กรรม
gamMeanings
1NounB1
damn it; what bad luck! (colloquial)
an exclamation of misfortune or trouble, expressing frustration about bad luck.
Examples
ลืมleuumลืมleuum1[to] forget2[to] leave behind (by forgetting)3forget to; omit unintentionallyเอาaoเอาao1[to] take; get; pick2[to] want (request/ordering)3[to] use; employ4[to] bring/take (for use)5marker: adverse consequence6come on; all right; go ahead7[to] have sex (vulgar slang)8auxiliary marking emphasis or resultกุญแจบ้านgun-jae bâanกุญแจบ้านgun-jae bâanhouse keyอีกแล้วèek láewอีกแล้วèek láewagain; once more (often with annoyance)กรรมgamกรรมgam1damn it; what bad luck! (colloquial)2karma; deed (Buddhist moral causation)3deed; act (with moral weight)4fate; consequence; retributionจริงๆjing jingจริงๆjing jing1really; truly; actually; indeed2really?!; seriously?!
Forgot my house keys again—what bad luck.
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Ordered the wrong size online again—truly my bad luck.
2NounB2
karma; deed (Buddhist moral causation)
in Buddhism, intentional actions (deeds) that bring corresponding results in this life or future lives.
Examples
พระท่านprá-tânพระท่านprá-tânthe venerable monk (honorific)สอนsɔ̌ɔnสอนsɔ̌ɔn1[to] teach [sb] [sth]2[to] instruct; train [sb]3[to] admonish; give moral guidanceว่าwâaว่าwâa1[to] say; tell2that (clause marker)3[to] think; consider; deem4[to] scold; reproach; criticizeกรรมgamกรรมgam1damn it; what bad luck! (colloquial)2karma; deed (Buddhist moral causation)3deed; act (with moral weight)4fate; consequence; retributionเกิดจากgə̀ət-jàakเกิดจากgə̀ət-jàak1[to] result from [sth]; be caused by [sth]; arise from [sth]2[to] be formed from; originate from; be produced byเจตนาjèet-dtà-naaเจตนาjèet-dtà-naa1intention; intent2[to] intend; do on purpose (formal)การทำgaan-tamการทำgaan-tamthe act of doing/making; execution; performanceดีdiiดีdii1good; of good quality2kind; virtuous3well; nicely4gall; bileหรือrʉ̌ʉหรือrʉ̌ʉ1or (choice/alternative)2or?; really? (question/finality particle)ทำtamทำtam1[to] do; make2[to] act; behave3[to] cook; prepare food4[to] do; carry out (work)5[to] cause; makeชั่วchûuaชั่วchûua1bad; poor (quality)2evil; wicked3for; throughout (a specified period)4classifier for periods of timeย่อมyɔ̂mย่อมyɔ̂m1small; modest-sized2naturally; as expectedมีผลmii-pǒnมีผลmii-pǒn1[plants] bear fruit2[to] have an effect (on); affect3be in effect; be valid4take effect; come into forceตามมาdtaam-maaตามมาdtaam-maa1[to] follow; come after2[to] ensue; result
The monk taught that karma arises from intention; good or bad deeds bring corresponding results.
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ชาวบ้านchaao bâanร่วมกันrûuam ganทำบุญtam bunเพราะpráwเชื่อว่าchêuua wâaกรรมดีgam deeจะjàส่งผลให้sòng pŏn hâiชีวิตchee-wítราบรื่นrâap-rêun
The villagers make merit together because they believe good karma will result in a smoother life.
ในnaiพุทธศาสนาpút-tá-sàat-sà-nǎaกรรมgamคือkʉʉการกระทำgaan-grà-tamที่tîiมีmiiเจตนาjèet-dtà-naaซึ่งsʉ̂ngสั่งสมsàng-sǒmเป็นเหตุให้bpen-hèet-hâiเกิดผลgə̀ət-pǒnทั้งtángในnaiชาติchâatนี้níiและlɛ́ชาติหน้าchâat-nâa
In Buddhism, karma refers to intentional actions that accumulate as causes yielding results in this life and the next.
ครูkruuอธิบายà-tí-baaiว่าwâaแม้mɛ́ɛคิดร้ายkít-ráaiก็gɔ̂เป็นbpenกรรมgamทางใจtaang-jaiและlɛ́ย่อมyɔ̂mมีmiiวิบากwí-bàakตามdtaamเหตุปัจจัยhèet-bpàt-jaiที่tîiก่อgɔ̀ɔไว้wái
The teacher explained that even ill intent is mental karma and will bear fruit according to the conditions one has set.
3NounB2
deed; act (with moral weight)
an intentional action, good or bad, considered in terms of its ethical quality.
