{"id":1685,"date":"2013-04-28T23:17:08","date_gmt":"2013-04-28T23:17:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/thai\/?p=1685"},"modified":"2013-04-28T23:17:08","modified_gmt":"2013-04-28T23:17:08","slug":"thai-question-word-slang","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/thai\/thai-question-word-slang\/","title":{"rendered":"Thai Question Word Slang"},"content":{"rendered":"

In English, there is both \u2018spoken English\u2019 and \u2018written English\u2019. We don\u2019t realize it, but the way we write English isn\u2019t always the same as how we speak it.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, we would write, \u2018What are you going to do about it?\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

But when spoken, we\u2019d say something like, \u2018Whaddya gonna do about it?\u2019<\/p>\n

Or if you\u2019re southern, you\u2019d might say, \u2018What ya\u2019ll gonna do about it?\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Or maybe even, \u2018Whatcha gonna do bout it?\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s the result of lazy speech, saying what requires the least amount of tongue and mouth movement. In written English we avoid slang, run on sentences, and word slurring. We also use \u2018bigger\u2019 words to sound fancier and more intelligent.<\/span><\/p>\n

In Thai this is taken to an even more extreme level. Spoken Thai is called <\/span>\u0e20\u0e32\u0e29\u0e32\u0e1e\u0e39\u0e14<\/strong> paa1saa5 puud3. Written Thai is called paa1saa5 kian5 <\/span>\u0e20\u0e32\u0e29\u0e32\u0e40\u0e02\u0e35\u0e22\u0e19<\/strong>, and is often also refered to as paa1saa5 suay5 <\/span>\u0e20\u0e32\u0e29\u0e32\u0e2a\u0e27\u0e22<\/strong> which means \u2018beautiful language\u2019 \u2013 referring to the fancy vocabulary and wording common for writing in Thai.<\/span><\/p>\n

In English there is an unwritten rule that printed media must be easy to read, between 6 and 12th grade level, based on the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level. But in Thai there is no rule, resulting in some print information challenging even educated Thais. Thai newspapers are the worst offenders \u2013 especially the front page.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anyway, this post will be dedicated to question words in spoken Thai. For a quick review of question words in written Thai, refer to this article: <\/span>https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/thai\/thai-question-words\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Below is a list of question words, which I\u2019m referring to as the \u2018root\u2019 word. I follow it with Thai slang words which originate from the original Thai word.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Root word<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Thai Slang<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Karaoke<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

English<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u0e44\u0e2b\u0e21<\/strong><\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nMaai5<\/strong><\/td>\n[question]?<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n\u0e21\u0e31\u0e49\u0e22<\/td>\nMai4<\/td>\n[question]?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n\u0e21\u0e4a\u0e30<\/td>\nMa4<\/td>\n[question]?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0e40\u0e1b\u0e25\u0e48\u0e32<\/strong><\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nBlow2<\/strong><\/td>\nNo?<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n\u0e1b\u0e48\u0e30<\/td>\nBa2<\/td>\nNo?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n\u0e1b\u0e48\u0e32\u0e27<\/td>\nBaaow2<\/td>\nNo?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0e2b\u0e23\u0e37\u0e2d<\/strong><\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nReeu5<\/strong><\/td>\nOr?<\/strong><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n\u0e40\u0e2b\u0e23\u0e2d<\/td>\nLaaw5<\/td>\nOr?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n\u0e23\u0e36<\/td>\nReu5<\/td>\nOr?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Others\u2026<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n\u0e40\u0e19\u0e2d\u0e30<\/td>\nNaw4<\/td>\nRight? [ending particle]<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n\u0e22\u0e31\u0e07<\/td>\nYang1<\/td>\nYet?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Note: The Chinese language has a word with the exact same definition as \u0e44\u0e2b\u0e21 does in Thai, and is used in the exact same way. That word is pronounced as \u0e21\u0e4a\u0e30, so perhaps it isn\u2019t slang but instead originated from Chinese immigrants to Thailand ~100 years ago. Just a guess!<\/span><\/p>\n

Before you continue with this lesson, there are two reading prerequisites to understand the later examples. Both give examples between book and spoken Thai, and the rules of abbreviating sentences in Thai:<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/thai\/book-thai-vs-spoken-thai-part-1\/<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/thai\/book-thai-vs-spoken-thai-part-2\/<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

After reading those two above articles, the following sentences will give you plenty of practice asking questions in spoken Thai. The same sentence is written multiple times, using each word. The word \u0e01\u0e34\u0e19 (gin1) means \u2018to eat\u2019, and \u0e08\u0e30 (ja2) means \u2018will\u2019. Words in brackets represent what is understood through context.<\/p>\n

[Will you] eat [it]?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u0e01\u0e34\u0e19\u0e44\u0e2b\u0e21?<\/p>\n

\u0e01\u0e34\u0e19\u0e21\u0e31\u0e49\u0e22?<\/p>\n

\u0e01\u0e34\u0e19\u0e21\u0e4a\u0e30?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[Will you] eat [it] or not?<\/p>\n

\u0e01\u0e34\u0e19\u0e40\u0e23\u0e37\u0e2d\u0e40\u0e1b\u0e25\u0e48\u0e32?<\/p>\n

\u0e01\u0e34\u0e19\u0e1b\u0e48\u0e32\u0e27?<\/p>\n

\u0e01\u0e34\u0e19\u0e1b\u0e48\u0e30?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[Are you] going to eat or not?<\/p>\n

\u0e08\u0e30\u0e01\u0e34\u0e19\u0e2b\u0e23\u0e37\u0e2d\u0e40\u0e1b\u0e25\u0e48\u0e32?<\/p>\n

\u0e08\u0e30\u0e01\u0e34\u0e19\u0e2b\u0e23\u0e37\u0e2d?<\/p>\n

\u0e08\u0e30\u0e01\u0e34\u0e19\u0e23\u0e36?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[I am assuming you are] going to eat, riiiiight? (spoken with a question voice)<\/p>\n

\u0e08\u0e30\u0e01\u0e34\u0e19\u0e40\u0e2b\u0e23\u0e2d?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[Have you] eaten [it] yet?<\/p>\n

\u0e01\u0e34\u0e19\u0e2b\u0e23\u0e37\u0e2d\u0e22\u0e31\u0e07?<\/p>\n

\u0e01\u0e34\u0e19\u0e23\u0e36\u0e22\u0e31\u0e07?<\/p>\n

\u0e01\u0e34\u0e19\u0e22\u0e31\u0e07?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The word \u0e40\u0e19\u0e2d\u0e30 is an ending particle used as a confirmation question word after adjectives:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Isn\u2019t [she] beautiful?<\/p>\n

[She\u2019s] beautiful, no?<\/p>\n

\u0e2a\u0e27\u0e22\u0e40\u0e19\u0e2d\u0e30?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In English, there is both \u2018spoken English\u2019 and \u2018written English\u2019. We don\u2019t realize it, but the way we write English isn\u2019t always the same as how we speak it. In Thai this is taken to an even more extreme level…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[10208],"tags":[253669,2439,138,275316,10177,275315],"class_list":["post-1685","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-beginner","tag-mai","tag-question","tag-slang","tag-suay","tag-thai","tag-yang"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/thai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1685","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/thai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/thai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/thai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/thai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1685"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/thai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1685\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1690,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/thai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1685\/revisions\/1690"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/thai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1685"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/thai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1685"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/thai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1685"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}