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Thai word for "bullshit?"


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Says luckyfarang:

DAW-LEH® is a very commonly heard term which I would translate as "fibber".

 

It is not as harsh as GO-HOK(l), meaning "liar" and not nearly as impolite as "Bullshit". In fact, it's not impolite at all and usually said in jest.
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Yet again you demonstrate your lack of real understanding of Thai.

DAW-LEH® is an extremely impolite accusation generally used by and against women. Hard to translate accurately it's like 'extremly pretentious' or 'deceitful'. Could also mean 'backstabbing'. It is regularly censored on TV. Don't believe me then tell you're female friends they are 'DAW LEH®' and duck.

GO-HOK(l) is simply the verb 'to lie' not nice but not particularly nasty.

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Says markle:

Says luckyfarang:

DAW-LEH® is a very commonly heard term which I would translate as "fibber".

 

It is not as harsh as GO-HOK(l), meaning "liar" and not nearly as impolite as "Bullshit". In fact, it's not impolite at all and usually said in jest.
[/color]

 

Yet again you demonstrate your lack of real understanding of Thai.

DAW-LEH® is an extremely impolite accusation generally used by and against women. Hard to translate accurately it's like 'extremly pretentious' or 'deceitful'. Could also mean 'backstabbing'. It is regularly censored on TV. Don't believe me then [color:"purple"]tell you're female friends
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they are 'DAW LEH®' and duck.

 

GO-HOK(l) is simply the verb 'to lie' not nice but not particularly nasty.

 

[color:"purple"] Pardon me if I don't take the word of someone who can't distinguish between "your" and "you're".

 

I never use this word myself, but I recognize it well, and in my experience, has always been said between close acquaintances and in jest. I say that it is certainly colloquial and informal, but not rude.

 

I think that we need a ruling from a native speaker on this one. How about Jasmine? [/color]

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LF and Markle, you seem to be water and fire when it comes to the Thai language.

 

"Daw Leh" is very impolite to say the least.

However, if you are amongst very good youthfull Thai friends (Wai Loon) is can be used in a playfull matter. Young close Thai friends often use all kinds of normally impolite words like "Khoo" for "I" and "Mung" for "you".

Be very carefull to use either with older people or persons toy don't know very well, or in public surroundings. A farang using this word is usually seen as someone who's picked up his limited Thai in bars.

 

The polite word for deceit is "ËÅáÅǧ" or "¡ÒÃËÅáÅǧ"

Are you kidding/deceiving me = Khun Laawk Pom/Chan rue plao

 

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Says orandanodes:

 

"Daw Leh" is very impolite to say the least.

However, if you are amongst very good youthfull Thai friends (Wai Loon) is can be used in a playfull matter.

 

Be very carefull to use either with older people or persons toy don't know very well, or in public surroundings. A farang using this word is usually seen as someone who's picked up his limited Thai in bars.

 

 


 

[color:"purple"] Funny how I never knew how rude this was, since I have only heard it used among close friends. And, of course, some girls have called me this in a playful way.

 

At least I had figured out never to use it myself, maybe because I had never heard it used by a man before.

 

So, O, would you say that it is innappropriate to use with strangers or elders, and is very informal but not impolite among peers? And it is innappropriate for men to use because it sounds effeminate?

 

I would still like to hear the opinion of a native speaker.

 

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So, O, would you say that it is innappropriate to use with strangers or elders (YES), and is very informal but not impolite among peers (IT REMAINS IMPOLITE, BUT YOUNGER (AGE 16-22 OR SO) PEER MAY USE IT. STILL ITS BETTER NOT TO)? And it is innappropriate for men to use because it sounds effeminate (IMO IT CAN BE USED BY BOTH SEXES TOWARDS BOTH SEXES, BUT USEUALLY IT'LL BE USED BY A FEMALE TOWARDS A MALE AND V.V.)?

 

 

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Says luckyfarang:

I never use this word myself, but I recognize it well, and in my experience, has always been said between close acquaintances and in jest. I say that it is certainly colloquial and informal, but not rude.

 

I think that we need a ruling from a native speaker on this one. How about Jasmine?

 

As you have stated on another thread you base your posts on your experience. The problem is that you seem to have a great deal of experience in a narrow sector of Thai society/culture yet you attempt to pass yourself off as an expert on Thai language.

I also base my posts on my experience (long with the occasionally clarification from friends and collegues). But my experience has been in situations stretching from teenagers at school, University teachers rooms, rural villagers, corporate communications and so on. The depth of my experience gives me the cofidence to make the statements I make on this board. To be honest if I'm unfamiliar with a aspect of the language or have limited exprerience (bargirl speak, Issan dialects) I refrain from making broad generalisations about them.

