Replacing I with name

[DirDrill]

Ladies using there name instead of I is very common unless in a formal situation with people they don't know and as said before never heard a man use his name.

 

I've heard many ladies use "noo" when refering to other women younger then them but they are very familiar with each other if they are not related. My wife says this is almost a term of endearment when say a lady of 45 calls a lady of 30 "Noo".

 

As for farangs using words like pee or nong or noo it could cause you to look stuipd or insult someone. My wife and many other ladies both BG's, GTG's and professionals said I should never use pee or yai and should always Khun since I'm not Thai and only use nong for service help. All others are still Khun and when in doubt use Khun for everyone but a small child

[luckyfarang]

I find using their name vs a pronoun pretty common with the middle class Thai females that I know. My experience is same as KS' in that I can't recall any men ever doing it. To the OP, I'm not sure if it is considered extremely polite, tho' *certainly* not impolite, but more familiar (maybe depends upon the circles you run in ). To me, it is something you'd use amongst friends. I guess Snaky already said that and he knows more than me.

 

Hugh, pee (in font of the name, as in pee Hugh) is the most common form of address amongst peers in LoS IME. I'll also use pee (no name) with service industry people *much* older than me, or at a senior level, especially if I need a favour or something unusual. Considered polite.

 

I use nong (just that, no name) pretty much only for getting the attention of service staff (male or female) and the occasional teenager I do not know. But for those I am acquainted with, and especially those I need to be very polite to, e.g., kids of friends or biz associates, I use nong as a prefix to their name (e.g., nong Noi). All these usages are considered polite.

 

I use noo (no name) for a child with which I am familiar. I use luk for a child stranger; or if lightly chastising a familiar child (e.g., Tam arai, luk?). Once again, polite.

 

Cheers,

SD

 

 

Bravo Black Tiger, I see that you have mastered one of the simplest, most common, but most important aspects of the language, the use of pronouns.

 

Even I have not yet started using LUK(f) with children, I just use NOO® with all kids, or usually use no pronoun at all. Of course, I find that children usually flee when I try to engage them in conversation anyway. Some times I use KHUN NOO®, just to sound silly.

 

Sometimes it is fun to mock chastise a small child who is misbehaving, with the parent present of course. They are so surprised to understand what a farang is saying that they usually clam up.

 

 

YOO(l) DEE DEE NA(h)!, YAA(l) RAWNG(h) YAA(l) RAWNG(h)!, CHEUA(f) MAE(f) NOI(l) NA(h) HA(h)!

 

Maybe it would sound funnier like this:

 

YOO(l) DEE DEE NA(h) LUK(f)!, YAA(l) RAWNG(h) YAA(l) RAWNG(h)!, CHEUA(f) MAE(f) NOI(l) NA(h) LUK(f)!

 

Behave yourself son(ny), stop your bawling, mind your mother now, child!

 

And the good mother would generally use this to teach her child manners, pointing out to his embarrassment that the tantrum was such unnacceptable behavior that even a farang noticed and felt obliged to comment.

 

LUK(f) would be used here to show mock familiarity with the stranger's child.

 

I guess that I have never fully reached the point of familarity with a Thai child that would allow the appropriate use of "LUK(f)"

 

I agree with everything in your post, and I have one addition. When speaking to young children, you should change the final particle from KAP(h) to JAA, or NA(h) HA(h)

[khunsanuk]

Hi,

 

"When speaking to young children, you should change the final particle from KAP(h) to JAA, or NA(h) HA(h)"

 

Disagree a bit here. I've always been thought that when talking to young kids (up to ~8years or so) to use whatever they should be using, i.e. Khrap with boys, Kha with girls. This to re-enforce their use to the kids.

 

Sanuk!

 

[luckyfarang]

Hi,

 

"When speaking to young children, you should change the final particle from KAP(h) to JAA, or NA(h) HA(h)"

 

Disagree a bit here. I've always been thought that when talking to young kids (up to ~8years or so) to use whatever they should be using, i.e. Khrap with boys, Kha with girls. This to re-enforce their use to the kids.

 

Sanuk!

 

 

Yes, we disagree. I think that a farang sounds silly using the adult particle with young children, and in this case I try and mimic what I hear the Thais doing.

 

Also, changing the particle softens up the sound and is less likely to frighten the child. As a single guy, almost all the children I speak to are strangers.