“Glass Shadow” and “Stairs Monkey”

Studying a new language is especially fun when it leads to seeing an old idea in a fresh way. Two examples:

Just as in English, the word for “glass” in Thai can mean both something to put in a window and something to see your reflection in.

But what if you want to distinguish a pane from a mirror? In English you might insert the adjective, “looking.” In Thai you tack on the word, “shadow.” If you say that you need a “glass shadow” in order to shave your whiskers, everyone will know which kind of glass you mean.

Likewise, distinguishing “stairs” from “ladder” (the same word) in Thai is easy. To be certain everybody knows you’re talking about the latter, add “monkey.”