The "Too" Excuse

My children always want to know what is for supper. Right after lunch, sometimes earlier, they start asking, "What is for supper?" I'm not sure why they want to know. But it has entered into our Thai lessons with Khun Moey. Last week, as usual, near the end of our lesson, they tried to ask "What is for supper?" in Thai. I asked Moey how to say, "It is too hot to cook." Her response revealed to me a new difference between Thai and American language and culture.

I realize that when I say it is "too hot to cook." I am putting responsibility for not cooking on the weather. It's not really my fault that I am not cooking supper; it is the weather's. In Thai, I had to say, "The weather is very hot; I don't want to cook." Now I have actually state that it is because I don't want to cook and the weather is just an excuse. There is no word in Thai for "too" as in "too much." It can be very late, very difficult, very wet; I can be very tired, very busy, very hot; things can be very expensive, very small, very spicy. I'm not sure if Thai people see it this way, but in English translation at least, taking too out of the language removes the ability to blame circumstances for our behavior.

Here are just a few excuses that would have to be changed in Thai:


"The skirt is too expensive," translates to "The skirt is very expensive; I don't want to buy it."

"The food is too spicy to eat," becomes "The food is too spicy; I can't eat it."

Thai language is too difficult to learn. changes to "Thai language is very difficult; I can't learn it."

"I'm too tired to plan for tomorrow's school," becomes "I am very tired; I don't want to plan for school."

"I'm too busy to read my Bible," changes to "I'm very busy; I don't have time to read my Bible."

The English sentence for the first three examples does not include "I." We can remove ourselves entirely from criticism. No one can blame me for not buying a skirt or not learning Thai; I'm not even in the sentence. But it Thai, it becomes clear that I am the one choosing to act or not act a certain way. In the last two sentences, the excuse seems plausible with the "too." It is not really my fault that I'm too tired or too busy. When I actually have to state "I don't have time to read my Bible," it sounds terrible. Then I realize that I need to take responsibility and do what needs to be done.

I'm sure there are plenty of ways to make excuses in Thai, but I've learned a to think about what I am saying more closely when I use the word "too." In Philippians, Paul states that he has learned to be content in whatever circumstances. I would like to learn the same, so I'm never "too busy," "too tired," or "too hot." Something is never "too difficult." I will lay aside the excuse and do what God would have me do. But if someone says something I agree with, I can say, "Me too!"