VIDEO: Top 10 Thai Proverbs You NEED to Know

Sawatdee ka!

Proverb in Thai is called สุภาษิต /sù-paa-sìt/.

Proverbs are the traditional (historic) sayings of a country. They are short, clever sentences that usually offer life advice. Native Thai speakers often use them in conversation without even realizing it.

Proverbs can teach you more about a country’s culture than any textbook. They show what is important to the group of people, what is considered good behavior and what is bad behavior. Proverbs can also tell you the history of a place. For example, proverbs from farming towns will use a lot of farming language, and fishing villages will talk about the sea.

If you search on Google “Thai proverbs” you will find lists of 150 proverbs that is way too much, and I looked at those phrases, half of them I didn’t know what they were. I never used most of them in my life. You don’t want to waste your time.

Today we want to help you learn 10 common Thai proverbs that native speaker actually use in everyday life. Sometimes Thai language learners find it difficult to learn proverbs because proverbs can be long sentences but good news is these proverbs I selected for you are just a few words , clearly explained just for you!

 

1.

Thai Proverb: แมวไม่อยู่หนูร่าเริง /maew mâi yùu nŭu râa-rerng/

English Proverb: When cats away the mice will play.

Meaning: when the person who is in charge of a place is not there, and the people there behave badly

2.

Thai Proverb: ยิงปืนนัดเดียวได้นกสองตัว /ying bpuen nát diao, dâai nók săwng dtua/

English Proverb: Kill two birds with one stone

Meaning: To succeed in achieving two things in a single action

Vocabulary:

ยิง /ying/ = to shoot

ปืน /bpuen/ = gun

ได้ /dâai/ = to get, receive

นก /nók/ = bird

3.

Thai Proverb: จับปลาสองมือ /jàb bplaa săwng mue/

English Proverb: Have your cake and eat it (too)

Meaning: To have or do two good things at the same time that are impossible to have or do at the same time.

4.

Thai Proverb: หนีเสือปะจระเข้ /nĭi sŭea bpà jaw-rá-kây/

English Proverb: Between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Meaning: To have two choices that are both equally unpleasant or not convenient

Vocabulary:

หนี /nĭi/ = escape, run away

เสือ / sŭea/ = tiger

ปะ /bpà/ = meet unexpectedly

จระเข้ / jaw-rá-kây/ = crocodile

5.

Thai Proverb: อย่าตัดสินคนจากภายนอก /yàa dtàt- sĭn kon jàak paai-nâwk/

English Proverb: You can’t judge a book by its cover.

Meaning: You cannot know what something or someone is like by looking only at that person or thing’s appearance.

Vocabulary:

อย่า /yàa/ = Don’t

ตัดสิน / dtàt- sĭn/ = to judge

คน  /kon/ = people

จาก  /jàak/ = from

ภายนอก  /paai-nâwk/ = exterior ; external

6.

Thai Proverb: ได้อย่างเสียอย่าง /dâai yàang sĭa yàang/

English Proverb:You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

Meaning: Something that is bittersweet. Getting a good half and a bad half to something.

If you eat your cake, you won’t have it anymore, will you? So you can’t do both. This proverb is about having two opposite desires, and how it’s impossible to get both because the options conflict with each other, so they can only pick one.

Vocabulary:

ได้ /dâai/ = to receive , to get

เสีย /sĭa/ = to lose

อย่าง /yàang/ = classifier for things

7.

Thai Proverb: กันไว้ดีกว่าแก้ / gan wái dii gwàa gâe/

English  Proverb:Prevention is better than cure.

Meaning: It is better to stop something bad from happening than it is to deal with it after it has happened.

Vocabulary:

กัน /gan/ = to prevent

ดีกว่า /dii gwàa/ = better

แก้ /gâe/ = repair, fix, solve

8.

Thai Proverb: ตบมือข้างเดียวไม่ดัง /dtòb mue kâang diao mâi dang/

English Proverb: It takes two to make a quarrel or it takes two to tango.

Meaning: Said when you want to emphasise that both people involved in a difficult situation must accept the blame, or that an activity needs two people who are willing to take part for it to happen. Just as one person can’t tango (a Spanish dance with two people) alone, two people are responsible for some situations, so you can’t just blame one person.

Vocabulary:

ตบมือ / dtòb mue/ = clap hands

ข้าง /kâang/ = side

เดียว /diao/ = one

ดัง /dang/ = loud

9.

Thai Proverb: หัวเราะทีหลังดังกว่า / hŭa-ró tii-lăang dang gwàa/

English Proverb: He who laughs best laughs last.

Meaning: Said to emphasize that the person who has control of a situation in the end is most successful, even if other people had seemed originally to have an advantage

Vocabulary:

หัวเราะ / hŭa-ró/ = to laugh

ทีหลัง / tii-lăang/ = later, after

ดัง /dang/ = loud

กว่า /gwàa/ = more

10.

Thai Proverb: รำไม่ดีโทษปี่โทษกลอง /ram mâi dii toot bpìi toot glawng/

English  Proverb: A bad work man always blames his tool.

Meaning: Said when someone has blamed a mistake or failure on the things that they use to work.

รำ /ram/ = to do Thai-style dance

โทษ /toot/ = blame

ปี่ /bpìi/ = Thai flute

กลอง /glawng/ = drum