AB Level 1.27: People in Thailand

Focus: คน & ชาว

• คน (khon) is the most basic word for a "person," and we also use it as a classifier when counting people.

• We can use คน (khon) as a prefix attached to the front of adjectives and verbs to make nouns that mean a "person who does (that action)" or a "person who is like (that adjective)."

• Examples:

  • คนอเมริกัน (khon-à-mee-rí-gan) ➤ "American person" or just an "American"

  • เมริกัน (à-mee-rí-gan) is an adjective meaning "American"

  • คนคริสต์ (khon-khrít) ➤ "Christian person" or just a "Christian"

    • คริสต์ (khrít) is an adjective meaning "Christian"

  • คนขับรถ (khon-khàp-rót) ➤ "person who drives a car" or just a "driver"

    • ขับรถ (khàp-rót) is a verb meaning "drive a car."

• ชาว (chaao) is another word that can mean "people" in general.

  • We also use it as a prefix before adjectives or nouns to make new nouns that describe a type of person based either on the adjective or the association with the noun.

• Examples:

  • ชาวพุทธ (chaao-phút) ➤ "Buddhist people" or just a "Buddhists"

    • พุทธ (phút) is an adjective meaning "Buddhist."

  • ชาวมุสลิม (chaao-mú-sà-lim) ➤ "Muslim people" or just a "Muslims"

    • มุสลิม (mú-sà-lim) is an adjective meaning "Muslim."

  • ชาวนา (chaao-naa) ➤ "rice field people" or a "farmers"

    • นา (naa) is a word that means "rice field."

• We can form many words by adding either คน (khon) or ชาว (chaao) to the same adjective.

  • คนไทย (khon-thai) and ชาวไทย (chaao-thai) both mean "Thai person."

  • คนพุทธ (khon-phút) and ชาวพุทธ (chaao-phút) both mean "Buddhist person."

Vocabulary & Phrases

• ในสมัยก่อน (nai sà-mǎi-gàawn)

  • This phrase means "in ancient times."

  • ใน (nai) is the preposition "in."

  • สมัย (sà-mǎi) means "era" or "period."

  • ก่อน (gàawn) is "before" or "earlier."

  • Example:

    • ในสมัยก่อนอยุธยาเป็นเมืองใหญ่ที่สุดของประเทศไทย (nai sà-mǎi-gàawn à-yút-thá-yaa bpen muueang yài thîi sùt khǎawng bprà-thêet-thai.)

      ➤ "In ancient times, Ayutthaya was the largest city in Thailand."

• นับถือศาสนา... (náp-thǔue sàat-sà-nǎa...)

  • This phrase means "to believe in (some religion)."

  • นับถือ (náp-thǔue) is a verb meaning "to believe in," "to uphold," or "to worship."

  • ศาสนา (sàat-sà-nǎa) is a word from Pali that originally meant the "dissemination" of the Buddha's teaching.

  • In the Thai language, it has come to take the more general meaning of "religion."

  • We use it as a prefix to form the names of individual religions, much like we use ภาษา (phaa-sǎa) as a prefix to form the names of languages.

  • Examples:

    • ผมนับถือศาสนาพุทธ (phǒm náp-thǔue sàat-sà-nǎa-phút.)

      ➤ "I follow Buddhism."

    • เขานับถือศาสนาคริสต์ (khǎo náp-thǔue sàat-sà-nǎa-khrít.)

      ➤ "He believes in Christianity."

    • ดิฉันนับถือศาสนาฮินดู (dì-chǎn náp-thǔue sàat-sà-nǎa-hin-duu.)

      ➤ "I believe in Hinduism."

    • เรานับถือศาสนายิว (rao náp-thǔue sàat-sà-nǎa-yiu.)

      ➤ "We are followers of Judaism."

• ...อะไร (.**..**à-rai)

  • This usually means "what."

  • However, it can also mean "any."

  • If there is a noun right before อะไร (à-rai), then it means "any (of that noun)."

  • Otherwise, it can also stand by itself.

  • Examples:

    • ไม่มีอะไรเลย (mâi mii à-rai looei.)

      ➤ "There isn't anything at all."

    • ไม่มีเรื่องอะไรที่น่าดู (mâi mii rûueang à-rai thîi nâa-duu.)

      ➤ "There aren't any movies that are worth watching."

• ดีไหม (dii mǎi)

  • We use this phrase as a way to extend an invitation to someone.

  • First, you'd say what the activity or event is and then follow with ดีไหม (dii mǎi).

  • The literal meaning would be "Is (that activity) good?"

  • But it is closer in actual meaning to "Would you like to (do this activity)?"

  • Example:

    • มาทานข้าวกันที่บ้านเราดีไหมครับ

      • (maa thaan khâao gan thîi bâan rao dii mǎi khráp.)

        ➤ "How about you come to our house to eat?"

Common Religions in Thailand

• The Theravada school of Buddhism is the dominant religion in Thailand, followed by about 95% of the population.

• Theravada Buddhism originated in South India and Sri Lanka and spread to Southeast Asia.

• The Mahayana branch of Buddhism is also practiced by a small minority, mostly among some ethnic Chinese.

• Islam is the second-largest religion in Thailand, with about 4% of the population, mostly in the southern part of the country.

• Christians make up less than 1% of the population, and Christian missionaries in Thailand have not had much success in converting locals.

• There are small numbers of Hindus and Sikhs in Thailand, and some Hindu gods are revered by Thai Buddhists.

• Animism and spirit worship are also practiced in Thailand, with small spirit houses all over the country where offerings are made daily.