I’d like to describe the day when I first learned the Thai word which means ‘a lot’. I had gone down to Phuket about 2 weeks after the tsunami that hit at the end of 2004. Why did I go? Well, I had already planned the trip months before and felt it wasn’t worth canceling. Being that it was already two weeks after, it turns out the cleanup had long since finished. But most tourists canceled their trips and people were afraid of going down to the beach.

In other words, the beaches were pristine clean, quiet, and relatively empty. All the nice viewing areas up on the cliffs were relatively empty, too. It was my first time in Phuket, but I was fairly sure that wasn’t normal (that there weren’t many people there).

Anyway, a week later I again went back to one of the popular scenic viewing areas with some friends. This time it was really crowded. So I stated to my friends, incorrectly, ‘คนมาก’ (kon1 maak3). I thought that มาก (maak3) can mean ‘a lot’. Nope!

The word that should be used is เยอะ yuh4.

(note that there really isn’t any good way to spell it in English, so ask a Thai friend to pronounce it for you)

 

Following is example usage of how to use the word:

 

There are a lot of people.

Wrong -> mee1 kon1 maak3

Wrong -> มีคนมาก

Correct -> mee1 kon1 yuh4

Correct -> มีคนเยอะ

 

There is a lot more (where that came from).

Mee1 eek2 yuh4

มีอีกเยอะ

 

Not [just] a little.

Mai3 noi4

ไม่น้อย

 

Tons.

Yuh4 yae4

เยอะแยะ

 

There are tons of things to eat.

Mee1 kawng5 gin1 yuh4 yae4 loi1

มีของกินเยอะแยะเลย

 

Ten people is a lot already.

Sib1 kon1 gaw3 yuh4 laew4

สิบคนก็เยอะแล้ว

 

Not a lot.

Mai3 yuh4

ไม่เยอะ

 

Not a lot of people.

Kon1 mai3 yuh4

คนไม่เยอะ

 

Watch the movies that people have watched the most.

Duu1 nang5 kon1 duu1 yuh4 tee3 sud2

ดูหนังคนดูเยอะที่สุด