A hearty topic

Thai language section, ask your language questions here.
Post Reply
Pleng
Legend
Legend
Posts: 2798
Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2011 2:04 am
Location: Hua Hin

A hearty topic

Post by Pleng »

The heart is very important in the Thai language...

we don't "understand" things here, things enter our heart (khao jai)
we aren't calm or angry, we have a cold heart (jai yen) or a hot heart (jai roan)
we don't pay for things, we heart money (jai dtang - I'm assuming this is the same jai as in heart but am not 100% sure - open to corrections)
we don't say "it's a shame"[that], we say "the heart is dead" [because of...], or "the heart dies"[because of..](sia jai [waa...])



Anybody else got any more expressions of the heart to add?
hhinner
Rock Star
Rock Star
Posts: 4288
Joined: Fri Nov 09, 2012 2:17 pm

Re: A hearty topic

Post by hhinner »

Hi Pleng. Consider yourself corrected. The word for "pay" sounds similar to the word for heart but is in fact pronounced in a low tone and slightly longer vowel - ใจ (heart) and จ่าย (pay).

Jai (ใจ) also means "mind" or "spirit". Usually when referring to the organ you would say hua jai (heart), and jit jai for mind.

You're right that jai is used in many ways to express feelings and English is somewhat similar (good hearted, black hearted, heartbroken, disheartened etc.) - sia jai (sorry), jai dee (kind, good hearted), dee jai (glad), jai dam (black hearted, cruel), blien jai (change one's mind) and many others too numerous to mention (or too lazy ).
Post Reply