B Level 2.2: Is That…? In Thai

Study Focus: ที่

• We very often use the word ที่ (thîi) with the meaning "that which" or "that."

• We place it after the noun and before the phrase we use to describe the noun.

  • คนที่ใส่หมวกสีแดง (khon thîi sài mùuak sǐi-daaeng)

  ➤ "the person who is wearing a red hat"

  • อาหารที่อร่อย (aa-hǎan thîi à-ràwy)

  ➤ "that food is delicious"

• In a similar way, we also use ที่ (thîi) to construct ordinal numbers. Simply place the number after ที่ (thîi).

  • รถเมล์คันที่สอง (rót-mee khan thîi sǎawng) ➤ "the second bus"
  • ตำรวจคนที่สาม (dtam-rùuat khon thîi sǎam) ➤ "the third police officer"

Vocabulary & Phrases

• <<คนที่ใส่ (khon thîi sài)<<

  • This phrase means "the person who is wearing."
  • ที่ (thîi) in this phrase means "that which."
  • ใส่ (sài) is the verb ”to wear.”

• <<…คนนั้น (…khon nán)<<

  • The classifier for people is คน (khon).
  • So we need to use it whenever we want to use the adjectives "this" or "that" in reference to any people.
  • ตำรวจคนนี้ (dtam-rùuat khon níi) ➤ "this police officer"
  • เด็กผู้ชายคนนั้น (dèk phûu-chaai khon nán) ➤ "that boy"

• <<ภึงบ้านแล้ว (thǔeng bâan láaeo)<<

  • The phrase mean "We arrived at the house already," or more naturally, "We're home!"
  • ภึง (thǔeng) is the verb "to arrive."
  • บ้าน (bâan) means "house."
  • แล้ว (láaeo) means "already" in this phrase gives the sense of an action being completed.

• <<หลังไหน (lǎng nǎi)<<

  • The classifier for houses is หลัง (lǎng).
  • In order to ask "which house," we need to attach the question word to the classifier to make หลังไหน (lǎng nǎi).

Life as a Novice Monk

• It is customary for boys older than seven to become novice monks for a brief time, perhaps just a few weeks during the summer school break.
• They only have ten precepts to keep, which are:
  • Refrain from killing
  • Refrain from stealing
  • Refrain from any sexual acts
  • Refrain from lying
  • Refrain from taking intoxicants
  • Refrain from eating after midday
  • Refrain from singing, dancing, playing music, and watching shows
  • Refrain from wearing perfume, cosmetics, and garlands
  • Refrain from using high and luxurious chairs and beds
  • Refrain from handling money
• Males above the age of 20 can become full monks by upholding 227 commandments.
• Some Thai men become monks for life, but it is also fairly popular for males in Thailand to become monks temporarily.
• Although it is viewed as a method to acquire merit for one's parents, it is customary for a man to ordain for a week or so after his mother's death.
• It is also viewed as a means to acquire a moral education prior to establishing a family.
• When he was younger, the current king of Thailand was also temporarily ordained as a monk.