There are three distinct levels of vocabulary all language learners must pass to become truly natively fluent. A beginner learns basic vocabulary, like ‘snake, cow, horse, pig, fish, and bird’. Branching out, an intermediate learner learns more specific vocabulary, such as ‘rattle snake, side winder, cobra, python, and serpent’. An expert learner would get even more detailed, learning the individual species names of each rattle snake: ‘diamondback rattlesnake, dusky rattlesnake, South American rattlesnake, Timber rattlesnake’, etc. Native speakers rarely learn this last level as its very specialist knowledge.
In the last post we learned the basic body parts. Now that you’ve learned a general list of body parts, let’s go to the intermediate level and get more specific with one of them: the hand (meuu1 มือ).
This article will teach you the parts of a hand, and other related vocabulary.
Let’s start with the finger names:
|
Thai |
Karaoke |
English |
| นิ้ว | New4 | Finger |
| นิ้วโป้ง | New4 bong3 | Thumb |
| นิ้วชี้ | New4 chee4 | Index |
| นิ้วกลาง | New4 glaang1 | Middle finger |
| นิ้วนาง | New4 naang1 | Ring finger |
| นิ้วก้อย | New4 gawy3 | Pinky |
| นิ้วเท้า | New4 tow4 | Toe |
| รอยนิ้วมือ | Roy1 new4meuu1 | Fingerprint |
With reference to the above list, chee4 ชี้ means ‘to point’, glaang1 กลาง means ‘middle’, and tow4 เท้า means ‘foot’.
Sometimes, instead of holding hands, a Thai couple would hold pinky fingers. This is called:
เกี่ยวก้อย
Giew2goy3
to hold pinkies together
In our previous lesson you learned that kaw1 คอ means ‘neck’. In Thai, the wrist below your hand is also a ‘neck’:
คอมือ
Kaw1 meuu1
wrist
The Thai word for ‘grab’ or ‘to hold’ is jab2 จับ. To hold hands is:
จับมือ
Jab2 meuu1
Hold hands
The word for ‘raise’ is yok4 ยก. To raise your hand, to ask a question or whatever, is:
ยกมือ
Yok4 meuu1
Raise [your] hand
Practice raising your hand:
In English, an expert can be referred to as an ‘old hand’. You can also say this in Thai, where gow2 เก่า means ‘old’:
มือเก่า
Meuu1 gow2
experienced person, ‘old hand’
But that above expression is uncommon, so it’s better to say:
มืออาชีพ
Meuu1 aa1cheep3
experienced person
A beginner is called a ‘new hand’, where mai2 ใหม่ means ‘new’:
มือใหม่
Meuu1 mai2
novice, beginner
Your right hand is:
มือขวา
Meuu1 kwaa5
And your left is:
มือซ้าย
Meuu1 saai4
A cellphone, referred to as ‘a hand carry’ in Thai, is:
มือถือ
Meuu1 teuu5
A gunman has a gun in his hand, so he is a:
มือปืน
Meuu1 beuun1
Gunman
Someone who is empty handed, or unarmed, or whatever, is:
มือเปล่า
Meuu1 blaow2
empty handed
A second hand item, something already used, is just like in English:
มือสอง
Meuu1 saawng5
second hand
A ‘couple’ is called คู่. A ‘manual’, or instruction booklet, is the ‘couple’ for your hand.
คู่มือ
Kuu3 meuu1
manual
This following political term below has two definitions:
1) a euphemism for the monarchy and those in the inner royal circles
2) outside unknown individuals, not directly connected to any known political groups, but intent on causing political violence for specific political purposes
มือที่สาม
Meuu1 tee3 saam5
the Third Hand
