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Saying "Please"


zanemay

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quote:

Originally posted by Dan:

Sure, literally speaking you are asking permission to bellow! Quite far removed from 'please'.

Are you saying it can't be used as I said ? I've heard people say it a few times in a joking way, and once on Thai TV.

[ August 18, 2001: Message edited by: Iaxia ]

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quote:

Originally posted by Iaxia:

Are you saying it can't be used as I said ?

No. Was just stating that it's literally a request to speak and not used in the same fashion as an English speaker would use 'please' as a way to make speech more polite. 'kor rorng noi' could be translated as 'please let me speak'. And also, as you stated for pleading or begging someone. You would say something like 'Kor rorng! yah glup pai yoo tee Sweden, yoo tee muang thai dee kwa' - 'Pleaseee, I beg you, don't go back to Sweden, Stay here in Thailand!'

Cheers and happy Thai speaking (an eternal learning task for us all I'm sure) smile.gif" border="0

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Poat yeep bia

open, pickout, beer

no "please" there

kep tang (or stang or ngern)duay

pickup the money please

this is central thai dialect

duay is used to soften the sentence but

doesnt exactly mean please

 

porjai

pleased or satisfied

cant be used as please

chuay mostly means "would you"

chuay bpert fai hai phom noi

would you turn on the light for me please

kor - asking for something

exact meaning is more like "beg"

polite way of asking for something

kor naam yen noi

could I have some cold water please

kit ngern or kit dtang (stang)

(with or without duay or noi etc)

means calculate the bill (kit= think)

dtang is pronounced with dt sound because

the letter it starts with in thai is dtor dtao "ต" which is a cross between a "t" and a "d"

dtang is just the slang way of saying

satang "สตางค์"

kor rong is to request (verb)

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quote:

Originally posted by shamus:

And Mr Dan, you have come along way with you studing, you surprise me!!!!!!!!!!

most likely to many women to practise with!!!!!

Mr. Shamus, I guess our study back home with the lovely Dr.Deja must haved helped somewhat.. or is it just all the lovely girls to practice with here?? Hard to say really. Rong Rian NANA is definately more expensive though... ..conversation classes seem to start at about 3 lady-drinks per hour, but then just seem to soar to 500 baht past this, and then boy!!!.. if you really want some decent tutoring time you have to pay an additional 1500 baht on top of that! Can you imagine that?? I think I'll have to have a chat to the Director about this soon.

Cheers laugh.gif" border="0

[ August 18, 2001: Message edited by: Dan ]

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Khrap is not please, its a final

sentence particle used for politeness

very important especially when talking to some one you dont know or of equal or higher status, also the best way to say yes. smile.gif" border="0

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Noo6, 'please' is a bit more abstract than say an apple or any other object for that matter. There isn't often an exact translation of such words that illustrate concepts rather than concretes in two different languages. The concepts certainly exist in both languages but are often expressed in many differnet ways..

As you said, it's function is to make a speaker more polite. Isn't that a similar function as 'please' serves us in English?

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quote:

Originally posted by Zane May:

If you ask for your bill you say

Kep teng duai.

"Keep money please."

Here it is clear (maybe) "duai" is please. But is it a universal "please" or are there several different words for different situations? Or is it that Thais just don't say "please" like farangs?

Thanks for the help.

Zane May

P127 (sounding like he almost knows what he's talking about. And i may....)

Keptang duay means "kindly bring the bill", duay is a courtesy formula, and has to be used with a sentence to make sense. "karuna" is extremely polite, has a deferential or begging/humble tone to it, in the sense you really need what you really ask for (service or thing). It's not to be used in normal give-and-take conversation,and more in writing. i also think the adjective itself means kind-hearted in a noble way (Buddha, monk or saint). In normal conversation, you can use KOR, before asking a favor or a thing. If you want to say "bring me water" you'd say: KOR NAM (please, water!), more polite than AO (MAA) NAM (bring water). Chooay can also be used at the beginning of a sentence instead of KOR if you need a favor. all these conjuctions can still sound abrupt, so how the sentence is properly worded and ended matters too. though as a farang i doubt you will attract bad glares for trying. And as long as you finish your sentence with KRAP (the surest way of courteous phrasing), you're in safe waters. Last, to cry for help, it is: Chooay Duay! back to beginning of thread......

PS: And i thought i forgot my thai away from LOS! But i really dug the thai script from Dan. totally impressed...

[ August 20, 2001: Message edited by: pattaya127 ]

[ August 20, 2001: Message edited by: pattaya127 ]

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Originally posted by pattaya127:

"karuna" is extremely polite, has a deferential or begging/humble tone to it, ... i also think the adjective itself means kind-hearted in a noble way (Buddha, monk or saint)."

Pattaya127,

"Karuna" is a noun, not an adjective (see my earlier post in this thread). It means kind-heartedness, mercy etc. In Thai, when you say "karuna ...", it's basically short for "would you render me the kindness of ...".

In the context of Buddhism, "karuna" is fairly synonymous with "metta" (lit. "friendship"), a loving attitude towards all living beings; translate it as "loving kindness" or "good will".

"Karuna" is also a Buddhist name - you must have seen that attractive Japanese newsreader on CNN, Karuna Shinsho??

[ August 20, 2001: Message edited by: Scum_Baggio ]

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