B Level 2.16: Straight From the Thai Heart

Study Focus: ใจ

• We use the word ใจ (jai), which means "heart," in many compound words in Thai.
• Buddhism teaches that the mind does not exist in the brain, but rather in the heart. Consequently, feelings, emotions, and mental states are intimately related.
• The English translations of these compounds are frequently useful for remembering them and for comprehending the Thai mentality.
• In the chart, we have included both the literal translation and the overall meaning of each compound.

• Some of these compounds function as verbs, and some of them function as adjectives. However, the adjectives effectively double as verbs since they do not need the help of the verb "to be," unlike in English.

  • ผมตกใจเมื่อเห็นผี (phǒm dtòk-jai mûuea hěn phǐi)

  ➤ "I was surprised when I saw the ghost."

  • ดีใจที่ได้เจอคุณยาย (dii-jai thîi dâai jooe khun yaai)

  ➤ "I was happy that I got to meet grandmother."

Vocabulary & Phrases

• จริงหรือเปล่า (jing rǔue bplàao)

  • This phrase means "Is it true?"
  • The first word, จริง (jing), means "real" or "true."
  • The two words after that come in a pattern we use for a type of yes/no question.
  • หรือ (rǔue) is the conjunction "or," and เปล่า (bplàao) means "not."
  • So the whole phrase is literally "true or not?"
  • To answer affirmatively, you could just say จริง (jing), meaning "It's true."
  • And to answer negatively, you repeat the word เปล่า (bplàao), meaning "It's not."

• ลอง…ดู (laawng…duu)

  • ลองดู (laawng-duu) is a verb meaning "to try."
  • When you want to say what action is being tried, the other verb will go in the middle.
  • So the pattern is ลอง + Verb (+ Object) + ดู.
  • ลองชิมเค้กดู (laawng chim khéek duu) ➤ "Try tasting some cake."
  • ลองใส่เสื้อดู (laawng sài sûuea duu) ➤ "Try putting on the shirt."

That Was a Romantic…Kiss

• Contrary to the expectations of many visitors, the Thai dating scene may be rather conservative.
• Rather than participating in activities as a pair, university-aged individuals frequently opt for group outings.
• It is also conceivable for university-aged "couples" to spend relatively little time alone together.
• If the girl does not know the guy well, it is also fairly uncommon for her to have a chaperone along on the first date. Typically, only one of the girl's closest friends is present.
• Thai individuals never kiss in public, and even holding hands in public is uncommon among Thai couples.
• In Thailand, there is also a local style of "kissing" called หอม (hǎawm), which means "to sniff."
• As you can maybe guess by the name, it is when the two people put their faces close to each other and just sniff once with their nose.