More Words that Define the Thai Psyche

[Guest]

Yes, trying to romanize sounds that don't even exist in English is an almost hopeless task (unless you happen to be a linguist and can use special marks unique to that field).

The romanization standard that is in common use is pretty imperfect. For example, it doesn't usually differentiate between an "OH" sound (as in "boat") and the "AW" sound as in ("jaw"). There's no way to tell, therefore, if "JOMTHIEN" (as in the beach) should be pronounced "JOHMTHIEN" or "JAWMTHIEN" (the latter is correct).

It also doesn't usually differentiate between short and long vowels -- which can differentiate meaning in Thai, as illustrated in the posts above ("khao" meaning "white" and "khao" meaning "mountain" are usually written the same in romanization, but are very different in Thai).

That's why, IMHO, in order to speak Thai correctly one should learn the writing system very early on in one's studies.

[daeng bireley]

* เกา / gow (m) scratch short vowel

* เก่า / gow (l) old short vowel

* เก้า / gow (f) nine short vowel

* กาว / gaow (m) glue long vowel

* ก้าว / gaow (f) step long vowel

 

And its "bo pben yang dok"

[Pescator]

quote:

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And its "bo pben yang dok"[/QB]

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Not where I am coming from

We can always discuss the transliteration, but the end of this sentence is as the original poster wrote "Doh" or "Duh".

Bo pben yang duh!

[luckyfarang]

I have noticed that KAO meaning he/she/they is usually pronounced with high tone when it is the subject, and rising tone when it is the object. I always thought that rising was the correct tone and high was colloquial. Can anyone confirm?

I don't read or write Thai, but I'm at the point now where it surely would be beneficial to my progress. I do think it would have impeded my progress early on.

I am working on a system of transliteration that denotes the vowel length in the spelling. I use simple tone marks above the text when writing for myself, but use the system of letters below in my sig when using a keyboard. For instance:

AO short..... AAO long is my preference, but you could also use:

AO short.....OW long

G,K,KH should be able to express the full variety of sounds, but if you're illiterate and play be ear like I do, it's easy to make mistakes.

Another problem is do you use:

T,TH.....or.....DT,T I like the first way. Aren't there three similar sounding consonants? Daw Dao, Taw Taharn and ??? In the word DOOD(l) meaning "arse", what is the first and final consonant? What about DOOT meaning "to suck"?

And for the Thai letter that looks like : I tend to use ! What is this one called? It sounds like a sudden closing of the throat.

[daeng bireley]

Ive always thought it far better to spend time learning the thai alphabet rather than a transliteration. The thai alphabet is not really that hard probably not that much harder than the transliteration and in the long run most people will never speak thai very well without being able to read thai.

There are some very good new books for learning the thai alphabet eg."Learning to Read Thai" by Sriwilai Ponmanee

* ด dor dek a "d"

* ต dtor dtao a cross between d and t often called an unaspirated "d" usually transliterated as "dt" sometimes as "t" I would use "dt".

There are a number of "t's" in thai, used for different tones and also used for pali sanskrit and other loan words. Usually all transliterated as "th"

* ดูด doot (l) to suck sometimes transcribed as dood because it actually ends in a thai"d"

but a "d" is pronounced as a "t" in the final position in thai.

* ตูด dtoot (l) arse starts with a dtor dtao

so the start sound is different but ends in a dor dek "d" so final sound is "t"

do you mean " ะ " ? this a short length "a"

[luckyfarang]

That's the character I meant, but doesn't it sound more like a closing of the throat than a short A when at the end of a word?

[Guest]

I believe you are not thinking of "Xะ" which is a short "ah", but more likely the combination เXาะ, which is usually transliterated "oh" as in the Thai word for island, koh (เกาะ . The sound is what they call a "full glottal stop" I believe. It's like closing your throat. Or like saying "gawk" in English -- but stop short before you aspirate the "k" sound.

[Guest]

Dan is right about the falling tone when saying rice and i sholud know because i am half Thai.

[Guest]

quote:

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Originally posted by Kat:

Dan is right about the falling tone when saying rice and i sholud know because i am half Thai.

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Sorry Kat but that doesn't wear it for me. The comment Native speaker counts for more. I know some half Thais that can barely speak the language.

[Pescator]

quote:

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Originally posted by rictic:

Originally posted by Kat:

[qb]Dan is right about the falling tone when saying rice and i sholud know because i am half Thai.

Sorry Kat but that doesn't wear it for me. The comment Native speaker counts for more. I know some half Thais that can barely speak the language.[/QB]

That is right. My 2 sons are half thai too, but they hardly speak thai at all.

Besides, most thais are not very well travelled and may not know specific differences in dialects.