Moral and logical obligation (สมควร)

Moral and Logical Obligation (สมควร)

When you want to express that an action ought to be done because it is morally right, logical, or socially appropriate, use the modal สมควร (ought to) or สมควรที่จะ (it is fitting that). These are placed directly before the main verb.

You will frequently hear these modals used when discussing standards of behavior, such as needing to สำรวม (be composed) in your กิริยา (manners), or acting as a good แบบอย่าง (role model).

Conducting Oneself and Propriety

Society expects people to ปฏิบัติตัว (conduct themselves) well. A major part of this is choosing to ให้เกียรติ (honor / show respect to) others, especially elders or those in authority.

Knowing how to act appropriately in different contexts is referred to as knowing กาลเทศะ (propriety / literally "time and place").

Settings and Social Boundaries

Standards of etiquette apply no matter the setting—both ต่อหน้า (in front of / in someone's presence) and ลับหลัง (behind someone's back).

To state that a behavior is unfitting or that someone ought not to do something, simply place ไม่ before สมควร. This is particularly useful when correcting bad habits, such as when someone tends to ขัดจังหวะ (interrupt) a speaker, or gossips when others aren't around.