#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Learn Thai Language >  >  Shame

## Mid

shame  (shm)_n._*

1. 

**a.*  A painful emotion caused by a strong sense of guilt, embarrassment, unworthiness, or disgrace.

*b.*  Capacity for such a feeling: Have you no shame?

*2.*  One that brings dishonor, disgrace, or condemnation.

*3.*  A condition of disgrace or dishonor; ignominy.

*4.*  A great disappointment.

_tr.v._ *shamed*, *sham·ing*, *shames* *

1.*  To cause to feel shame; put to shame.

*2.*  To bring dishonor or disgrace on.

*3.*  To disgrace by surpassing.

*4.*  To force by making ashamed: He was shamed into making an apology.

*Idiom:*  *put to shame

**1.*  To fill with shame; disgrace.

*2.*  To outdo thoroughly; surpass: Your productivity has put the rest of us to shame.

[Middle English, from Old English sceamu.]

shame - definition of shame by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.


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Does the Thai language have an equivalent word ?

If so how many times have you heard it used or seen it written ?

.

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## Spin

There are many many ways in Thai to express shame. Visit some websites to learn more.

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## Zooheekock

ความละอาย (kwam-la-eye) maybe (as the abstract noun) but there's probably a better translation. It's something that I've read a few times (though where I can't now remember). And, in case you're tempted, the 'language x doesn't have a word for y' thing is not often a profitable argument - the same underlying event/experience can be manifested in many different ways which are missed by expecting a word-for-word translation.

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## BaitongBoy

Maybe "face" could be considered here?...

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## Mid

> the same underlying event/experience can be manifested in many different ways which are missed by expecting a word-for-word translation.


fair point , so does the emotion of shame manifest itself in Thai life on an equivalent frequency to western ?

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## taxexile

thais very often find (dream up) justification for their misdeeds thus reducing the need for them to feel shame and dishonour, and it is rare for one thai to heap shame on one another. i think the grovelling forced apologies sometimes seen in the press are the nearest thing to being dishonoured here. the facts of the matter are not dwelt upon and best left unsaid and the assumption is i suppose that it will be dealt with in the next life.

just an admission of guilt is enough here. in the west admission is the first phase in the lengthy process of public humiliation deserved/suffered by the shameful and disgraced.

shame in thai , kwaam la aai jai and kwaam abp aai, excuse the poor alliteration.

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## The Ghost Of The Moog

> Originally Posted by Zooheekock
> 
> the same underlying event/experience can be manifested in many different ways which are missed by expecting a word-for-word translation.
> 
> 
> fair point , so does the emotion of shame manifest itself in Thai life on an equivalent frequency to western ?


Stop trolling the language forum with your political agenda.

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## Mid

thanxs tax , good explanation

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## Zooheekock

> Originally Posted by Zooheekock
> 
> the same underlying event/experience can be manifested in many different ways which are missed by expecting a word-for-word translation.
> 
> 
> fair point , so does the emotion of shame manifest itself in Thai life on an equivalent frequency to western ?


As infrequently, you mean? I've no idea. How would you measure occurrences of shame? What kind of quantitative measures could you use to make reliable comparisons? And what would the answer tell you?

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## Boon Mee

> Originally Posted by Mid
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Originally Posted by Zooheekock
> ...


We have another thread going too where Thai men get a good bashing for not being just like us.

To answer the OP's question, the emotion of shame manifests itself within a Thai's persona as loss of face.  Nothing more complicated than that. 

You gonna machine-gun some more Reds my way now are ya Mid?  :mid:

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## Mid

> How would you measure occurrences of shame?


Shame - Google Search




> And what would the answer tell you?


whether or not Thai's feel the emotion .

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## Boon Mee

> whether or not Thai's feel the emotion .


Not familiar with the British author Rudyard Kipling are you Mid?

"East is east and west is west and never the twain shall meet"

Thais don't feel nor think like farang. 

How long have you been here?  Honest question - not attempting to wind you up...

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## Orroz

Always surprises me that when faced with shame, Thais tend to smile or worse still start laughing. It's something I can't get my head around but it seems to work for them.

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## Boon Mee

> Always surprises me that when faced with shame, Thais tend to smile or worse still start laughing. It's something I can't get my head around but it seems to work for them.


Yep, it is what it is and that's the Thai way of dealing with possible 'shame'.

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## taxexile

its their response to embarrasment.

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## Boon Mee

> its their response to embarrasment.


And you really don't want to embarrass Thais for whatever reason.  There are more subtle methods of exacting 'payback' that do not create overt 'shame'.

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## Orroz

> its their response to embarrasment.


Well, it's ours too unless we take ourselves too seriously.

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## Bangyai

> Thais very often find (dream up) justification for their misdeeds .


Not exactly alone in doing that though are they ?

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## taxexile

no they are not, but they do have a unique way of shifting responsibility to the injured party.

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## DrAndy

that is called "blame" not "shame"

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## Boon Mee

> that is called "blame" not "shame"


Which ends up with one party having lost a bit of face.

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## Norton

Dozen words in Thai for shame. Expression is much the same as elsewhere.







> that is called "blame" not "shame"


Agree. Blame is when you get denial, shifting blame, smiles/laughing, anger, etc.

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## Boon Mee

> Dozen words in Thai for shame. Expression is much the same as elsewhere.


13 actually... :Smile: 

ความอัปยศ
shame, stigma

ความอับอาย
shame, disgrace

ความละอายใจ
shame, self-consciousness

หิริ
shame, modesty, bashfulness

ความอดสู
shame

ความขายหน้า
discredit, disgrace, shame
verb

ขายหน้า
shame, disgrace, feel ashamed

ขนาง
be abashed, be embarrassed, shame

ฉีกหน้า
humiliate, turn against, shame, disgrace, mortify, insult

ทำให้ขายหน้า
humiliate, degrade, disgrace, shame

เก้อเขิน
be abashed, be awkward, be bashful, shy, shame

ทำให้อับอาย
disgrace, shame

ทำให้ละอายใจ
shame

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