The wide use of mai-pen-rai ‘It's not substantial’ in Thai interactions and its relationship to the Buddhist concept of Tri Laksana

Abstract

For those who are studying Thai as a foreign language, the wide use of the expression mai-pen-rai ‘It's not substantial’ is difficult to analyze and to understand (Siwasariyanon, 1994). The present study aims at examining as to why this single expression is used in such a wide range of contexts. The paper first examines the actual uses of mai-pen-rai and classifies them into four functional categories that include a response to apologizing and thanking, a refusal strategy in the face of an offer, a remark of consolation, and a strategy to terminate verbal conflict. Then, the paper reveals that in spite of the different interactional functions, the core meaning of the expression is that whatever the speaker or the hearer has encountered, be it an offense, a favor, a misfortune or a disputed issue, is not substantial. As noted by Podhisita (1999), the meaning of mai-pen-rai is closely related to the Buddhist concept of the three characteristics of existence, namely Tri Laksana. According to Tri Laksana, everything is impermanent and so nothing is truly substantial. The uses of mai-pen-rai in the four interaction contexts share one thing in common. That is, they are involved with the attempt to detach the hearer from her/his concern by referring to the Buddhist ideology.