歪
wāi
The term 歪 (wāi) is the Chinese word for the Thai greeting 'wai'.
Meaning: Thai greeting (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is wāi.
Did you know?
- While the Thai 'wai' is a respectful greeting, the Chinese word 歪 carries a negative connotation of being crooked, dishonest, or unconventional.
- The Chinese character 歪 is an ideogram that literally combines the symbols for 'not' and 'straight'.
- If you describe someone's logic as 歪 (wāi), you are not just saying it is wrong, but that it is distorted or twisted.
Example conversation
Haoran and Xiaowen are talking about their trip to Thailand.
- 浩然 Haoran晓雯，你知道什么是歪吗？Xiǎowén, nǐ zhīdào shénme shì wai ma?Xiaowen, do you know what a wai is?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我知道，那是泰国的礼节。Wǒ zhīdào, nà shì Tàiguó de lǐjié.I know, it is a Thai etiquette.
- 浩然 Haoran我们可以尝试做个歪。Wǒmen kěyǐ chángshì zuò gè wai.We can try to do a wai.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen好主意，我也想试试。Hǎo zhǔyì, wǒ yě xiǎng shìshì.Good idea, I want to try it too.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 歪, CC BY-SA 4.0.
