He will help you only when he sees that you are useful to him.
เสร็จ and จบ compared in usage
Although both เสร็จ and จบ are completive verbs they differ somewhat in meaning and usage:
1.
เสร็จ to finish some activity (often of indefinite length and of temporary nature)
เขาทำงานเสร็จแล้ว
He has finished working.
เขายังทำไม่เสร็จ
He hasn't finished doing it yet.
2.
จบ to complete a task (often of prescribed duration, such as a course of study).
อีก๒เดือนผมจะเรียนภาษาไทยจบครับ
I'll finish the Thai course in 2 months.
เราดูหนังไม่จบ
We didn't see the movie to the end.
Note
Either เสร็จ or จบ may occur in sentences which are otherwise Identical. The selection of one over the other indicates a difference in emphasis or focus. With set the focus is on the activity in general; with จบ it is on the completion of a particular action.
เขาเขียนจดหมายเสร็จแล้ว
He has finished letter writing.
เขาเขียนจดหมายจบแล้ว
He has finished writing a (the) letter.
Drills
Recognition and familiarization drill
เมื่อวานนี้
yesterday
เมื่อเช้า
this morning (past time)
เมื่อบ่ายสองโมง
2 p.m. (it's later than that now.)
เมื่อคืน
last night
เมื่อเด็ก (ๆ)
in childhood
เมื่อผมมาถึงที่นี่ใหม่ ๆ
When I had just got here.
เมื่อผมยังทำงานอยู่ที่นั่น
When I was still working here.
Transformation drill
Pattern 1
Pattern 2
1.
เขาจะมาถึงเวลาบ่ายโมง
เขามาถึงแล้วเมื่อบ่ายโมง
He'll get there at 1 p.m.
He got here at 1.p.m.
2.
ผมจะทานเวลาห้าโมงเย็น
ผมทานแล้วเมื่อห้าโมงเย็น
I'll eat at 5 p.m.
I ate at 5 p.m.
3.
ผมจะพบเขาเย็นนี้
ผมพบเขาแล้วเมื่อเย็นนี้
I'll meet her this evening.
I met her this evening.
4.
เขาจะไปตอนเช้า
เขาไปเมื่อ(ตอน)เช้า
They'll go in the morning.
They went in the morning.
5.
เขาจะมาหาผมเวลาบ่ายโมง
เขามาหาผมเมื่อบ่ายมอง
He'll come to see me at 1 p.m.
He came to see me at 1 p.m.
Response drill
The instructor reads a cue sentence then forms a question based on it. A student gives a response to it. The instructor forms a second sentence, and the student answers that. Sentences and responses are based on the cue sentence.
1.
เมื่อเขาเรียนจบ เขาก็กลับมาเมืองไทย
When he finished his studies, he returned to Thailand.
Did you finish seeing the movie last night? (see to the end)
No, because we had to hurry home before it hurry home before it was over.
7.
คุณพูดจบไหมครับ
ผมพูดไม่จบครับ เพราะเขาให้เวลาผมน้อยเกินไป
Did you finish telling your story.
I didn't finish because they gave me too little time.
8.
คุณเรียนมหาวิทยาลัยจบปีไหนครับ
ผม(เรียน)จบปีพ.ศ. ๒๕๐๐
In which year did you graduate from the university?
I graduated in B.E. 2500.
9.
คุณจบจากมหาวิทยาลัยอะไรครับ
ผมจบจากมหาวิทยาลัยอินเดียนาครับ
What university did you graduate from?
I graduated from the University of Indiana.
Translation of basic episode: Part I
John is about to go visit a friend at the 7th Day Adventist Hospital. His friend has been ill for several days.
He had a servant to get a taxi (for him). He didn't want to go for one himself, because whenever taxis see a Westerner, they ask for higher fares.
The servant called a taxi for him. It was new. He told John the driver figured the fare from his house to the Adventist Hospital at 15 baht. John said it was too expensive. He had the servant bargain for 10. The taxi (driver) said that if he didn't get 12 baht, then he wasn't going because the traffic was heavy in that area.
The driver drove very fast. John asked him to drive slower, but the driver didn't listen to him at all. John didn't know what to do.
John didn't know at what time the hospital allowed one to visit patients. He got there too late, so he didn't get there in time to visit his friend. He called a taxi and told (the driver) to take him to the (Sunday) Market at the Pramane Grounds.
Translation of basic episode: Part II
John spent hours walking around at the Sunday Market. There were all kinds of things for sale there: things to use, plants, and pets. Some things were cheap; some expensive. John bought a lot of things. He bought toys for children and things to use for his wife. He bought unusual things that are not available in the U.S. for his mother and father. He thought he'd send some of these things to his mother and father in America at Christmas. He didn't know what he ought to give to his younger sister.
The shopping done, John goes home. While he is standing looking for a taxi, he meets a friend. His friend is name Saman. Saman studied in America. After he graduated, he returned to Thailand and worked as an employee of the Ministry of the Interior. He got a grant to go observe work (1) in America in 1960. John met Saman while John was studying Thai in America. At that time he met many Thais because when there are Thais visiting Washington, State Department officials introduce them to the students of Thai, because they want student to meet Thais and to practice speaking Thai with many Thais.
(1) An observation tour
Vocabulary
อำเภอ
district, a subdivision of a changwat
ดูงาน
to observe work, an observation
(ฝึก)หัด
to practice, drill, train
ขณะที่
while
คนไข้ (คน)
patients
ของเล่น (อย่าง)
play things, toy
เหล่านี้
these, this group
เหล่านั้น
those, that group
แนะนำ
to introduce, to advise, to suggest
คำแนะนำ
advice, suggestion, instruction
แปลก (ๆ)
to be unusual, to be strange
สมาน
male or female first name
สัตว์ (ตัว)
animal
สัตว์เลี้ยง (ตัว)
pet
ทุน (ทุน)
a grant, fund, investment, a scholarship, a fellowship