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[Thai Language] Proverbs

People use proverbs or sayings in conversation. How do you say in Thai language ?
Let's see proverbs or sayings in Thai language.





Relationship

First of all, let's see proverbs of Thai language about relationship.
 meaning Thai Language (Green:stress / Blue:male / Pink:female)
A friend in need is a friend indeed. pheuan nai yaam yaak kheuu pheuan thaae
เพื่อน ใน ยาม ยาก คือ เพื่อนแท้
I wonder if people use this phrase often these days....

  • pheuan: friend
  • nai: in or on (case of)
  • yaam: when
  • yaak: difficult, hard ("yaam yark" means "in time of need (or emergency)" )
  • kheuu: is
  • thaae: real or true ("pheuan thaae" is "genuine friend or real friend")

 meaning Thai Language (Green:stress / Blue:male / Pink:female)
Earthquakes, thunder, fires, fathers. ChangSaan Nguuhao Khagao Miarak
ช้างสาร งูเห่า ข้าเก่า เมียรัก
"Earthquake, Thunder, Fire and Father" is an old saying in Japan, and it shows frightening things. If you want to say this in Thai, it will be the phrase "ChangSaan Nguuhao Khagao Miarak". "ChangSaan" is an elephant, "Nguuhao" is a cobra, "Khagao" is an old maid and "Miarak" is a beloved wife.
What do you think if a wife is supposed to be in this phrase or not ? :D

  • an old maid
    In Thailand, not all but a family has a maid. She, of course, is with the affairs or secrets of the family and if she quits the job, she may turn to be an unreliable person. Hmmm...

  • ChangSaan: elephant
  • Nguuhao: cobra
  • Khagao: old maid
  • Miarak: beloved wife
 meaning Thai Language (Green:stress / Blue:male / Pink:female)
When the cat is away, the mice will play. Maew mai yuu nue raaroong
แมว ไม่ อยู่ หนู ร่าเริง
In Japanese, this is, " Wash clothes while devils are away " but it looks like this is the same in English and Thai.
This "Maew mai yuu nue raaroong" is used often when your boss is away and you can enjoy your office life. How about you ?

  • Maew: cat
  • mai yuu: not stay
  • nue: mouse
  • raaroong: happy, feeling very good

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Life

Let's see proverbs of Thai language about life.
 meaning Thai Language (Green:stress / Blue:male / Pink:female)
Seeing is believing. Sib Paak Waa MaiThao Taa Hen
สิบ ปาก ว่า ไม่ เท่า ตา เห็น
In English, this will be "Seeing is believing" or "A picture is worth a thousand words".
In Thai language, this phrase is "Seeing is worth a ten mouths".

  • Sib: ten
  • Paak: mouth
  • Waa: speak
  • Mai: not
  • Thao: equal
  • Taa: eye
  • Hen: see

 meaning Thai Language (Green:stress / Blue:male / Pink:female)
It is not necessary to teach a fish to swim. Sorn jor-ra-kae hai waai-naam
สอน จระเข้ ให้ ว่ายน้ำ
Translating its Japanese phrase literally, this will be "Preaching to Buddha".
In Thai language, like in English, teach a crocodile to swim. This "crocodile" is very Thailand. :D.

  • Sorn: teach
  • jor-ra-kae: crocodile
  • hai: give
  • waai-naam: swim

 meaning Thai Language (Green:stress / Blue:male / Pink:female)
like beating the air / like talking to a wall Sii Sor Hai Kwaai fang
สี ซอ ให้ ควาย ฟัง
In English, people say "like talking to a wall". On the other hand, in Thai, "Sii Sor Mai Kwaai fang" (Play a stringed musical instrument for a buffalo to listen to.)
This sentence, not "crocodile" but "buffalo". Very Thailand again ? :D

  • sii: play (a stringed musical instrument)
  • sor: a name of a stringed musical instrument
  • hai: for ..., to ...
  • kwaai: water buffalo
  • fang: listen

 meaning Thai Language (Green:stress / Blue:male / Pink:female)
Walls have ears Gamphaeng mii huu pra-tuu mii chong
กำแพง มี หู ประตู มี ช่อง
In English, people say "walls have ears". In Thai, it's almost the the same; walls have ears and doors have holes.

  • Gamphaeng
 :   wall
  • mii
 :   have
  • huu
 :   ear
  • pra-tuu
 :   door
  • chong
 :   hole

ระวังๆ นะ (Rawang Rawang naa: Be careful !) :D

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Fortune

Let's see proverbs of Thai language about fortune.
 meaning Thai Language (Green:stress / Blue:male / Pink:female)
Out of the frying pan into the fire. nii sua pa jorakhee
หนี เสือ ปะ จระเข้
In Thai language, this phrase can be said like "escape a tiger and encounter a crocodile.
(It is so like Thailand to say that.)

  • nii: run away, escape
  • sua: tiger
  • pa: encounter, meet
  • jorakhee: crocodile
 meaning Thai Language (Green:stress / Blue:male / Pink:female)
He who runs after two hares will catch neither. Jap plaa song mue
จับ ปลา สอง มือ
 In English, this proverb has "hare" but in Thai language, "fish" instead.
And the phrase means, if you catch two fish by each hand at once, you cannot catch any in the end. Love is the same. :D

  • jap: catch
  • plaa: fish
  • song: two
  • mue: hand

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