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Pen


MooNoi

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Can someone help?

 

I'm getting confused with the Thai word "pen" and when is the correct time to use it.

 

Is the best translation of the word pen, "to be"?

 

eg. "pen khon Thai" - to be Thai people sounds right to me.

 

but if I wanted to say, for example, "I am on the bus" I *don't* think I would say "pen bon rot mae".... is that correct?

 

So is it correct to say that "pen" means "to be somthing or someone" but *not* "to be" as in, in the process of doing something.

 

Therefore, if I wanted to say I was in the process of doing something (eg. on the bus) what's the correct way?

 

How does "pen" work?

Help!

(And thanks!)

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Can someone help?

 

I'm getting confused with the Thai word "pen" and when is the correct time to use it.

 

Is the best translation of the word pen, "to be"?

 

eg. "pen khon Thai" - to be Thai people sounds right to me.

 

but if I wanted to say, for example, "I am on the bus" I *don't* think I would say "pen bon rot mae".... is that correct?

 

So is it correct to say that "pen" means "to be somthing or someone" but *not* "to be" as in, in the process of doing something.

 

Therefore, if I wanted to say I was in the process of doing something (eg. on the bus) what's the correct way?

 

How does "pen" work?

Help!

(And thanks!)

 

It's used to indicate states of being in a permanent sense, as well as conditions (certain types of characteristics, illnesses, etc.), but never location in physical space. for that you use "thii" "yuu" or a description of what you're doing in that space (i.e. phom nang rot fai faa yuu" ('I'm currently on the skytrain'--literally "sitting on the train")

 

the verbs we know of in english as "to know" and "to be" and several other important ones are always spread across several different verbs in Southeast Asian languages.

 

preahko

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From my rather limited Thai I understand the following

 

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bpen [V] be ; is ; am ; are

[V] be able to ; know how to

[ADJ] alive ; existent ; living

 

when used with a combination of other words is forms an equivalent of an English word for example

 

bpen bpai daii Possible

bpen bpai mai daii Impossible

bpen dtom Etcetera

bpen huang Worry, Concern

bpen lom Faint

bpen nii To be in debt

bpen wat To have a cold

 

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