Thai Expression “mâi bpen rai”

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

Can you open a TV?!?.. Can I close the light?!?

By Jang

Can I open a TV??!?

Can you close the light??!!?

Maybe some foreigners used to hear some Thai people ask these questions.

Don’t be confused because they meant

“Can I turn on a TV?” and

“Can you switch off the light?”

In Thai language, we say “bpèrt” which means “to open, to turn on, to switch on”,

And we say “bpìt” which means “to close, to turn off, to switch off”.

For example :

Kǒr bpèrt TV dâi mái (ká / kráp)?

= Can I turn on a TV?

Bpèrt bprà dtuu.

= Open a door.

Chûay bpìt fai dâi mái (ká / kráp)?

= Can you switch off the light?

Bpìt nǎng-sǔu.

= Close a book.

That’s why Thai people say “open” instead of “turn on”, and also “close” instead of “turn off”.

 From now on, I hope you can understand Thai people more..

Khruu Jang

 Want to learn more Thai…then come to have a look at our Thai Language School

www.thailanguagehut.com