When you want to say if someone had or hadn’t done something, something else would or wouldn’t have happened, in Thai, we say “ถ้า(ไม่)… ก็คง(จะ)(ไม่)…” [tâa (mâi)… gâw kong (jà)(mâi)…]. Even though “คง(จะ)” [kong (jà)] translates to “probably,” the speaker is usually quite convinced about what they say. Therefore, “คงจะ” [kong (jà)] doesn’t always need to be translated.
Take a look at the examples below.
ถ้าฉันไม่ขอให้เขาช่วย เขาก็คงจะไม่ช่วย
[tâa chán mâi kǎw hâi káo châui, káo gâw kong jà mâi chûai]
If I hadn’t asked him for help, he (probably) wouldn’t have helped me.
ถ้าฉันเป็นเขา ฉันก็คงจะทำแบบเขา
[tâa chán pen káo, chán gâw kong jà tam bàep káo]
If I were him, I would (probably) have done what he did.
ถ้าผมขอเมียก่อน เรื่องก็คงจะไม่เป็นแบบนี้
[tâa phǒm kǎw mia gàwn, rêuang gâw kong jà mâi pen bàep níi]
If I had asked my wife first, things (probably) wouldn’t have turned out this way.
ถ้าเขาไม่รักผม เขาก็คงไม่แต่งงานกับผม
[tâa káo mâi rák phǒm, káo gâw kong mâi tàeng ngaan gàp phǒm]
If she didn’t love me, she (probably) wouldn’t have married me.
ถ้าเราพยายามเต็มที่ เราก็คงจะชนะ
[tâa rao payayaam tem tîi, rao gâw kong jà chaná]
If we had tried our best, we would (probably) have won.
ถ้าคุณไม่บอก ผมก็คงจะไม่รู้
[tâa khun mâi bàwk, phǒm gâw kong jà mâi rúu]
If you hadn’t told me, I (probably) wouldn’t know.
ถ้าฉันรู้จักเขาดีกว่านี้ ฉันก็คงจะไม่ให้เขายืมเงิน
[tâa chán rúujàk káo dii gwàa níi, chán gâw kong jà mâi hâi káo yeum ngern]
If I had known him better, I (probably) wouldn’t have lent him money.
ถ้าคุณไม่มา ปาร์ตี้ก็คงไม่สนุกอย่างนี้
[tâa khun mâi maa, party gâw kong mâi sanùk yàang níi]
If you hadn’t joined the party, it (probably) wouldn’t have been so much fun.
ถ้าคุณเก่งกว่าเขา คุณก็คงไม่แพ้
[tâa khun gèng gwàa káo, khun gâw kong mâi páe]
If you were better than him, you (probably) wouldn’t have lost to him.
You can use the fixed expression of “ถ้า(ไม่)…ก็คงจะดี” [tâa (mâi)… gâw kong jà dii] to express your wish for something. The literal translation is “It would be good if…” For example;
ถ้าคุณมาทันเวลาก็คงจะดี
[tâa khun maa tan welaa gâw kong jà dii]
It would be good if you had come on time.
(I wish you had come on time)
ถ้าเขาชอบฉันก็คงจะดี
[tâa káo châwp chán gâw kong jà dii]
It would be cool if he liked me.
(I wish he liked me.)
ถ้าสามีฉันไม่มีหนวดก็คงจะดี
[tâa sǎamii chán mâi mii nùad gâw kong jà dii]
It would be great if my husband didn’t have beard.
(I wish my husband didn’t have beard.)
ถ้าผมวาดรูปเป็นก็คงจะดี
[tâa phǒm wâad rûup pen gâw kong jà dii]
It would be excellent if I knew how to draw.
(I wish I knew how to draw.)
ถ้าน้องหยุดร้องไห้ก็คงจะดี
[tâa náwng yùt ráwng hâi gâw kong jà dii]
It would be awesome if my little brother stopped crying!
(I wish my little brother stopped crying.)
ถ้าฝนไม่ตกก็คงจะดี
[tâa fǒn mâi tòk gâw kong jà dii]
It would be perfect if it wasn’t raining.
(I wish it wasn’t raining.)
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