 

I seriously doubt Jasmine has ever used 'dor lae' in real life, wrong social strata.

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[color:"purple"]

Says markle:

Says luckyfarang:

I never use this word myself, but I recognize it well, and in my experience, has always been said between close acquaintances and in jest. I say that it is certainly colloquial and informal, but not rude.

 

I think that we need a ruling from a native speaker on this one. How about Jasmine?

 

As you have stated on another thread you base your posts on your experience. The problem is that you seem to have a great deal of experience in a narrow sector of Thai society/culture yet you attempt to pass yourself off as an expert on Thai language.

I also base my posts on my experience (long with the occasionally clarification from friends and collegues). But my experience has been in situations stretching from teenagers at school, University teachers rooms, rural villagers, corporate communications and so on. The depth of my experience gives me the cofidence to make the statements I make on this board. To be honest if I'm unfamiliar with a aspect of the language or have limited exprerience (bargirl speak, Issan dialects) I refrain from making broad generalisations about them.

 

I seriously doubt Jasmine has ever used 'dor lae' in real life, wrong social strata.

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<<The problem is that you seem to have a great deal of experience in a narrow sector of Thai society/culture yet you attempt to pass yourself off as an expert on Thai language.>>

 

If you are insinuating that I have learned "bargirl Thai", you are way off the mark, Markle. I have been speaking proficiently for many years before I ever went into a bar. I wouldn't have expected you to pick up on that. So, I've never worked in a Thai corporation, big deal. I can communicate with the average Thai on the street, uneducated villagers and university educated Thais on a wide variety of subjects.

 

 

And I don't try to "pass myself off" as anything. My ability to communicate in Thai speaks for itself. I suggest that you go back and read about a dozen or so threads that I have originated in the Language section to give yourself an inkling of the grasp that I have on the finer shades of meaning and specific usages of Thai words. I can think in Thai and make all of my feelings and ideas known. Can you?

 

So, Markle, are you saying that since you have spent a longer time in country, that I cannot be helpful to others on this board trying to learn Thai?

 

 

I have heard from you and heard from Orandanodes, but until a native Thai speaker tells me that DAW-LEH® is always rude, even between peers, I stand by my experience with it's usage.

 

 

I suggest that you get a life other than nitpicking others and post something useful for a change.

 

 

 

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Wow, it all seems to have got quite heavy.

 

Would it not be fair to say that 'bullshit' is actually rather a good translation, and has much the same effect.

 

If someone I didn't know very well, or a parent, or a respected professional made a statement I didn't agree with, and I replied 'Bullshit!', I think I might cause offence.

 

However, when a friend tells me he has a twelve-inch penis, I think 'Bullshit' is a rather appropriate response.

 

I sometimes hear Thai girls use the word 'fuck' and I think similarly they haven't grasped the complexity of the word. The best advice one could give a foreigner is that the word should not be used, as it may cause offence. However, I'm sure many of us might use the word 'fuck' casually with friends, and have no fear that it would cause offence.

 

Someone already mentioned 'Goo' and 'Meung'. I was taught that these are insulting words that you might hear between two Thais jostling in anticipation of a fight. However my girlfriend and her best friend seem to use the words constantly.

 

My girlfriend is dark-skinned. Her sister often calls her 'kiaow'. It is used as a term of affection, but it seems to have very similar connotations to 'nigger', and whilst if I use the word, she giggles, amused, she admits that she had fights in the past with girls who called her 'kiaow'.

 

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Hi,

 

You have a correct concept of these words. The word "bullshit" is not used amongst most of my friends but I have to admit that I used smilar word (bull) just the other day at work to a project manager here for I was very fed up of some activities of her people. She actually was shocked but she agreed that I used the correct terminology to describe. ::

 

I don't use [color:"red"]'Goo' and 'Meung'. [/color] ever for my Thai family would be very offended. The only one person who is allowed to do that is my mother which she does when upset with her grandson, however, she normally corrected herself. However, I have heard my 18 yrs. old nephew uses it amongst his close friends. But he will never uses such words with anyone else. Those words were not rude amongst close friends (of some people) and in many Thai families.

 

I have never had any Thai friends who speak such.

 

There is an article about deteriation of the Thai language and it mentined that some young Thai women use such words and the article find it quite rude for the women and I agree.

 

So depending on a relationship, however, I would rather stay polite if possible or just walk away. :bow:

 

Cheers

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