In the chapter Understanding Lao Culture Bob wrote about how the “Lao are truly a people of the heart.” And then he included a list of expressions that include the word “jai” or “heart.” He then commented that a culture with so many shades of meaning based on the heart is a deeply sensitive culture and that one should bear this in mind before making a strong comment or taking direct action. And we would certainly agree.
Lao use the word for heart in so many expressions, for examples:
~ to understand is to enter the heart khao jai ~ to be glad is to feel good at heart di jai ~ to be angry is to feel bad in the heart jai hai ~ to be sorry is to have lost the heart sia jai ~ to have empathy is to see the hear hen jai ~ to feel upset is to be unhappy at heart out jai ~ to be sensitive (touchy) is to have a small heart jai noy ~ to be stingy is to have a narrow heart jai khap khaep ~ to be startled is to drop the heart tok jai ~ to be absent minded is to have a heart which floats jai loy ~ to hesitate is to have many hearts lai jai ~ to be worried is to have a sick heart bo sabai jai ~ to be content is to have a serene heart sabai jai ~ to be without worries is to feel cool in the heart jai yen ~ to be generous is to have a large heart jai kuang ~ to have a heavy heart thouk jai ~ to be happy souk jai ~ to be easily persuaded is to have an easy heart jai ngai ~ to be decisive jai det ~ to be bitter to the point of revenge is to have a black heart jai dam ~ to be charitable is to have a festive heart jai boun ~ to be generous is to be big-hearted jai nyai ~ to be impatient is to have a hot heart jai hon ~ to be patient is to have a persevering heart jai o thon ~ to be honest is to have a pure heart jai bolisud ~ to be brave is to have a daring heart jai ka ~ to be timid is to have a cautious heart jai bo kai ~ to control one’s emotions is to have a strong heart jai khart
i dont agree with the last one on that list..... it is NOT "jai khart"
it should be...... jai kang
It said "Jai khart" is corected. we use the word "jai khart " when something like this happened to you ...exp: Koi jah jai khart tai leo la der hen fan pai kub phou bao kon mai ...
is there any Lao word for 'frustrated' or 'frustration'? my English-Lao dictionary doesn't have it at all...though the English-Thai one does. makes me wonder if khon Lao are so jai yen they don't get frustrated at all :)
Some people may use " Jai Gar", "Jai Gar Jai Gut" or "Jai Geng" or either "Jai Geng Gar". It's all the same. It really throw everybody off when a lot of lao words are translated or used in term of French alphabet. A lot of Lao names are written in French aphabet. For example: Keng: in english, we would pronounce it differently than what the Lao word means ( "K" is not the same sound as "GOR", but we kind of understood. Geng witha "G" for "GOR" would be more appropriate to use.
Gheng or Geng is fine...at least that's how I see it.
Yes, it is true. I am having a hard time to read Lao in english spelling as well. It isn't easy to spell english in lao due to syllable in our language. I find it is quite challenge and fun........
i dont agree with the last one on that list..... it is NOT "jai khart"
it should be...... jai kang
" Jai Kang" what is meant....i asked my cousin they also don't understand of the meaning of this word, please explain.........
"Jai Kang" Pronounce " Jai Khaing" mean solid heart or they like to use in the army is " Iron Heart " People who has "Jai Kang" is not scare to be hurt, lost, even to be killed or die. People who's carried out suicide bomb and blew himself up is Jai Kang person. Can you do that? If you couldn't, that mean you are not "Jai Kang", you are "Jai Orn", "Jai Bor Kang" or "Jai Bor Kar".
