Translating newspaper English to Thai

Pran:	Phawn khun kamlang painai roe
	พอล คุณกำลังจะ ไปไหนเหรอ	Paul, where are you off to?
Paul:	phom kamlang ja pai awk kam lang
	ผมกำลังจะไปออกกำลัง	I’m going to get some exercise.
Pran:	dii thamngaan set laew kaw pai awk kam lang raangkaai sotchuuen dii
	ดี ทำงานเสร็จแล้วก็ไป ออกกำลัง ร่างกายสดชื่นดี	It’s good to get some exercise after work. The body gets refreshed.
Paul:	khun la awk kam lang ruueplao
	คุณล่ะ ออกกำลังหรือเปล่า	How about you? Do you exercise?
Pran:	phom waainam wan wen wan khun la awk kam lang baepnai
	ผมว่ายน้ำวันเว้นวัน คุณล่ะออกกำลังแบบไหน	I swim every other day. What kind of exercise do you do?
Paul:	phom pai fitness aathit la saam khrang khrang la nueng chuamoong
	ผมไปฟิตเนสอาทิตย์ละ สามครั้ง ครั้งล่ะหนึ่งชั่วโมง	I go to a fitness club three times a week, an hour each time.
Pran:	roe dii na khun duu fit maak khun len arai baang la
	เหรอ ดีนะ คุณดูฟิตมาก คุณเล่นอะไรบ้างล่ะ	That’s nice. You look really fit. What do you do in you fitness programme?
Paul:	phom len weyt lae chai luuwing baangkhrang kaw chai step laew nii khun kamlang ja painai
	ผมเล่นเวทและใช้ลู่วิ่ง บางครั้งก็ใช้สเต็ป แล้วนี่คุณกำลังจะไปไหน	I lift weights and exercise on the treadmill. Sometimes I work on the step machine. And you, where are you off to?
Pran:	phom kamlang ja pai sa pai waainam
	ผมก็กำลังจะไปสระ ไปว่ายน้ำ	I’m going to the pool to swim.
Paul:	khun waai naan mai
	คุณว่ายนานไหม	How long do you swim (each time)?
Pran:	khrang la chuamoong aakaat rawn rawn baepnii phom chawp waainam maak loey wanlang pai duaykan si
	ครั้งละชั่วโมง อากาศ ร้อนๆ แบบนี้ผมชอบ ว่ายน้ำมากเลย วันหลังไปด้วยกันสิ	(About) an hour a time. When it’s hot like this, I really like swimming. Come with me next time.
Paul:	toklong phom kaw chawp waainam muueankan
	ตกลง ผมก็ชอบว่ายน้ำ เหมือนกัน	OK. I also like swimming myself.

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

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Last modified: March 7, 2005 |

Language check:

Let’s look closely at another common word, kamlang, and how it functions in natural conversations. First use it is a noun meaning the same as “strength, power, force, capacity” in English, so there’s no need for explanation here, right?

Second, the word is a particle showing the continuous aspect of a verb when it’s put in front of a verb in the same way as "–ing" behind a verb in English. Therefore, the Thai version of “[to be] working” is “kamlang thamngaan”, and “[to be] eating” is kamlang kinkhaao, and so on. As you may notice, the “verb to be” is ignored by Thais. A variation of kamlang is kamlang ja which means and functions in the same nature as “to be going to”.

Third, awk kamlang works like a phrasal verb comprised of awk + kamlang. This verb means “to exercise” or “to get some exercise”.

Vocabulary check:

What does kamlang in the following sentences mean: energy, doing (something), going to do (something) or to exercise?

wannii phom mai sabaai maimii kamlang loey (……………)
khun kamlang tham arai yuu kha (……………)
khun ja pai awk kamlang ruue plao wannii (……………)
phom kamlang ja pai Ameyrikaa (……………)

Answer keys:
1. energy 2. doing (something) 3. to exercise 4. going to do (something)