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Chai:

Fráenk  pāi kīn tìm sām kān ná  phǒm líang ēng

á¿Ã§¡ì 仡ԹµÔèÁ«Ó¡Ñ¹¹Ð
¼ÁàÅÕé§àͧ

Frank, let’s go have dim sum. It’s my treat/I’ll liang you.

Frank:

khòpkhūn thî chūan  tàe “líang” mǎi khwām wâ arāi

¢Íº¤Ø³·ÕèªÇ¹ áµè “àÅÕé§”
ËÁÒ¤ÇÒÁÇèÒÍÐäÃ

Thank you for offering, but what does liang mean?

Chai:

mǎi khwām wâ phǒm chài khâ āhǎn ēng

ËÁÒ¤ÇÒÁÇèÒ¼Á¨èÒ¤èÒ
ÍÒËÒÃàͧ

It means that I’ll pay for the meal.

Frank:

ô  khòpkhūn  wān lǎng hâi phǒm  líang bâng ná

ÍéÍ ¢Íº¤Ø³ ÇѹËÅѧãËé¼Á
àÅÕ駺éÒ§¹Ð

Thanks. It’ll be my treat next time.

Chai:

dâi lōei….châo ní àròi mâk  wān kòn phǒm  pāi kīnlíang thî  rán ní  lōei tìtchāi

ä´éàÅ … à¨éÒ¹ÕéÍÃèÍÂÁÒ¡
Çѹ¡è͹¼Á仡ԹàÅÕé§·ÕèÃéÒ¹¹Õé
àŵԴã¨

Okay. This dim sum shop is very good. I went to kin liang there the other day. I like it.

Frank:

ē  “kīnlíang” kàp “líang” mī khwāmmǎi mǔean kān châi mǎi

àÍ ¡Ô¹àÅÕé§ ¡Ñº àÅÕé§ ÁÕ
¤ÇÒÁËÁÒÂàËÁ×͹¡Ñ¹ãªèäËÁ

Eh, does kin liang mean the same as liang

Chai:

mâi chōeng ná  rāo pāi “kīnlíang” mûea dâi râp chōen pāi râp-prà-thān āhǎn nāi ngān tàng tàng  chên  ngān-tàeng-ngān  ngān-wān-kòet

äÁèàªÔ§¹Ð àÃÒä»"¡Ô¹àÅÕé§ àÁ×èÍä´éÃѺàªÔ­ä»ÃѺ
»Ãзҹ ÍÒËÒÃã¹§Ò¹
µèÒ§æ àªè¹ §Ò¹áµè§§Ò¹ §Ò¹Çѹà¡Ô´

Not quite. We go “to feast” when we’re invited to a reception, such as a wedding reception or a birthday party.

Frank:

ô  mī khām ùen ìk mǎi thî  mī “líang” yù dûai

ÍéÍ ÁÕ¤ÓÍ×è¹ÍÕ¡äËÁ·ÕèÁÕ àÅÕé§
ÍÂÙè´éÇÂ

I see. Is there any other phrase containing liang?

Chai:

mī sí  āo thî  kìokàp kān kīn kòn ná  kô mī  ngān- líang  líang-râp  líang-sòng

ÁÕÊÔ àÍÒ·Õèà¡ÕèÂǡѺ¡ÒáԹ
¡è͹¹Ð ¡çÁÕ §Ò¹àÅÕé§
àÅÕé§ÃѺ àÅÕé§Êè§

Yes. Let’s go with ones related to eating first. They are “welcoming party”, and “farewell party”.

Frank:

ūem  “líang” mī khwāmmǎi ùen dûai rǒe

Í×ÍÁì “àÅÕé§” ÁÕ¤ÇÒÁËÁÒÂÍ×è¹
´éÇÂàËÃÍ

Um, does liang have other meanings too?

Chai:

mī chên  líang klûaimái  líang dèk  líang māeo

ÁÕ àªè¹ àÅÕé§¡ÅéÇÂäÁé àÅÕé§à´ç¡
àÅÕé§áÁÇ

Um uh. For example, to “grow” orchids, to “baby sit” a child, to “keep” a cat.

Frank:

āh  phǒm  “líang” mǎ thî  bân

ÍÒ ¼Á “àÅÕé§ËÁÒ·ÕèºéÒ¹

Ah, I see. I liang a dog at home.

Chai:

kèng mâk  Fráenk  ìk yàng nùeng ná Dāonîng “líang lûk” kèng mâk

à¡è§ÁÒ¡ á¿Ã§¡ì ÍÕ¡ÍÂèÒ§
˹Ö觹Р´ÒǹÔè§ ”àÅÕé§ÅÙ¡”
à¡è§ÁÒ¡

You’re very smart, Frank. One more, “Downing’s very good at ‘dribbling’ ”.

Frank:

āh  phāsǎ fûtbōn  chái tháo phā lûk bōn pāi khâng nâ

ÍÒ.ÀÒÉҿصºÍÅ ãªéà·éÒ¾Ò
ÅÙ¡ºÍÅÅì仢éҧ˹éÒ
.

Ah, a football term – to move the ball along using the foot.

Chai:

Fráenk  yū nî sùtyôt chīng chīng

á¿Ã§¡ì ÂÙ¹Õè ÊØ´ÂÍ´¨ÃÔ§æ

Frank, you’re really brilliant!

Vocabulary watch:

How would you say these in Thai?

1. a treat = ……

2.to have a meal at a reception = ……

3. to grow orchids = ……

4. to keep a cat = ……

5. to look after a baby = ……

6. to dribble = ……

 

Answer keys:

1.  líang =/ àÅÕé§

2. kin líang / ¡Ô¹àÅÕé§

3.  líang klûaimái =/ àÅÕé§¡ÅéÇÂäÁé

4. líang māeo / àÅÕé§áÁÇ

5.  líang dèk =/ àÅÕé§à´ç¡

6. líang lûk / àÅÕé§ÅÙ¡

 


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

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    Last modified: November 10, 2006
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  • Welcome back to a new adaptation of Phût Phāsǎ Thāi after our transitional Songkran break. As per the valued suggestions of our readers, the transliterations now follow the Royal Institute's system (http://www.royin.go.th/th/profile/index.php), which includes tone markers. In terms of content, the column will continue to provide you with everyday language on specific topics.

    ñô phruetsachikayon òõôù   ( 14 November 2006)     

    Phût phāsǎ Thai

    It’s on me / phǒm líang ēng


    Tourists are well advised to sample delicious Dim Sum, a culinary delight of Thung Song. – Pongpet Mekloy

    At a friend's party in Plymouth, a city in Devon, South West England, many years ago, a group of Thais interjected with "oohs" and "aahs" when we heard the term fai khio, fai daeng (a colloquial Thai term for traffic lights) from Scot, a British teacher who had spent some time in Thailand. Throughout the evening he was the star of the party, and I'm sure he was very proud of his Thai.

    Phut phasa Thai would like you to also draw "oohs" and "aahs" from Thais like Scot. So for the next few weeks, this column will review some Thai terms used in casual conversational.