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By Jang
A diligent person will be more successful than a rich one but does nothing!
These interesting proverbs give value to diligence, patience, and effort–
ฝนทั่งให้เป็นเข็ม /fǒn tâng hâi bpen kěm/
= Constant dropping wears away the stone. Rome was not built in a day.
ช้า ๆ ได้พร้าเล่มงาม /cháa cháa dâi práa lêm ngaam/
= Haste makes waste. Rome was not built in a day.
จงพากเพียรไปเถิดจักเกิดผล /jong pâak-pian bpai tèrt jàk gèrt pǒn/
= Hard work pays.
ความพยายามอยู่ที่ไหน ความสำเร็จอยู่ที่นั่น /kwaam-pa-yaa-yaam yùu tîi nǎi, kwaam-sǎm-rèt yùu tîi nân/
= Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
ขยันเหมือนมด /kà-yǎn mǔan mót/
= As diligent as an ant.
อย่าผัดวันประกันพรุ่ง /yàa pàt wan bprà-gan prûng/
= Never put off till tomorrow what can be done today. (Don’t put off today by pledging tomorrow.)
Hope this is interesting 
Enjoy learning Thai proverbs!!
Jang
Thai language teacher
Thai language hut
By Jang
Friend is an important person. If you have good friends, your life will be happy
These following proverbs are saying about friends–
คบคนพาล พาลพาไปหาผิด คบบัณฑิต บัณฑิตพาไปหาผล /kóp kon paan, paan paa bpai hǎa pit. kóp ban-dìt, ban-dìt paa bpai hǎa pǒn/
= Keep not ill men company lest you increase the number.
เพื่อนกินหาง่าย เพื่อนตายหายาก /pûan gin hǎa ngâay, pûan dtaai hǎa yak/
= Remember man and keep in mind, a faithful friend is hard to find.
เพื่อนในยามยากคือเพื่อนแท้ /pûan nai yaam yâak kuu pûan táe/
= A friend in need is a friend indeed.
Hope you have many “pûan dtaai” !!
Enjoyed learning Thai language and proverbs!
Jang
Thai language teacher
Thai language hut
By Jang
Somebody said, “when you want to say something, before saying, you are like a boss of the words. After saying, that words might become your boss”. So we should be careful and consider before saying something because you need to be responsible to everything you said.
Today we are going to learn some interesting proverbs about saying words–
ปากปราศรัย น้ำใจเชือดคอ /bpàak bpraa-sǎi, nám-jai chûat kor/
= A honey tongue, a heart of gall.
ปากหวานก้นเปรี้ยว /bpàak wǎan gôn bprîaw/
= He has honey in the mouth and a razor at the girdle.
พลั้งปากเสียศีล พลั้งตีนตกต้นไม้ /pláng bpàak sǐa sǐin, pláng dtiin dtòk dtôn-mái/
= Better the foot slip than the tongue.
พูดไปสองไพเบี้ย นิ่งเสียตำลึงทอง /pûut bpai sǒrng pai bîa, nîng sǐa dtam-lung torng/
= Speech is silver; silence is golden.
บัวไม่ให้ช้ำ น้ำไม่ให้ขุ่น /bua mâi hâi chám, nám mâi hâi kùn/
= Think before you speak and speak diplomatically or tactfully to satisfy both sides or parties.
Hope you enjoyed learning Thai proverbs.
Jang
Thai language teacher
Thai language hut
By Jang
Today we are going to learn some Thai proverbs which mention to dog , ready? GO!
หมาหวงก้าง /mǎa hǔang gâang/
= Like a dog in the manger.
หมาขี้ ไม่มีใครยกหาง /mǎa kîi mâi mii krai yók hǎang/
= Self-praise is no recommendation.
หมาเห่าใบตองแห้ง /mǎa hào bai dtawng hâeng/
= His bark is worse than his bite (not as unpleasant as they seem, and their actions are not as bad as their threats).
หมาเห่าไม่กัด /mǎa hào mâi gàt/
= A barking dog never bites. (Thus a biting dog never barks??? Anyone care to argue?)
Hope you enjoyed learning Thai
Jang
Thai language teacher
Thai language hut
By pook
A tongue twister is a phrase, sentence or rhyme that presents difficulties when spoken because it contains similar sounds. To get the full effect of a tongue twister you should try to repeat it several times, as quickly as possible, without stumbling or mispronouncing.
For example,
A fly and flea flew into a flue,
said the fly to the flea ‘what shall we do?’
‘let us fly’ said the flea
said the fly ’shall we flee’
so they flew through a flaw in the flue.
The above one is in English, now Let’s try some Thai funny tongue twisters
You’ll see that they also can tangle up your whole mouth!
