| about this site | who we are | site map | reading tips | teaching tips | student tips | build vocab |
| teaching vocab | hot links | visit Thai school | Bangkok Post | Post books | student weekly | home

Andy:

khawthoat thii saaipai noi phoeng longrot muea chaomuet nii-eng
 

ขอโทษที สายไปหน่อย เพิ่งลงรถเมื่อเช้ามืดนี้เอง

Sorry, I’m a bit late. (I) just arrived early this morning.

Yoi:

ao, Andy! pai nai maa roe
 

อ้าว แอนดี้! ไปไหนมาเหรอ

Hi, Andy. Where have you been?

Andy:

pai Suan Moak maa
 

ไปสวนโมกข์มา

I’ve been to Suan Mokkh.

Yoi:

Suan Moak! Suraat chaimai
 

สวนโมกข์! สุราษฎร์ ใช่ไหม

Suan Mokkh! (It’s) in Surat (Thani), right?

Andy:

chai phom pai fueksamaathi maa khun la painai roe plao

 

ใช่ ผมไปฝึกสมาธิมา คุณล่ะ ไปไหนหรือเปล่า

Right! I went to mediate. How about yourself? Did you go anywhere?

Yoi:

phom maiyaak bawk waa phom paithiew thaley maa

 

ผมไม่อยากบอกว่าผมไปเที่ยว
ทะเลมา

I don’t want to tell you that I went to a seaside.

Andy:

thammai maiyaak bawk la
 

ทำไมไม่อยากบอกล่ะ

Why don’t you want to tell me?

Yoi:

phom pen chaophut thii maidii phom khuan ja tham yaang khun maakkwaa
 

ผมเป็นชาวพุทธที่ไม่ดี ผมควรจะทำ
อย่างคุณมากกว่า

I’m not a good Buddhist. I should have done what you did.

Andy:

wanlang pai duaykan mai phom yaakyuu sak sip wan

 

วันหลังไปด้วยกันไหม
ผมอยากอยู่สักสิบวัน

Let’s do that together next time. I’d like to stay for ten days.

Yoi:

khaw khitduu kawn na

 

ขอคิดดูก่อนนะ

Let me think about that.

Andy:

phom chawp Suan Moak maak ngiwp sa-ngop dii mai nen rueang watthu roe phithiikam
 

ผมชอบสวนโมกข์มาก เงียบสงบดี
ไม่เน้นเรื่องวัตถุหรือพิธีกรรม

I like Suan Mokkh very much. (It’s) quiet and peaceful (and) not focussed on materialism or ritual.

Yoi:

phom daiyin waa maimii aakhaan roangtham lae uboasot
 

ผมได้ยินว่าไม่มีอาคาร
โรงธรรมและอุโบสถ

I’ve heard there is no temple building or lecture hall.

Andy:

thuuktawng mii tae laansaai chai kawnhin pen thiinang

 

ถูกต้อง มีแต่ลานทราย
ใช้ก้อนหินเป็นที่นั่ง

That’s right. There are only open spaces covered with sand. Rocks are used as seats.
 

mii tae thammachaat moh samrap kaantham samaathi

 

มีแต่ธรรมชาติ
เหมาะสำหรับการทำสมาธิ

There is only nature everywhere, perfect for meditation.

Yoi:

thiinan phra chan mue diew chaimai
 

ที่นั่นพระฉันมื้อเดียวใช่ไหม

Monks have only one meal (a day) there, right?

Andy:

chai yokwen wanphra juengja chanpheyn duay
 

ใช่ ยกเว้นวันพระจึงจะฉันเพลด้วย

Yes, only on Sabbath days they also have lunch.

Yoi:

phomwaa phom thon maidai nae
 

ผมว่าผมทนไม่ได้แน่

I think I couldn’t stand that.

Andy:

tawng lawngkawn si mai lawng kaw mairuu jingmai

 

ต้องลองก่อนซิ ไม่ลองก็ไม่รู้ จริงไหม

Try it first. If you don’t try, how can you know, right?

  • This lesson was prepared by Acharn Sunee Siidao, Educational Specialist.

    Back to our home page

    Read our other phuut phaasaa Thai columns here.

    | Comments to Ajaan Sunee at
    suneec@bangkokpost.co.th |
    | © The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd.
    All rights reserved 2003
    Last modified: February 17, 2003     |


    • Do you notice this?

    There are three colloquial terms in today's conversation that you might have heard quite often, but not be able to use comfortably.

  • The first one is longrot  (to get off a bus, a taxi) as in — khawthoat thii saaipai noi phoeng longrot muea chaomuet nii-eng  — which is the natural Thai way of saying 'arrive'. Often times we just say maathueng  (มาถึง), or just thueng  (ถึง) in the same manner. Therefore, the same sentence would be — khawthoat thii saaipai noi phoeng (maa)thueng muea chaomuet nii-eng.

  • The second term to notice is wanlang  (the day behind) as in — wanlang pai duaykan mai. Although its literal meaning seems to refer to time in the past, it actually means 'next time' or 'some time in the future'.

  • The last thing is the versatile word rueang , which can be:
    — a noun (meaning a story, a point),
    — a preposition (about, on) and
    — a classifier. In the sentence in today's conversation — ...mai nen rueang watthu rue phithiikam  — it functions as a preposition 'on'. Let's look at a few more sentences:

    — rueang thii rao ja khui kan wannii samkhan maak ( The point that we're to discuss today is very important.)

    — pii nii phom du nang laai rueang  (This year I've seen many movies.)

    — rueang thii dii thiisut khue rueang  Catch Me If You Can (The best movie was Catch Me If You Can.)

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    • Phuut Phaasaa Thai gives you useful topical and seasonal Thai words and phrases used in daily-life conversations. The column will give you some instant Thai language to help you out in common situations.

    18kumphaaphan  2546 ( 18 February, 2003)     

    wanmaakha buuchaa

     

    Yesterday was a public holiday as a substitution for Makha Puja Day, which fell on Sunday February 16th, this year. In my opinion, the reason behind setting another day in lieu of a religious holy day that falls on a Sunday is to encourage Thai Buddhists to completely fulfill their religious activities on that actual day and still have an extra day for regular weekend routine. Most schools assign some classes to observe this holy day in a temple nearby. People also make merit at neighbourhood temples by performing religious activities in the morning and taking part in the candlelit procession, wien thien, in the evening.

    Makha Puja is regarded as the holiest of all Buddhist holy days. It was on this day when 1,250 disciples of Buddha, all of whom were ordained by Buddha himself, coincidentally came to visit him. Seeing the occasion as the opportune time to strengthen the rules of order, Buddha then delivered the sermon - Patimoka. The great sermon states the strict moral principles of daily practice found in Buddhism. This means doing good and abstaining from bad actions by observing the five precepts - do not kill, steal, behave promiscuously, lie, or take alcohol. Buddha also preached purifying one's mind by meditating.

    Yoi and Andy are talking about a meditation retreat in this week's conversation.