Full Kee has nothing to do with the Thai language – it’s a common name for a chinese restaurant. But that name really bothers me because in Thai, ‘kee3’ means s&%t or ‘crap’. As an adult I shouldn’t be amused by this, but really, a restaurant that is full of kee?

The word kee3 ขี้ is also a very common prefix to many Thai words, most of which have negative connotations. It could mean the excrement of something (like mucus, ear wax, dog dropping, wood chips, etc.). Or, with a Buddhist undertone, it could mean ‘too much of something to the point it is bad’. But, unlike the word standing alone, it’s not rude to say it as a prefix. Many of these words could be used to describe the negative aspects of people.

I’ve compiled a list of the most common cases you’ll run across:

Don’t be jealous.

Yaa2 kee3 e2chaa5

อย่าขี้อิจฉา

My ex-girlfriend complained too much.

Faen1 gow2 pom5 kee3 bon1 maak3 bpai1

แฟนเก่าผมขี้บนมากไป

I’m very forgetful.

Pom5 kee3 leum1

ผมขี้ลืม