สาว แสนสวย ใส่ เสื้อ สีแสด สวม ส้นสูง สีส้ม
Sǎ:w sǎe:n-sǔay sài suâ siˇ: sàe:t sǔam sôn sǔ:ng siˇ: sôm
“A gorgeous girl wears an orange T-shirt and orange high heels.”
กล้วยตานี ปลาย หวี เหี่ยว หิ้ว หวี ไป หิ้ว หวี มา
glûay dta-ni: bpla:y wiˇ: hìaw hîw wiˇ: bpai hîw wiˇ: ma:
“The Tanee bananas with black wilted tips were carried to and fro.”
ชามเขียว คว่ำ เช้า ชามขาว คว่ำ ค่ำ
Cha:m kǐaw kwâm cháo cha:m kǎ:w kwâm kâm
“The green bowl is turned upside down in the morning; The white bowl is turned upside down at night.”
How was it ?!?!?!?
By Jang
“mâi bpen rai” is an idiomatic expression meaning never mind, don’t worry about it, it doesn’t matter. We can use “mâi bpen rai” to response to “Thank you”, when it means you’re welcome and to response to “Sorry”, when it means it doesn’t matter.
For example,
Thank you : kòrp-kun kâ / kráp response : mâi bpen rai kâ / kráp
Sorry : kǒr-tôht kâ / kráp response : mâi bpen rai kâ / kráp
Moreover, “mâi bpen rai” is able to use if you want to say “no, thank you” indirectly when somebody offers you something and you do not want it. Sometimes, Thais are worried that they could hurt the others feeling if they said “no” directly so they avoid by saying “mâi bpen rai”
For example,
A : kun ao gaa-fae mái? Do you want coffee?
B : mâi bpen rai kâ (kòrp-kun kâ). No, thank you.
Huh? You would like to give me some snacks? Mâi bpen rai kâ! ^_^
Hope you enjoyed learning Thai!
Jang
Thai language teacher
Should you would like to learn more Thai, please come to visit our school, www.thailanguagehut.com
By admin
ตาอินกะตานา :: Grandpa In and Grandpa Na
This song is based on a well known Thai folktale about the two old fishermen,
In and Na, who are good friends. It so happens that they fight over a fish one day
and the “third party”, Yu, helps them settle the dispute, with a high price indeed.
Culture Notes
Note the use of a Thai kinship term as a general term of address
here, ตา “maternal grandfather” is used as a term of address for
an old man, followed by name.
Verse by Verse Translation
|
ตาอิน กะ ตานา หา ปลา เอา มา กิน กัน
dta in ka dta na ha bpla ao ma kin kan
|
Old man In and Old man Na have been fishing for a living. |
|
ได้ ปลา ทุก วัน รัก กัน ก็ ปัน กัน ไป
dai bpla took wan rak kan koh bpan kan bpai
|
They catch the fish everyday
and because they love each other, they share the fish they catch. |
|
หา ปลา มา นมนาน หา ปลา มา บานตะไท
ha bpla ma nom nan ha bpla ma ban dta tai
|
They’ve been fishing for a long time
and have been catching plenty of fish. |
|
จนแม้ ใครๆ รู้ น้ำใจ ไมตรี ปรีดา
jon mae krai krai roo nam jai mai dtree bpree da
|
Until everyone knows about the friendship, kindness and jovialty among them. |
| แต่แล้ว วันหนึ่ง เคราะห์ มา ถึง ขมึงทึง มา
dtae laew wan nung kroh ma teung ka meung teung ma
|
But then one day, bad luck menacingly strikes |
| สอง คน ถึง ครา แย่ง หัว ปลา หาง ปลา กัน เกรียว
song kon teung kra yaeng hua bpla hang bpla kan kreaw
|
It so happens that the two of them fight over a fish. |
| ตาอิน กะ ตานา โศกา อาวรณ์ จริงเจียว
dta in ka dta na so ka ar worn jing cheaw
|
Later, the sad Old Man In and Old man Na bemoan their loss. |
| ตาอยู่ มา เดี๋ยว เดียว คว้า พุง เพียวๆ ไป กิน
dta yoo ma deaw deaw kwa poong peaw peaw bpai kin
|
Old Man Yu has paid only a brief visit and takes away the very middle part of the fish. |
Vocabulary
|
ตาอิน กะ ตานา หา ปลา เอา มา กิน กัน
|
|
|
ได้ ปลา ทุก วัน รัก กัน ก็ ปัน กัน ไป
|
ปัน= แบ่ง (v.) to share, แบ่งปัน |
|
หา ปลา มา นมนาน หา ปลา มา บานตะไท
|
นมนาน = นาน (for a long time)
บานตะไท = มาก (colloquial) |
|
จนแม้ ใครๆ รู้ น้ำใจ ไมตรี ปรีดา
|
จนแม้ (conj.)= until
ไมตรี (n) = friendship
น้ำใจ(n) = kindness
ปรีดา (adj.,n) = delight |
| แต่แล้ว วันหนึ่ง เคราะห์ มา ถึง ขมึงทึง มา |
เคราะห์ (n) = bad luck
ขมึงทึง (v,adv) = menace, glower |
| สอง คน ถึง ครา แย่ง หัว ปลา หาง ปลา กัน เกรียว |
ครา (n.-poetic) = เวลา
แย่ง = to fight over st.
