Stu Jay Raj on Cursing, Dirty Talk & the Importance of Tones Part 2 [S6.E3]

Greg finishes up his interview with linguist and
raconteur Stu Ja Raj. Stu begins with a
classic: the super annoying fact that the Thai numbers 11 and 18
can be very difficult for foreigners to pronounce correctly. Stu
explains in detail the small differences in tongue placement that
make such a difference to Thai ears. This segues into a
discussion of the ultra-common word 'kap khun kap' and how even
this basic word for 'thank you' is often mispronounced by
foreigners.


Stu next explains the concept of 'kham puan,' which is a
Thai word for a type of pun or slang that involves switching
around the order of consonants or vowels in Thai to create funny
or indirect phrases for inappropriate (or indecent) things. More
or less Stu brings us into the Matrix of the creative use of the
Thai language by native speakers, as if learning 'straight' Thai
wasn't already hard enough. Greg follows with some of his own
hilarious missteps (quite literally, as he stepped on a sea
urchin but described it in Thai in a wildly inappropriate
manner).


Listen in for a fascinating walk through the minefield that
is the Thai language. Want more? Check out Stu on
YouTube.


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