(sounds below)

**** sorry for noisy background ****

?Phee rak nuuh? is the words that inspire me to write this topic.Also the way we talk in my family make me think of my childhood ?. Very sweet words my family talk to each other?

In thai culture we respect each others by their social status and age. I talked about social status already.I would love to talk about age and paying respect today.

In thai we respect each other by using some words make us like relatives following mother side?s relative words (we use difference words to call one from father and mother side -I will show a diagram later--- too lazy to write it today).

When we talk to someone in our grandparents age ,we call them? granddad ¤Ø³ µÒ (khun-ta)? or? grandma ¤Ø³ ÂÒ (khun yaai)? ,

someone in our parents age we call them? uncle ¤Ø³ Åا(khun-luang) or auntie ¤Ø³ »éÒ (khun paa) or ¤Ø³ ¹éÒ(khun naa- can be both male or female if they are younger than your parents)?

and someone older than us we can ?brother-sister ¾Õè (phee- can be both male or female)? follow with their name if you know

like when I commented on someone JN I call them Phee Rinn, Phee Kus,Phee Su

and someone younger we call them brother-sister ¹éç (Naawng- can be both male or female) follow with their name .

like when I commented on someone JN I call them Naawng Sassy ,Naawng emmie

only your friend that you can only call their name and use I (chan) and you (thur).

how do we know who older or younger than us? My American professor asked ?.. Just use your sense ?.

in some families,children call themselves ?˹٠Nuuh? which mean mice , but also prefer to something tiny or small when they talk to their parents or grandparents (even they are 30++ now).Parents always feel that their children are small ?˹٠Nuuh? even they are not young anymore.

Ok? what do I call my bf/gf or husband/wife ?

Normally thai women marry to elder guys . then you should respect each other like brother-sister,

Women call their guys ?¾Õè phee? and men call their girls ?¹éç Naawng? , because you don?t just respect each others as husband and wife ,in thai concept of marriage you have to take care each other like phee- Naawng (brother-sister) also .

it make another kind of relationship happen in marriage life ,make your marriage relationship getting stronger than just husband and wife (which mean only two ppl in difference family living to gethers) as Phee-Naawng we can feel like real family.

If you are thai you must understand what I mean .. ? the feeling that I call your name like? Kate? and ?Phee Kate? are difference ?Phee Kate? is so much closer ?.

Women who are younger than their guys they can also call themselves ?˹٠Nuuh? and their guys can call them nuuh .(in case you are 3++ years younger than him)

The way to make your sentences so sweet

You may know ¤ÃѺ ?krab? (I wrote krup but I just changed as a handsome guy below - larGO told me , thank you) that you put at the end of your sentences will make your words very polite?.

Now I will introduce 4 words can make your words so sweet?.

1. ¨éà Ja^ = when you want to show your agreement: yes,I agree, well ,ok,let do it

Example

I want to go

©Ñ¹ µéç¡ÒÃ ä» ¨éÃ

Chan tongkan pai ja^

2. ¨êà Ja~ = when you want to ask a question

Example

Darling ,do you want to go with me?

·ÕèÃÑ¡ ¨êà ¤Ø³ µéç¡ÒÃ ä» ¡Ñº ¼à äËÃ

Teerak ja~ khun tongan pai kup pomh maih?

You can put ¨êà at the end

·ÕèÃÑ¡ ¤Ø³ µéç¡ÒÃ ä» ¡Ñº ¼à äËà ¨êÃ?

Teerak khun tongan pai kup pomh maih, ja~ ?

3. ¨ëÒ Jaah = when you want to say you are here , also use in question

Example

My love , where are you ?

Jaah , I am down stair.

Darling ,do you want to go with me?

Teerak jaah khun tongan pai kup pomh maih?

·ÕèÃÑ¡ ¨ëÒ ¤Ø³ µéç¡ÒÃ ä» ¡Ñº ¼à äËÃ

4. ¨éÒ jaa^ see [1] ¨éà but jaa^ is stronger

When farrangs say ?ja^ Jaah? always melt my heart ??. LOL

This is Fay Jaa^

** ?Phee rak nuuh? is the words to say?? ?I love you ? a man is older than a woman ... and he see her as a little girl.

ÃÔýջҡº¹áÅÃÃÔýջҡÅèÒ§ÊǨѧ ;-)

the english ABC is really not so good for karaoke but might only be my sight.

( ¡Ñº should rather be kap since Ñ is "a" - innit? )

Great stuff...I really like the audio aid as well.

Very interesting, but I doubt I will ever get me head around those tonal differences.

you would only use Ja with your friends, right?

that is wonderful Fay you are so kind na to teach Thai to forigner... :D

yeahrightdennis: friend or gf/bf and I use that with my parents too ... it is so cute to use with elders

funky_house: you need thai gf

by larGO: thank you ........ yes you are right it could be krap .... sometimes I am so confuse english so much different to thai .... I think I have to learn more english or need a farrang help me on that

normally Neuton and Skylarksluvtofly help me on that but they were busy last time.....you seem to understand thai well ,lucky that I have you

Ajarn Fay

It would be helpful if the Thai translation to Roman characters was consistent, meaning everyone does it the same. I always thought Phee as in older brother or sister was Pee until I saw the Thai character. That is the way it should be, Phee. But I see krab and krup and the pronunciation is always "kob." Aaaarrrrrggggghhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

As always, thanks for the lessons.

Robert