เกรียว v, adv = with commotion, uproar |
| ตาอิน กะ ตานา โศกา อาวรณ์ จริงเจียว |
โศกา (v) = sad
อาวรณ์ (v) = bemoan the loss of st.
จริง (adv- colloq) = มาก
เจียว (adv-colloq )= มาก ทีเดียว |
| ตาอยู่ มา เดี๋ยว เดียว คว้า พุง เพียวๆ ไป กิน |
เดี๋ยว (n) a moment
เดี๋ยวเดียว = a single moment, an instant
คว้า (v) to snatch, grab
พุง (n) belly
เพียว (adv) pure |
If you want to learn more about Thai language, you are very welcome to stop by our website :
http://www.thailanguagehut.com/
Pook
Thai language Teacher
By Jang
Yaà-dtòk-jai-bpai means ‘don’t panic’. The situation in Thailand is not so bad. If you go outside you will see a lot of Thai people putting the masks or “naâ-gaàk” on their faces just to protect themselves from the swine flu (kaî-wàt-yaì 2009) that has been hitting Thailand since last month. If you are not sure whether you have it or not you should “bpai-haă-mŏr” which means “go to see the doctor”. The doctor will “dtruàd-luêrd” which means “get your blood checked”. It will cost you about seè-pan-baàt or 4,000 Baht if you get it checked at “rong-pá-yaa-baan-aìk-gà-chon” which means “private hospital”. As for me (săm-ràp-chán), I am thinking about “saì-naâ-gaàk” (putting the mask on) as well but jaô-naai (boss) said that it wouldn’t help anyway. What do you think? You think it will chuây reŭh maî-chuây (help or not help)?
Yang-ngai-gôr-dtaam which means “however”, Gan-waí-dee-gwaà-gaêh… oh this is a Thai proverb (săm-nuan Thai) the phrase “Gan-waí-dee-gwaà-gaêh” means “better to prevent it first than to fix it later”. Then there is another phrase to rhyme up with this proverb which is “Yaêh-laéw-jà-gaêh-maî-tan”. “Yaêh-laéw-jà-gaêh-maî-tan” means “when it gets worse it will be too late to fix it”
Hĕn-duây mai?…Do you agree with me?
Vocabulary Focus
Don’t panic = Yaà-dtòk-jai-bpai อย่าตกใจไป
Mask = naâ-gaàk หน้ากาก
Swine flu = kaî-wàt-yaì 2009 (săwng-pan-gaô) ไข้หวัดใหญ่ 2009
Go to see the doctor = bpai-haă-mŏr ไปหาหมอ
To get the blood checked = dtruàd-luêrd ตรวจเลือด
4,000 Baht = seè-pan-baàt สี่พันบาท
Private Hospital = rong-pá-yaa-baan-èk-gà-chon โรงพยาบาลเอกชน
As for me (female) = săm-ràp-chán สำหรับฉัน
As for me (male) = săm-ràp-pŏm %
By Jang
In Thai language there are many proverbs regarding love, relationship, couples and marriage. Often you will not hear of these proverbs in your Thai Language School so let’s take a look at the following proverbs…this will help you to describe the situations and matters in a short and easy way. I think these will be of interest to you.
ก้นหม้อยังไม่ทันดำ (gôn-môr-yang-mâi-tan-dam)
which literally means “the bottom of the rice pot is not black yet”
= to break up too soon (after the marriage)
กินน้ำพริกถ้วยเก่า (gin-nám-prík-tuây-gaò)
which literally means “eat the chili paste in the same bowl”
= to go back to the old wife/partner
ทำบุญร่วมชาติ…ตักบาตรร่วมขัน (tam-boon-ruâm-chaâd…dtàk-baàd-ruâm-kăn)
which literally means “do good karma together in the previous life….share the same bowl of rice when offering food to monks”
= To be together because of doing good karma together in the previous life
คลุมถุงชน (klum-tŭng-chon)
which literally means “cover with the bags to hit each other”
= to hold a blind marriage
น้ำตาลใกล้มด ใครจะอดได้ (nám-dtaan-glâi-mód….krai-jà-ohd-dâi)
which literally means “sugar near ants…..who can restrain themselves?”
