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Thai Cultural Explained Thai life style

9 Chinese New Year Taboos

xīn nián kuài lè  (新年快乐)
Happy Chinese New Year, everyone!

If you look around, all shopping malls or even local markets are full of deals and promotions to welcome Chinese New Year. Chinese-Thais seem to be very excited about this pleasant time. I am also looking forward to going to China Town or เยาวราช (Yao-wa-rat) for some shopping and Chinese street food.

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Thai Cultural Explained

[Video] All you need to know about Songkran Festival

It’s now April and it becomes hotter and hotter. You might have already recognized that Songkran Festival is coming, and we just cannot wait to celebrate it together. In this post, I will help you get ready for this mega holiday and have fun while learning Thai and its history.

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Thai Cultural Explained

An Ultimate Guide to Drinking Thai Beer.

The time has come to explore your favorite topic. To all of you mighty beer drinkers (I know you are out there) listen up because this entry is made specifically for you to help you maximize your potential in Thai beer-drinking professional. 

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How to say this in Thai

Learn the word play or /lên/ in Thai language

Play is one of my most favorite English words as I love to play. However it can be use with different things, not only with sports and games in Thai language. Let’s learn with interesting examples.

How to say ‘play’ in Thai?

Play in Thai is เล่น /lên/ (up-down tone)

For examples:

  • เล่นฟุตบอล lên football = to play football
  • เล่นเทนนิส lên tennis = to play tennis
  • เล่นเกมส์ lên game = to play games
  • เล่นไพ่ lên pâi = to play cards
  •  

Other cases to use ‘lên’

In English, you can use the word “play” with sports, music, and games, while we can use the word เล่น /lên/ or play in much more cases in Thai language.

เล่น /lên/ can be used with anything that gives you some fun and joy. Now I will show you some interesting examples with the word /lên/

1. To Gamble

เล่นการพนัน /lên kaanpha-nan/
As gambling gives you some excitement and fun, Thai people use the word /lên/ with gambling

  • พนัน /pha-nan/ (verb) = to gamble
  • การพนัน /kaan pha-nan/ (noun) = gambling

Ex. ฉันไม่ชอบเล่นการพนัน /chãn mây chôorb lên kaan-pa-nan/ = I don’t like to gamble. 

2. Do Yoga

Black Woman, Afro Hairstyle, Doing Yoga in Warrior Asana in the Stock Image - Image of person, beach: 107117619

 

เล่นโยคะ /lên yoo-khá/
Even though, we say “do yoga” in English, we use the word เล่น “lên” or “play” with Yoga as yoga is fun.

  • แม่ของฉันเล่นโยคะทุกวัน
    /mâe-khõrng-chãn lên yoo-khá thúk-wan/
    = My mom does yoga every day.
  •  

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3. To do drug

เล่นยา /lên yaa/
Frankly, I don’t wanna touch this topic, but it is so interesting that we use the word /lên/ with drugs.

It is because drugs might give someone temporary joy.

Note:

เล่นยา /lên-yaa/ used only with the colloquial term, we use the word /sèeb/ as a proper way to say instead)

  • เสพ /sèeb/ (v) = to consume used mostly with drugs (formal term)
  • ยา /yaa/ (n) = drugs or medicine
  • ยาเสพติด /yaa-sèb-tìd/ (n) = drugs or habit-forming
  • เพื่อนของฉันถูกจับเพราะเล่นยา
    /phûeng khõrng chãn thùuk-jàb phrór lên-yaa/
    = My friend got arrested because he did drugs.
  •  

4. To use social media

How tech firms have tried to stop disinformation and voter intimidation – and come up short -- GCN

 

เล่นเฟสบุ๊ค /lên Facebook/
Seriously, we use the word เล่น (play) with social media and applications like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

  • คุณเล่นเฟสบุ๊คไหม
    /khun lên Facebook mai?/
    = Do you use Facebook?
  • ฉันชอบเล่นทวิตเตอร์ทุกวัน
    /chãn chôob lên Twitter tûk-wan/
    = I like to use Twitter every day.

That is it for the word ‘เล่น’ or play and how to use this word in different situations in Thai language.

Hope you enjoy this topic, and let me know, what you like to PLAY? Keep learning Thai and see you soon!

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Situational Thai

Learn Thai on BTS Skytrain

If you live in Bangkok, one of the convenient transportation you use every day is the sky train or what we call the “BTS” train.

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How to say this in Thai

Learn Thai to pronounce 5 famous island names

Everyone loves island life, especially beautiful islands with white sand and crystal clear water.
Thailand also offers more than hundreds of beautiful islands along two sides of coastlines.
But there are more than half of them who pronounce the names of the islands wrong!

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How to say this in Thai Situational Thai

Learn 3 Thai Phrases to Save the World

Thailand is well-known as a country for its convenient lifestyle. It is fascinating to see different vendors selling any kinds of products on the street and walking pace.

However, this convenient consumption became a great problem when plastics are just everywhere. Many street food vendors offer too many of unnecessary plastic bags, straws, and undegraded containers.