ศาลาชุมนุม

[Tgeezer]

Interesting. .. ...
For me, with my "creative license translation"
A: คุณดื่มเหล้าได้ไหม
B: ดื่มได้ถ้าผมอยากดื่ม แต่ผมดื่มไม่เป็น ดื่มทีไรเมาทุกที ผมก็เลยไม่อยากดื่ม


I have seen ไม่เป็น used in constructs in this fashion before when declining an offer, although Thai language schools typically teach it as "physically unable" to do something or other.


Still interesting post. .. ..

I hope that เป็น is not taught as physical ability, unless the verb is physical, it is more a question of acquiring skill, until you've tried you can't say เป็น ไม่เป็น.

A one legged man cannot play Tarsan because he is deficient in the leg department to the value of one. He shouldn't try and it would be valid to say of him ไม่ได้. However if he wanted to be an expert at bridge, until he has tried you would say ไม่เป็น.

Who would ask a question like ตื่มเหล้าได้ไหม? (someone who was offering I hope.
The answer says what the questioner asks; Can you drink alcohol?
The answer offered says 'No I am not a killjoy, I just can't do it because mother nature has not equipped me with the ability to drink without getting pissed, so I don't like to drink at all.

If the answer were different ไม่ได้ you would assume that the person had a reason, on duty later, driving a car later etc.

[Jarvis1000]

A one legged man cannot play Tarsan because he is deficient in the leg department to the value of one. He shouldn't try and it would be valid to say of him ไม่ได้. However if he wanted to be an expert at bridge, until he has tried you would say ไม่เป็น.

Who would ask a question like ตื่มเหล้าได้ไหม? (someone who was offering I hope.
The answer says what the questioner asks; Can you drink alcohol?
The answer offered says 'No I am not a killjoy, I just can't do it because mother nature has not equipped me with the ability to drink without getting pissed, so I don't like to drink at all.

If the answer were different ไม่ได้ you would assume that the person had a reason, on duty later, driving a car later etc.

I think that gets to the heart of the question and this thread has gone to on to confirm my suspicion. I know the basic definition difference between ไม่ได้ and ไม่เป็น. What I am realizing as well is the subtle meaning not really explained in any grammar book that I have ever found. ไม่ได้ has more of an outside influence attached to it and ไม่เป็น has a more internal influence to it. ไม่ได้, though it can mean to lack the ability to do something, it implies the lack comes from something outside of my influence(I am a designated driver or I am working right now or some other factor outside of myself that is preventing me)

Since I don't drink alcohol for no other reason than I choose to abstain(though religion was a factor in that decision) ไม่เป็น is appropriate due to its implied interal lack of skill (even if my choice not to is due to other influences). I don't "know how" to drink alcohol because I never have and never will want to. To say any thing other than ไม่เป็น would imply that my inability to drink beer came from an outside source and not from inside.

That is the impression that I get(I know it was what I said originally, but I feel more confident in that assumption now)