Breakdown of ผม ไม่เชิงว่า ย่าง เนื้อ ครับ
ครับ
polite particle (male)
ผม
I (male)
เนื้อ
meat
ไม่เชิงว่า
not exactly that / not entirely
ย่าง
to grill (raw meat, larger items)
Questions & Answers about ผม ไม่เชิงว่า ย่าง เนื้อ ครับ
How is using ไม่เชิงว่า here different from just saying ไม่ได้ย่าง (not grilling)?
Using ไม่ได้ย่าง is a direct denial meaning 'I am not grilling.' By using ไม่เชิงว่า instead, you soften it to 'not exactly' or 'not strictly speaking.' It implies you are doing something related—perhaps you are pan-frying or searing the meat, or maybe you are just helping prep it, rather than doing traditional grilling.
Why is ว่า needed after ไม่เชิง before a simple verb phrase like ย่างเนื้อ?
ว่า acts as a linking word (similar to 'that' in English) to frame the action being hedged. While you can use ไม่เชิง on its own in short replies, when you place it directly in front of the verb phrase you are modifying, you need ว่า to connect them. It translates literally to 'It is not exactly that...'
When I see the word เนื้อ on its own, does it mean any type of meat?
Although เนื้อ generally means 'meat' or 'flesh,' when used completely by itself in a food context, Thai speakers almost universally understand it as 'beef.' If the speaker were cooking pork or chicken, they would specifically say หมู or ไก่.
Can I change the word order and put the 'not exactly' part at the end of the sentence?
You cannot use ไม่เชิงว่า at the end, because ว่า must introduce a following clause. However, you can state the action first and then add ก็ไม่เชิง at the end. For example, ผมย่างเนื้อ ก็ไม่เชิงครับ means 'I am grilling meat... well, not exactly.'
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