B Level 2.12: Opposites in Thai

Study Focus: Opposites

• Just remember that in Thai, adjectives always follow the noun that they modify. So a "hot coffee" in Thai is called กาแฟร้อน (gaa-faae ráawn), literally "coffee-hot."
• A couple adjectives that we have to be careful with are the Thai words for "cold" and "cool."
• Both words, หนาว (nǎao) and เย็น (yen), can mean "cold," but we use them in different situations.
• We use หนาว (nǎao) to describe cold weather, and we also use it to describe the physical feeling of being cold.
  • ถ้าคุณหนาวใส่เสื้อแจ็คเก็ตสิครับ (thâa khun nǎao sài sûuea-jáek-gèt sì khráp) ➤ "If you're cold, you should put on a jacket."
• We can also use เย็น (yen) to describe the weather, in which case it has a meaning of "cool" rather than "cold."
  • But it takes on the meaning of both "cool" and "cold" when we use it to describe objects.
  • Physical objects such as food, drinks, machines, and surfaces are always modified with the adjective เย็น (yen) to say they are "cool" or "cold."
  • กินเร็วๆสิครับ อาหารจะเย็นนะ (gin reo reo sì khráp. aa-hǎan jà yen ná.) ➤ "Eat quickly. The food is getting cold."

• Here are a few examples of their use in sentences:
  • ที่เมืองโตเกียวมีคนเยอะ (thîi muueang dtoo-giiao mii khon yóe) ➤ "There are many people in Tokyo."
  • พี่สาวของฉันชอบตัดผมสั้น (phîi-sǎao khǎawng chǎn châawp dtàt phǒm sân) ➤ "My older sister likes to cut her hair short."
  • ยักษ์ใหญ่ไล่ยักษ์เล็ก (yák yài lâi yák lék) ➤ "The big demon chases the little demon."

Vocabulary & Phrases

• เย็นสบาย (yen sà-baai)

  • This phrase means "pleasantly cool."
  • เย็น (yen) means "cool," and สบาย (sà-baai) means "comfortable" or "pleasant."
  • Since Thailand is a tropical country, it doesn't need to be all that cold to become yen sà-baai.
  • About twenty to twenty-four degrees Celsius or sixty-eight to seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit would be considered yen sà-baai.
  • Any cooler than that would probably be called หนาว (nǎao), meaning "cold."

• มือสอง (muue sǎawng)

  • This phrase means "secondhand," as in some item that was used or previously owned.
  • It is constructed very similarly to the English expression because มือ (muue) means "hand," and สอง (sǎawng) is the number "two."

• ครับผม (khráp phǒm)

  • Although ครับ (khráp) is usually a polite ending particle, and ผม (phǒm) is usually a first-person pronoun for males, when put together in this order it becomes a stand-alone phrase with the meaning of "Yes, sir" or "Yes, ma'am."
  • When someone makes a request or gives a directive, Thais will typically respond with this phrase.
  • Occasionally, we can also use it sarcastically or jokingly to signify that we are receiving too many orders.
  • Despite the fact that both component terms are intended for male speakers, both men and women can utilize this statement.
  • Yet, men utilize it more frequently than women.

How to Avoid Carsickness in Thailand

• The road from Pai to Mae Hong Son is renowned for its number of bends/zigzags.
• First constructed by the Japanese forces during World War Two. Originally, it was intended to connect through Burma and run all the way to India, but the war ended before the Japanese force was able to reach that point.
• The road from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son via Pai is estimated to have 1864 bends.
• If you are prone to motion sickness, you may wish to take medication before embarking on a journey.
• Thais like to utilize ยาดม (yaa-dom), or "sniffing medication," for small bouts of motion sickness.
  • A compact, plastic, tube-shaped inhaler containing menthol and eucalyptus fumes.
  • The Thai term for motion sickness is — เมารถ (mao-rót), which literally translates as "vehicle drunk.”