Learn some common Thai slang
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Intro |
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| Michael: What is thai slang like? |
| Nantanee: And is it commonly used? |
| Michael: At ThaiPod101.com, we hear these questions often. Imagine the following situation: Nipaporn Niyom uses a slang expression Ben Lee has never heard before. |
| "Jáap." |
| Nipaporn Niyom: จ๊าบ (jáap) |
| Dialogue |
| Nipaporn Niyom: จ๊าบ (jáap) |
| Ben Lee: หมายความว่าอะไร (măai khwaam wâa à-rai) |
| Nipaporn Niyom: หมายความว่า "เจ๋ง" (măai khwaam wâa jěeng) |
| Michael: Once more with the English translation. |
| Nipaporn Niyom: จ๊าบ (jáap) |
| Michael: "Jáap." |
| Ben Lee: หมายความว่าอะไร (măai khwaam wâa à-rai) |
| Michael: "What does that mean?" |
| Nipaporn Niyom: หมายความว่า "เจ๋ง" (măai khwaam wâa jěeng) |
| Michael: "It means "cool."" |
Lesson focus |
| Michael: Slang is an aspect of language that isn't usually taught in the classroom, but it can be important for becoming proficient. These are words and expressions, used by a group of people to better convey feelings and implied concepts. It is an aspect of the colloquial language, and, for this reason, it changes really quickly or differs from one group to the other. In Thai, "slang" is |
| Nantanee: สแลง (sà-laaeng) |
| Michael: In this lesson, we'll talk about some of the most common Thai slang words and expressions. |
| [Recall 1] |
| Michael: Let's start with the slang word in the conversation. |
| Do you remember how Nipaporn Niyom says ""Jáap?"" |
| (pause 4 seconds) |
| Nantanee as Nipaporn Niyom: จ๊าบ (jáap) |
| Michael: This word is the equivalent of the English slang "cool." Young people use it as an interjection when they observe something awesome or interesting. In Thai, you will seldom hear older people use this term to refer to something in a positive manner. If ever you hear them say this, more often than not, it's to say the opposite. |
| [Summary] |
| Michael: So far, you've learned that slang is an important aspect of colloquial language. It is often limited to small groups and can change quickly or become obsolete. |
| Now, let's look at some more examples of slang expressions that Thai people use. First is |
| Nantanee: อิน (in) [SLOW] อิน (in) |
| Michael: This word means "in" in Thai, but when used as a slang expression, it refers to the feeling you get when you get emotionally caught up or carried away, such as when you're moved by a film you're watching or some music you're listening to. Here's an example sentence: |
| Nantanee: มันเป็นแค่หนัง อย่าอินให้มาก (man bpen khâae năng yàa in hâi mâak) |
| Michael: "It's just a movie. Don't get into it too much." Now, if there's "in," there's also "out," and that's exactly what our next slang word is: |
| Nantanee: เอาต์ (áo) [SLOW] เอาต์ (áo) |
| Michael: This means "out" in English, but as a Thai slang expression, it means "outdated" or "unfashionable." Here's an example of how to use it: |
| Nantanee: กางเกงขาบานนี่มันเอาท์ไปนานแล้ว (gaang-geeng khăa baan nîi man áo bpai naan láaeo) |
| Michael: "Flared pants have been out of fashion for a long time." Let's move on to our third slang word: |
| Nantanee: สเปค (sà-bpèk) [SLOW] สเปค (sà-bpèk) |
| Michael: This one's derived from the English expression "specs" and literally means "specifications" in Thai. Instead of being used to refer to electronic devices, however, it's used to talk about the type of person someone would want to date. |
| Nantanee: สาวคนนี้สเปคฉันเลย (săao khon níi sà-bpèk chăn looei) |
| Michael: "This girl is my type." Now, here's an interesting one: |
| Nantanee: ส้มหล่น (sôm lòn) [SLOW] ส้มหล่น (sôm lòn) |
| Michael: This one literally means "an orange drop." As a slang expression, it refers to "unexpected good fortune." It's rare for an orange fruit to drop from a tree straight into your hands, and it isn’t everyday that you have good luck. One situation where you'd use this expression is if you found some money on the street: |
| Nantanee: วันก่อนส้มหล่นเก็บเงินได้ (wan gàawn sôm lòn gèp ngoen dâai) |
| Michael: "I found some money on the street a few days ago. What luck!" |
| Contrast |
| Michael: Most of the Thai slang terms you will encounter today were born on the Internet, particularly social media. A perfect example would be the word, |
| Nantanee: เน็ต (nèt) [SLOW] เน็ต (nèt) |
| Michael: which is the Thai slang for "Internet." Another one would be the word, |
| Nantanee: แชท (châaet) [SLOW] แชท (châaet). |
| Michael: This is the Thai word for "chat," but when used as a slang word, it refers to Internet chat or the act of communicating over any social media platform or online messaging app. Next, there's the word |
| Nantanee: เม้นท์ (méen) [SLOW] เม้นท์ (méen). |
| Michael: It sounds like the Thai word for "men," but what it really means is "comment," particularly one that you use online, such as when you're commenting on a friend's Instagram post. And, finally, there's the word |
| Nantanee: เมม (meem) [SLOW] เมม (meem) |
| Michael : This word refers to the act of taking note or saving the details that you want to remember, which is basically derived from the English word "memory." |
| Expansion |
| Michael: When it comes to Thai slang, awareness is key. Native Thai speakers know exactly when to use slang words. When you're learning Thai as a second language, you need to know which slang expressions to use when, where, and for whom. The reason is that there's a thin line between slang words and profanity in Thai. For instance, you don't want to be referring to anyone as |
| Nantanee: ควาย (khwaai) |
| Michael: This is the Thai word for "water buffalo," but, when referring to a person, it means "imbecile." The same is true for the word |
| Nantanee: หมา (măa) |
| Michael: Who wouldn't be offended if they were referred to as a "dog?" There are many other Thai slang words belonging to this category. They are often used within social groups, but always keep in mind that these words should not be uttered when you're in a formal situation or when you're not too familiar with the people you're conversing with. |
Outro |
| Michael: Do you have any more questions? We're here to answer them! |
| Nantanee: แล้วพบกันใหม่เร็วๆ นี้ค่ะ (láaeo phóp gan mài reo-reo níi khâ) |
| Michael: See you soon! |
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