In our previous lesson we covered a few ways to give compliments. The strange thing is the first thing many people want to learn in a foreign language is the swear words and insults. Well I guess we might as well cover a few but I must say these should not be used. It is nice to understand some of the colourful language that is being used around you but that does not mean it is a good idea to use these words yourself. Swearing in any language is an advanced skill. Swear words can be used fondly or comically but you need to be very proficient in the language to make it work.
You can call a friend 'an old bastard' and it will be taken as an affectionate jibe. If you say the same thing to a stranger you may get a punch in the mouth. It is not a good idea to swear in a foreign language.
You will just create a poor impression. Even with close friends, you should make it clear that you are learning these words for curiosity and not to use them. Like most languages, Thai has a rich and colourful range of insults and swear words. It is funny how most languages seem to have many more ways to give an insult than a complement. We can't possibly cover all the Thai swear words but here are a few of the more common ones. Remember you may hear Thai people use many of these but they know how to use them.
This is the Thai word for buffalo. Thais consider the animal slow and stupid so the implication is the same if directed at people. This is a funny one. It means ugly but you will also often hear Thais use it affectionately for babies and small children. There is an old Thai superstition that if you call babies lovely or beautiful it may attract the attention of demons who want to whisk beautiful babies away. Of course, Thais do not actually believe this, but just in case, it is better to say the baby is ugly and everyone knows what you mean.
However, in this case that is not its meaning. This word can also mean 'a tendancy to be'. So in this case, kee nee-ow means 'a tendancy to be sticky'.
