Thai Proverbs 2018

“ยกพริกมาทั้งสวน / yók prík maa táng sŭan/ “

Let’s look at the meaning of each word in this phrase:

“พริก /prík/” means chilli. It is hot and spicy, so the word พริก /prík/ is used to describe someone who appears hot or sexy.

ยก /yók/ means to lift something up high

ยก /yók/ + something + มา /maa/ means to bring something over to a place

ทั้ง /táng/ means entire, whole

สวน /sŭan/ means garden, plantation

“ยกพริกมาทั้งสวน / yók prík maa táng sŭan/ ” literally means bring all chilies from a plantation. This is a modern way of complimenting someone who is super sexy.

For example; ครูแพรไปงานแต่งงานของเพื่อน แต่งตัวสวยสุดๆแบบยกพริกมาทั้งสวน เลย
/Kruu Pear bpai nggan dtàeng-ngaan kăwng pûean, dtàeng-dtua sŭai sùt-sùt bàeb yók prík maa táng sŭan leoi/

Teacher Pear attended a friend’s wedding. She dressed so beautifully and sexily.

There are Thai proverbs that consists of the word “พริก /prík/”. Let’s learn them.

1. พริกกับเกลือ /prík gàb gluea/or พริกกะเกลือ /prík gà gluea/ literally means chilli and salt. This proverb means two people who don’t go along and always fight each other.

2. ถึงพริกถึงขิง /tŭeng prík tŭeng kǐng/ This proverb comes from the ingredients that were often used in Thai kitchen: chillies and ginger (ขิง kǐng means ‘ginger’). Chillies is spicy and fresh ginger has a pungent aroma and sharp. Food that contains both chillies and ginger is absolutely spicy and has very strong flavour. Therefore this expression is used to describe two parties that are having strong and harsh arguments or fight fiercely.

3. กาคาบพริก /gaa kâab prík/ 

กา /gaa/ is a crow, คาบ /kâab/ means to hold something with your lips. The bird is black and chilli is red. This proverb is described a person who has dark skin colors and wearing red clothes. I understand that this is quite racist, in the past Thai people admired light skin colour. Nowadays this expression is used to tease a close friend.

4. ฆ่าควายเสียดายพริก /kâa kwaai sǐa-daai prík/

ฆ่า /kâa/ means “to kill”, ควาย /kwaai/ is buffalo and เสียดาย /sǐa-daai/ means  feel sorry for the loss of something

In the old times, when there was a religious ceremony a buffalo or a cow would be slaughtered to use for cooking the feast.  It is a saying means to achieve a big task but afraid of spending on small expenses or worry about small stuff like afraid of loosing some chillies when cooking a buffalo could cause a loss of the bigger goal.

 

5. ได้แกงเทน้ำพริก /dâai gaeng tay náam-prík/

ได้ /dâai/ means to receive , แกง /gaeng/ means curry , เท /tay/ means to pour something away and น้ำพริก /náam-prík/ is Thai chilli dipping sauce

This expression has the same meaning as ได้ใหม่ลืมเก่า /dâai mài luem gào/ which means when receiving a new better item you forget the old one.

 

I hope you find this lesson useful in your Thai learning.