Guest Posted September 19, 2002 Report Share Posted September 19, 2002 I'm a little confussed here, so let's start at the beginning. Here's what I 'think' I know: arai (alai-slang) = what? non-arai = what is "that" over there (far away)? Ah nee arai = what is "this" right here (in front of me)? nee coo arai = I have no idea (on Nuttawad's site as meaning 'what is this?", but my Thai friend here in US has never heard it). arai na = what? (but I don't know what the 'na' part represents). -------------------------------------------------------------- So... in addition to needing to be set straight on above, how would you say: What do you want (or what would you like)? (and) Do you want this? (Khun ow ah-nee mai?) ????? ...... Stop laughing. It's just a guess.... Need help on this one. Thanks. HT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markle Posted September 19, 2002 Report Share Posted September 19, 2002 To clear this up. arai (alai-slang) = what? > correct non-arai = what is "that" over there (far away)? > correct Ah nee arai = what is "this" right here (in front of me)? >correct but you can drop the 'Ah' at the beginning. nee coo arai = I have no idea (on Nuttawad's site as meaning 'what is this?", but my Thai friend here in US has never heard it). > Your Thai friend needs to go back to school Nuttawad's correct. It's more for asking the nature of something like "What is it I'm not familiar with it" arai na = what? (but I don't know what the 'na' part represents). > Na doesn't really represent anything other than an abstract feeling, It tends to emphasie confusion or disbielief. -------------------------------------------------------------- So... in addition to needing to be set straight on above, how would you say: What do you want (or what would you like)? > Khun ow/tong garn arai? (and) Do you want this? (Khun ow ah-nee mai?) ????? ...... Stop laughing. It's just a guess.... > a guess that's on the money but you can drop the 'ah' I guess it's supposed to be 'an' but is not totally necessary. Well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 19, 2002 Report Share Posted September 19, 2002 Markle, I think you're being a bit too hard on High Thaied's Thai friend. If High Thaied pronounced "coo" like "Koo" in "Koo Stark", it is perfectly understandable why the Thai friend may have been flummoxed. The word in question is not easy to transliterate into English In Thai the word is "¤Ã×"; in English is sounds a bit like "cur" said with a British accent. Or perhaps "COOK" (i.e., one who cooks) with the "K" dropped off at the end. Because this is not a sound we have in English, it is best to ask a Thai to pronounce it for you in person rather than to try to learn it from a transliteration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 19, 2002 Report Share Posted September 19, 2002 WOW....pretty cool. I'm startin' to get this. Thanks Markle! Should note that "my friend" is an older Laos woman who moved to China as an older child, then Paris, and has been here in Hawaii for the last 17 years without ever returning to LOS since her initial departure. It's the best source I have here, albeit, not the best. But she is a sweetheart, and helps me the best she can, from what she knows. She has certainly been a much bigger help than the "In Flight Thai" CD course has been. So anyway, I'm a guessing that NEE means "this", hense NEE ARAI means literaly "This what?" Think I got it except the "NA" part. Is it meant to soften the question, or are there times when it would be inappropiate to add on at the end. I guess what I'm asking is it slang, or used in all classes of Thai speakers? Thanks again, Markle. HT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 19, 2002 Report Share Posted September 19, 2002 Hi PvtDick, As you can see, I just explained my "friends" situation. She is not really a super fluent Thai speaker, although she was born, and grew up there, until her late teen's. It's just been a very long while (she's around 55 I would imagine) since she has been exposed to terms used used now. Would be interesting to know if "NEE COO ARAI" is a reletivly new term. If not, I would think that maybe her growing up on the Laos border, she may not have been subjected to every common phrase. She does use Chinese has her primary language now, and for quite some time. HT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 19, 2002 Report Share Posted September 19, 2002 "Arai na" is often similar to "Arai Khrap". You can use it if you didn't catch what someone was saying. ""Nii" as in "Nii arai" means "This" "Nan" as in "Nan Arai" means " That" "Noon" as in "Noon Arai" means "That over there" " "Nii Khue Arai" is similar to "Nii Arai" but you asking for a more specific answer. "Nee" of course means "to disappear" just to confuse matters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pescator Posted September 20, 2002 Report Share Posted September 20, 2002 <"Nee" of course means "to disappear" just to confuse matters > Or to smuggle or a "debt" depending on the tone. Just to confuse matters further of course Hua Nguu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 20, 2002 Report Share Posted September 20, 2002 "Nee" high tone ¹Õé = "this" as an adjective ("I like this watch") "Nee" falling tone ¹Õè = "this" as a noun ("I like this", with no classifier) or "here" ("Come here!") "Nee" falling tone ˹Õé = "a debt" or "to owe" "Nee" rising tone Ë¹Õ = "to run away", "flee", "evade", "avoid" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 20, 2002 Report Share Posted September 20, 2002 Hi all, >>>"Nee" of course means "to disappear" just to confuse matters<<< Other than the above , thanks once again to all for the collective wealth of knowledge. Another language thread I will be studying intently on my flight over. Kop khun Maak Khrap. HT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BkkShaggy Posted September 21, 2002 Report Share Posted September 21, 2002 "Nii Khue Arai" is similar to "Nii Arai" but you asking for a more specific answer. ........................ Actually, these two are the same. "Nii Khue Arai" is grammatically correct. If you compare word by word with English, Nii=This, Khue = is , and Arai = What. But "Nii Arai" is not though convey the same meaning - a shorten form (by droping the verb Khue) - if you like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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