Mekong Posted October 22, 2001 Report Share Posted October 22, 2001 This has been bugging me for some time now. Could someone please explain to me the differances between these two pronouns. I realise that "Khun" is the formal pronoun for "You", but I hear "Phi" being used directed at both myself and at a third party, ie. 1. Sawadee Kha Phi Mekong (I mostly associate with females) 2 Phi (miss x) thinai? (when asking where my g/f is). Any explanation would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 22, 2001 Report Share Posted October 22, 2001 Khun is the more formal way to adress everyone. Phii is more informal to address anyone older (or you have to pay respect to, like an sister of your mother, who can be younger as you actually). Nuu is more informal to address anyone younger. As far as my knowledge goes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
throbb Posted October 23, 2001 Report Share Posted October 23, 2001 ok dood, this is how i understand this Phii, is like sister or brother as in excuse me brother... its an informal address, and should be used if the person is older than u Nong if the person is younger than u Khun is like sir or madam nuu is like for little kids, less than teenager i can barely manage sawatdee unless i am pissed ...so this is a sober attempt.... later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekong Posted October 23, 2001 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2001 Thanks for the replies guys. So when they call me Phii Mekong it just basicaly means I am an old bugger....ah well vanity went out of the window last millenium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 24, 2001 Report Share Posted October 24, 2001 Being called pee is a good thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 24, 2001 Report Share Posted October 24, 2001 Being called or calling someone pee is good,(unless they are much older than you) also, don't use it in a reatraunt to call the waiter/waitress. Nong works there. "Nong, Nong" sounds way better that pee pee. (getting attention in a restraunt) I think being refered to as Pee shai by a thai is a Nice thing. ( of course you may be obligated to pay for someting along the way) calling a lady your "pee sow" is ok in thailand, but you will get some goofey looks letting that term slip out in the west. Using thai words and listening with western ears is very amusing. ( but judging from the looks we get in thailand, not nearly as amusing as us trying to master thai words). I asked some thai friends why ( in restraunts mostly) when I order in thai the watress seems to defer to the thai ppl to see exactly what I want) they ( my friends) tell me my thai is ok, but the watress does not expect to hear thai comming from me. ( soulds logical if I don't think about it too much) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekong Posted October 25, 2001 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2001 Cheers Mush and pasa, you have both summed up what was my origional interpritation of the phrase. It as only been said to me politely, so now i understand that I am accepeted along the lines of a big brother. damn and I like those women Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 25, 2001 Report Share Posted October 25, 2001 Good analysis on using titles of respect in Thai, but you boyz are leaving out a few important ones. Remember these prefixed titles keep changing as the person gets older. A woman well into middle age, for example, would be addressed as "bpah", not "pee". And you better be careful about this one; the word for crazy is "bah" - same falling tone but with a short b. Quite, quite homonymic. When you get to grandparent status, the titles change again, usage depending on gender and whether you are on the maternal or paternal side of the family. But here it gets a little interesting. Grandma is "khun yah" and "khun yai". Grandmother is simply "yah" and "yai". Grandpa is "khun bpoo" and "khun dtah". Grandfather is simply "bpoo" and "dtah". My dictionary makes reference to "pasa dek dek" or words that kids use, not adults. Unfortunately, this is where I start getting into unfamiliar territory. Interesting how the word for "big" is given to you as you reach old age. Must be for all that wisdom we'll all soon have... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pescator Posted October 25, 2001 Report Share Posted October 25, 2001 quote: Originally posted by pjacktpa: Good analysis on using titles of respect in Thai, but you boyz are leaving out a few important ones. Remember these prefixed titles keep changing as the person gets older. A woman well into middle age, for example, would be addressed as "bpah", not "pee". And you better be careful about this one; the word for crazy is "bah" - same falling tone but with a short b. Quite, quite homonymic. ... Well, addressing a woman into middle age "bpah" or "pee" would depend on your own actual age now wouldn`t it? That explains it, I just couldn`t get it why some TG occasionally called me "Aunt" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elef Posted October 26, 2001 Report Share Posted October 26, 2001 Hi, my thai friends in Europe (about 50 persons) use phi (+ nickmame if many persons stay together) to older friends, khun (+ nickmame if many persons stay together) to younger, but if much younger just nickname. Speaking to their employer they use phi (even if boss is younger) or maa/mae:/ if they are much younger. Let me add that they use khun to a much younger woman also if she has a company or if her husband has a company. elef [ October 26, 2001: Message edited by: elef ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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