More fun with Thai Language Lessons

Yesterday marked my 5th Thai lesson. I've learned the common social expressions, how to ask questions, be polite, numbers, how to "barter for a discount" and now we move into relationships. Family...mother, father, sister, brother, children.....

The lessons have advanced so that Khruu Phom (my teacher) and I volley with questions and answers - all in Thai. And with me being as careful as I can, not only with the words themselves, but more importantly their tone.

Remember Thai has 5 tones. The same word spelled out for us in English can mean five different words in Thai. For example Mai Mai Mai Mai can mean New Wood Doesn't Burn depending upon the tone spoken for each word (Mai). Flat, Low, High, Rising, Falling. The tones are subtle. Trust me, it ain't easy. Then again the Thai language does not have tense (past, present, future) nor does it have plural nor possessive. So in a way it is a nice trade.

Back , Back, Back <--- as Khruu Phom says when we digress

Important to remember Khruu Phom Cheu (my teacher's name) is Noi

After learning about my entire family, names dates of birth etc. it was my turn. I'm not used to asking a lady if she is married, has children etc. This part of the lesson started off a bit awkward. I tried to think "clinical".

Me: Khun mii phii saao mai? (do you have an older sister)
Noi: Mii Chai (Yes I have)
Me: Phii saao Khun cheu arai? (what is your older sister's name)
Noi: Phii saao dichan cheu Noi (My older sister's name is Noi)
Me: (pausing...... did I ask for her name or her sister's name?) Mai (again) I said Phii saao Khun chue arai? Krap (I added the formal Krap at the end thinking I missed something in my first attempt)
Noi: Phii saao dichan cheu Noi (my older sister's name is Noi)

I moved on to the next question......

Me: Khun mii luuk saao mai? (Do you have a daughter?)
Noi: Mai Mii (don't have)
Me: Khun mii luuk chaai mai? (Do you have a son?)
Noi: Mii Chai (Yes I have)
Me: Luuk chaai Khun cheu arai? (What is your son's first name?)
Noi: Luuk chaai dichan cheu Focus (my son's name is "Focus")

I have to pause here. Thais give themselves nicknames. Their first and certainly their surnames can be quite long. The reason for that I'll share in another post. Their nicknames can be anything one can imagine. Oftentimes nicknames are English names. For example Thais I work with have nick names such as "Champ", "Eg", "Eve", "Wow", and I've seen "Boy", "Apple", "Peach" ", "Ford". And sometimes they are Thai names which don't translate well into English such as "Dum" and "Porn". Therefore when Noi said her son's name was "Focus" I kept a straight face. But I thought ".... how wise of a mother. Everytime someone calls him or talks to him they will be reminding him to concentrate. Did she think her son would have ADHD?

At the end of the class I asked her.."Why did your parents give two daughters the same name?" She had me listen again. One "Noi" was rising tone, and one was falling tone. ..... My head started hurting - again.

Then I thought Oh My, I may have been asking all the wrong questions .......all the tones to remember....

I dared to ask ".. so why did you name your son "Focus" ? She laughed, "Focus... Maa dichan" <-- "Focus..... is my dog."

Amazing Thailand