bedroom or when being affectionate in private.
You don’t pass anything over anyone’s head… for example, in a business meeting you wouldn’t stand to pass papers to someone over another person’s head. They will be aghast if you do.
When you are among superiors, you at least make a show or an effort to get your head below theirs. If you meet your girlfriends parents, it’s best if you sit on the floor with your head below theirs. If that’s not possible, then you would at least bow your head as low as you can upon meeting them.
In a classroom, if a student has to walk in front of the teacher, he or she will normally squat or ‘bob’ down as they pass to get their head below the teacher’s line of site. I’ve seen grown men literally bend down with their head at waist level to get below the teacher’s eyesight.
If you remember the video that got u-tube banned for half a year in Thailand, one of the most offensive images was having someone’s feet in the picture ABOVE the head of the King. Horribly offensive in Thailand.
There is a girl who used to stay with me that would go nuts about me laying on the bed with my head at the foot of the bed to take advantage of better light when reading my book. She wouldn’t shut up till I turned around.
I could go one. A perusal of Thai websites will provide tons of similar and more detailed rules and information. I’ve done this off the top of my head, but I think its responsive to your question. Again, I’ll suggest that most of these etiquette rules are normally suspended in the bedroom.
January 8, 2008 at 10:39 am |
Yes, the feet are particularly loathsome things, as I discovered years ago on my first trip to Samui. I woke up to my companion’s pert arse parked temptingly on the edge of the bed while she bent over to fiddle with the straps on her heels. Of course I had no choice but to stretch out my large toe, plant it in the dimple just above her bum crack and have a bit of a muck around. BAD mistake! The hitherto purring sex kitten instantly turned into the BITCH FROM HELL, squalling and shrieking to the other side of the room with venom and bile spurting from every orifice.
“What?” I asked.
Her face softened as my innocence washed over her (i’m always amazed at how forgiving they can be) . “Not do feet. It very bad, ok?” she opined soothingly, before resuming her traditional unthreatening posture with her legs wrapped around my back.
January 9, 2008 at 10:01 pm |
[...] Note: in the questions below, you will notice that every sentence ends with the word “kaa”. If you don’t know why, you may want to click here. [...]
January 10, 2008 at 10:09 pm |
[...] Note: Wherever you see “kh” at the end of the sentence, it stands for either krap or kaa. If you’re not sure why, you may want to click here. [...]
January 11, 2008 at 11:59 am |
[...] In the sample sentences below, I have put ‘kh’ to indicate the words ‘krab’ or ‘kaa’. If you don’t know why, and would like to know, you can click here. [...]
January 24, 2008 at 12:11 am |
[...] Each Thai phrase listed above ends with the word krab. If you don’t know why, you may want to read this blog. [...]
June 24, 2008 at 3:01 am |
[...] Note: in the questions below, you will notice that every sentence ends with the word “kaa”. If you don’t know why, you may want to click here. [...]