#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Learn Thai Language >  >  som nam na

## ch1ldofthemoon

can someone tell me what som nam na means ?

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## Katana

> can someone tell me what som nam na means ?


You got what you deserved...


Sucked in ....


Serves you right...

Mark

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## Mid

karma bit you

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## trev

wife says "shame on you"

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## JoGeAr

> Serves you right...


That's the one.

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## ch1ldofthemoon

thanx,reason I asked was that first night I arrived in Chiang Mai,I got mow mak mak and fell over into a bar-b-q in some back street and burnt my hand quite badly. One of the thai`s I was with made the som nam na comment,but could`nt quite translate it into english for me.....

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## wefearourdespot

> can someone tell me what som nam na means ?


 som = two  nam = water   na = far away (e.g. Na Jomtien).
So what keeps two waters far away each other ? Obviously, an isthmus !
Therefore, "som nam na" = isthmus  :Smile:

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## mediamanbkk

I thought Som = Orange - where is Marmite and the other Thai language gurus?

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## snookmas

> I thought Som = Orange - where is Marmite and the other Thai language gurus?


taught na is face... orange water :smiley laughing:  face

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## kingwilly

Depends on the pronouciation, but I don't think that phrase has any thing to do with oranges.

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## pescator

It has not.

"Nam Som" besides from meaning orange juice also means vinegar by the way. Spelled the same way.
น้ำส้ม "nam som" som = falling tone.

สมน้ำหน้า
"som nam na"
literally "deserve water face" Doesn`t take alot of effort to figure out the meaning.

"som" rising tone meaning deserve.

สม "som" is also used in a word which I feel confident that the esteemed members of this board hear directed towards themselves on a regular basis.

เหมาะสม  Maw Som, appropriate.   :mid:

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## Chairman Mao

Serves you right.

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## mediamanbkk

Thanks for the explanations - I had better watch how I ask for an orange in future!

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## Gallowspole

As my Thai is shite, I stick 'sai chuu' on the end to make sure I don't get orange juice to sprinkle on my chips.  :Smile: 




> "Nam Som" besides from meaning orange juice also means vinegar by the way. Spelled the same way. น้ำส้ม "nam som" som = falling tone.

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## DaffyDuck

"Serves you/him/her right!"

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## pickel

Orange milk on your face.

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## hillbilly

> Originally Posted by Katana
> 
> Serves you right...
> 
> 
> That's the one.


That is the meaning, trust me on this one.  :Smile:

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## pickel

> That is the meaning, trust me on this one.


True, but it's not the "literal" translation.

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## Chico the Fox

Think of it like that fat kid, Nelson from the Simpsons, when he always goes "Ha ha" whenever anyone screws up.

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## DrB0b

> Originally Posted by hillbilly
> 
> That is the meaning, trust me on this one.
> 
> 
> True, but it's not the "literal" translation.


nor is



> Orange milk on your face.


The literal translation is 

"deserved or appropriate water in the face"

สม : deserved, appropriate (not orange, orange is spelled ส้ม and pronounced with a falling tone. สม is a rising tone)

น้ำ : water

หน้า : face, front of head

Why should we have to "trust you" on that one, Hillbilly? It's not a secret :Smile:

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## pickel

I'm not disagreeing with you Bob, but I heard that from a Thai.  :Confused:

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## DrAndy

Mind you, it is not a very nice thing to say

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## DrAndy

> Originally Posted by hillbilly
> 
> That is the meaning, trust me on this one.
> 
> 
> True, but it's not the "literal" translation.


 
nothing ever is, but he asked for the meaning

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## bkkbear

a thai girl i was with was complaining about some stuff and not looking where she was going almost got hit by a car and i stopped her, said som nom na for talking too much and not looking where she was going and she was upset  :Sad:  

it can be quite strong in thai i think if it isnt received in a playful manner :P

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## grasshopper

I prefer "some nom yais", especially "in ya face". :Smile:

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## Sean46

Nemesis!  :Smile:

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## somtamslap



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## mingmong

> Serves you right.


 and *such is Life*, no more no less, *Karma* but you dont have to say it as a nasty Remark, just a neutral response, that me 2bht.................

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## Bob63

> It has not.
> 
> "Nam Som" besides from meaning orange juice also means vinegar by the way. Spelled the same way.
> น้ำส้ม "nam som" som = falling tone.
> 
> สมน้ำหน้า
> "som nam na"
> literally "deserve water face" Doesn`t take alot of effort to figure out the meaning.
> 
> ...


Thx for explanation.
But for the dull-witted, pls explain what is so bad about getting water in the face ?
I could understand if it were mud in your face, but water ?

Is there some thai culture analogy I miss here ? Pescator, it did take a lot of effort for me to try to figure out, and I failed.

Siia na maak maak 
 ::spin::  :smiley laughing:

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## Dan

I'm not 100% certain but I'm fairly sure น้ำหน้า means _a person like that/you/her_ etc so สมน้ำหน้า just means it's appropriate for you.

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## taxexile

> น้ำหน้า means a person like that/you/her


it does, but used in a sarcastic and insulting way.

 Example: ผมเชื่อว่าน้ำหน้าอย่างเขา ไม่มีทางทำอะไรสำเร็จ, 

Thai definition: หน้า ซึ่งใช้ในความหมายแดกดัน รังเกียจ หรือ ดูหมิ่น เป็นต้น.

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## Bob63

> The literal translation is "deserved or appropriate water in the face" สม : deserved, appropriate (not orange, orange is spelled ส้ม and pronounced with a falling tone. สม is a rising tone) น้ำ : water หน้า : face, front of head


There seems to be disagreement on literal translation.

Does "som nam na" have anything to do with water ?
I

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## taxexile

no, in colloquial usage it means "serves you right", in other words "you deserved whatever bad thing just happened to you"

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## watdog

"what goes around, comes around"

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## Bob63

> no, in colloquial usage it means "serves you right", in other words "you deserved whatever bad thing just happened to you"


yes, yes, I got that the meaning is the same as "Serves you right".

I was curious about what the literal translation is. I think it is interesting to learn the background for such.
If it is "deserved water in the face", then I was wondering what is so bad about water in the face.
I mean at Song Kran people get drenched ?

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## Bob63

Any takers ?

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## Dan

I could be wrong, but I don't think _nam-na_ is analysable down to _nam_ and _na_. As I said in my post above, _nam-na_ means 'a person like x'.

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