Contents | < previous | next >
LESSON 24.A. CONVERSATION
24.A.1.(a). GOR (ก็).

The letter ก็ GOR standing alone or in combination with certain other words occurs frequently in both conversation and writing and can be translated in a wide variety of ways, depending on just how it occurs, and in some cases cannot be translated at all.

Some of the more common usages are as follows.

  1. It frequently introduces the main sentence after a conditional clause and in this case comes after the subject of the main sentence if any.


    		 POR ROT FY TEUNG TEE ROW GOR JA PY RUPPRATAHN AH-HAHN GUN
    As soon as the train comes in we will go and eat together.
    พอรถไฟถึงที่ เราก็จะไปรับประทานอาหารกัน

    		TEE SUM NUK NGAHN MEE SAMEE-AN SORNG KON TOWNUN KOW GOR DTORNG TUM NGAHN HY DEE
    There are only two clerks in my office so they must work very well.
    ที่สำนักงานมีเสมียนสองคนเท่านั้น เขาก็ต้องทำงานให้ดี

  2. When used as a prefix to DY “can” or DEE “good” the combination carries the implication of uncertainty or indifference.


    		 PLOOK TEENY GOR DY
    ปลูกที่ไหนก็ได้

    		 You can plant it anywhere.

    		PY BAHN GOR DY ROR TEENEE GOR DY
    You can go home or wait here.
    It doesn’t matter which.
    ไปบ้านก็ได้ รอที่นี่ก็ได้

    		MAH MEU-A RY GOR DY
    มาเมื่อไรก็ได้

    		 You can come at any time.

    		TUM YAHNG NEE GOR DEE
    ทำอย่างนี้ก็ดี

    		 Do it like this is alright.

    		NEE GOR DEE NUN GOR DEE
    นี่ก็ดี นั่นก็ดี
    		 Either this or that will do.

  3. When used as a prefix to MEE “have” the combination means “... have either this or that”.


    		 AH-HAHN FARUNG GOR MEE AH-HAHN THAI GOR MEE
    We have either foreign food or Thai food.
    อาหารฝรั่งก็มี อาหารไทยก็มี

  4. When prefixed to certain words such as JING “true”, TOOK “correct” etc. it merely adds emphasis.


    		 NUN GOR JING
    		นั่นก็จริง
    		 That certainly is true.


    		NUN GOR TOOK
    		นั่นก็ถูก
    		 That is quite correct.

  5. Used as a suffix to LAAW “already” the combination means “and then”.


    		 PY RUP PEU-AN CHUN LAAW GOR GLUP MAH TEENEE
    Go and meet my friend and then come back here.
    ไปรับเพื่อนฉัน แล้วก็กลับมาที่นี่

    		OW NUM CHAH MAH HY ROW
    LAAW GOR PY REE-AK ROT TAAKSEE HY PEU-AN CHUN
    Bring us some tea and then go and call a taxi for my friend.
    เอาน้ำชามาให้เรา แล้วก็ไปเรียกรถแท็กซี่ให้เพื่อนฉัน

  6. In addition to the above usages, this particle very often occurs in sentences where it acts more like punctuation than anything else and is not translated at all.


    		 POM GOR JA TUM MEU-AN GUN
    I will do the same.
    ผมก็จะทำเหมือนกัน

    		TAH FON MY DTOK GOR JA RORN GERN PY
    If it doesn’t rain it will be too hot.
    ถ้าฝนไม่ตกก็จะร้อนเกินไป

The effective use of this particle can only be learned by constant practice and by listening to natural Thai speakers.

Contents | top of page | < previous | next >

Generated by Lyndon Hill on Thu Jul 20 18:40:34 BST 2006.

Copyright remains with the original authors.