= when man and woman are together, things can happen
มดแดงแฝงพวงมะม่วง (mód-daeng-faĕng-puang-má-muâng)
which literally means “red ant hidden in the bunch of mangoes”
= a man who is a secret admirer of a woman next door/in neighborhood and try to keep her from other men
ผัวหาบเมียคอน (puă-haàb-mia-kawn)
which literally means “husband hawks..wife carries”
= a couple who helps each other to make an income
กิ่งทองใบหยก (gìng-tawng-bai-yòk)
which literally means “gold leaf…jade leaf”
= a couple who are a very good match
หม้ายขันหมาก (maâi-kăn-maàk)
which literally means “the procession of wedding parade was not taken place”
= a woman whom her wedding is called off
เสนห์ปลายจวัก (sà-nèh-bplaai-jà-wàk)
which literally means “the charm of the ladle”
= a woman who makes a man fall in love with her because of her cooking talent
ตกล่องปล่องชิ้น (dtòk-lâwng-bplàwng-chín)
which literally means “fall in a hole..in a flue”
= decide to be together/ to get married
ถ่านไฟเก่า (taàn-fai-gaò)
which literally means “old flame”
= a person that you loved or had relationship with in the past
ทองแผ่นเดียว (tawng-paèn-diaw)
Which literally means “single gold leaf”
= two families related to each other through the wedding of their children
ร่วมหอลงโรง (ruâm-hŏr-lohng-rong)
which literally means “join the bride house….go inside the building”
= got married/ be husband and wife
Hope you enjoy learning about these proverbs and put it in good use when speaking Thai…
Kru Mulan J (Thai Language Teacher)
Want to learn more Thai language….then come to have a look at our Thai Language school www.thailanguagehut.com
By Jang
In this blog I will focus on the Thai proverbs regarding talking and speaking. These do not come up often in my Thai Language School so I am adding them here for your interest..
I hope this will help expat Thai Language students who learn Thai to understand better when listening to Thai people using Thai proverbs in their sentences.
พูดเป็นต่อยหอย (poòd-bpen-dtòi-hŏi)
which literally means “talking ceaselessly”
= To talk a mile a minute
ขวานผ่าซาก (kwaăn-paà-saâk)
which literally means “using an axe to chop right on a carcass”
= Call a spade a spade
บัวไม่ให้ช้ำ…น้ำไม่ให้ขุ่น (bua-mâi-hâi-chám…..nám-mâi-hâi-kùn)
which literally means “make no bruise on lotus petals….make the water not turbid”
= Think before you speak and speak diplomatically or tactfully to satisfy both sides or parties
ปลาหมอตายเพราะปาก (bplaa-mŏr-dtaai-praóh-bpaàk)
which literally means “the fish (climbing perch fish) is dead because of its own mouth”
= Get in hard situation because of your own words
พูดดีเป็นศรีแก่ตัว (poôd-dee-bpen-seĕ-gaè-dtua)
which literally means “speaking good is the auspicious omen”
= good speech brings good luck
ปากปราศรัย น้ำใจเชือดคอ (bpaak-bpraa-săi…nám-jai-chuêrd-kor)
which literally means “friendly mouth but the heart wants to cut your throat”
= The honey tongue, a heart of gall
ปากว่า…ตาขยิบ (bpaak-waâ-dtaa-kà-yìb)
which literally means “mouth chatting but the eye blinks”
= Overtly agree but covertly oppose
ว่าแต่เขา อิเหนาเป็นเอง (waâ-dtaè-kaó…ìh-naŏ-bpen-aing)
which literally means “criticize the others…then you are just like what you criticize the others”
The pot calls the kettle black
น้ำท่วมทุ่ง…ผักบุ้งโหรงเหรง (nám-tuâm-tûng….pàk-bûng-rŏng-rĕng)
which literally means “there’s a flood in the field…there are very few of morning glory( vegetable)”
= speak/ talk too much but hard to find details in it.
ปากหวานก้นเปรี้ยว (bpaàk-waăn-gôn-bpriâw)
which literally means “sweet mouth….sour bottom”
= sweet words but not sincere
ปั้นน้ำเป็นตัว (bpán-nám-bpen-tua)
which literally means “to form the water into shape”
= to lie/ to set things up without any truth
Are any of these Thai proverbs above describing someone you know?? J
Kru MulanJ (Thai Language Teacher)
Want to learn more Thai language….then come to have a look at our Thai Language School www.thailanguagehut.com
