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.