Examples
เขาkăoเขาkăo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillตั้งใจdtâng jaiตั้งใจdtâng jai1[to] intend; mean to2[to] be determined; resolve3[to] pay close attention; concentrate4intentionally; on purposeทำtamทำtam1[to] do; make2[to] act; behave3[to] cook; prepare food4[to] do; carry out (work)5[to] cause; makeกรรมดีgam deeกรรมดีgam deegood deed; good karmaโดยdoiโดยdoi1by; via; through2in a ... way; -lyอาสาช่วยaa-săa chûuaiอาสาช่วยaa-săa chûuai[to] volunteer to helpคนแก่kon gàeคนแก่kon gàeelderly person; old personข้ามถนนkâam tà-nŏnข้ามถนนkâam tà-nŏn[to] cross the roadเป็นประจำbpen bprà-jamเป็นประจำbpen bprà-jamregularly; habitually; routinely
He intentionally performs good deeds by regularly volunteering to help the elderly cross the road.
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คำพูดkam pôotที่têeเราraoตั้งใจdtâng jaiพูดด้วยpôot dûuaiความหวังดีkwaam wăng deeนับเป็นnáp bpenกรรมดีgam deeแต่dtàeถ้าtâaพูดpôotเพื่อpêuuaทำร้ายใจtam ráai jaiก็gâwเป็นbpenกรรมชั่วgam chûua
Words we intentionally speak with goodwill count as good deeds, but if spoken to hurt, they are bad deeds.
การเลือกgaan-lʉ̂ʉakกระทำgrà-tamด้วยdûuaiสติsà-dtìและlɛ́เมตตาmêet-dtaaทำให้tam-hâiกรรมgamของเราkɔ̌ɔng-raoมีคุณภาพmii-kun-ná-pâapทางจริยธรรมtaang-jà-rí-yá-tamที่tîiดีขึ้นdii-kʉ̂n
Choosing to act with mindfulness and compassion improves the ethical quality of our actions.
แม้mɛ́ɛเป็นbpenเรื่องเล็กrʉ̂ʉang-lékการโกหกgaan-goo-hòkโดยdooiไตร่ตรองdtrài-dtrɔɔngแล้วlɛ́ɛoเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaผลประโยชน์ส่วนตนpǒn-bprà-yòot-sùuan-dtonก็gɔ̂ถือเป็นtʉ̌ʉ-bpenกรรมgamที่tîiมีmiiมลทินmon-tinทางtaangศีลธรรมsǐin-lá-tam
Even in small matters, a deliberate lie for personal gain is an action tainted in moral quality.
4NounB2
fate; consequence; retribution
an outcome viewed as the result or payback of one’s past actions; often used loosely as ‘what goes around comes around.’
Examples
เมื่อก่อนmêuua gònเมื่อก่อนmêuua gònformerly; previously; in the pastเธอterเธอter1you (informal; familiar)2she; herชอบนินทาchôp nin-taaชอบนินทาchôp nin-taagossipyคนkonคนkon1person; human2classifier: people3[to] stir; mix by stirringตอนนี้dton néeตอนนี้dton née1now; at the moment2this time/this moment (time noun)ไม่มีmâi meeไม่มีmâi mee1to not have; lack2there is/are not; does/do not exist3[reply] we don't have it; out of stockใครkraiใครkrai1who2anyone; whoeverเชื่อchêuuaเชื่อchêuua1to believe [sth/sb]2to trust; have faith in3to believe in (religion/ideology)4[to] heed; obey [sb]5on creditเธอterเธอter1you (informal; familiar)2she; herเลยloieเลยloie1at all; whatsoever (often in negatives)2so; thus; then (immediate result)3completely; absolutely (emphasis)4[to] pass; go beyond; exceedกรรมgamกรรมgam1damn it; what bad luck! (colloquial)2karma; deed (Buddhist moral causation)3deed; act (with moral weight)4fate; consequence; retributionตามทันdtaam tanตามทันdtaam tan1[to] catch up with [sb]/[sth]2[to] keep up with [sb]/[sth]จริงๆjing jingจริงๆjing jing1really; truly; actually; indeed2really?!; seriously?!
She used to gossip about people; now no one believes her. What goes around comes around.
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เธอtəəหัวเราะเยาะhǔua-rɔ́-yɔ́คนอื่นkon-ʉ̀ʉnเรื่องงานrʉ̂ʉang-ngaanพังpangสุดท้ายsùt-táaiโปรเจกต์bproo-jèekตัวเองdtuua-eengล่มlômก็gɔ̂คงkongเป็นbpenกรรมgamย้อนศรyɔ́ɔn-sɔ̌ɔn
She mocked others for failing at work, and in the end her own project collapsed—probably karma coming back around.
เขาkăoเคยkoeiเมินเฉยmern chŏeiต่อdtòปัญหาbpan-hăaคนอื่นkon èunพอporถึงคราวtĕung kraaoตัวเองdtuua engถูกtòokเมินmernบ้างbâangเลยloieพูดpôotว่าwâaนี่nêeสินะsì náกรรมตามสนองgam dtaam sà-nŏng
He used to ignore others’ problems; when he was ignored in turn, he said, ‘So this is karma biting back.’
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
Why is กรรม said กำ?
gam
- Vowel spellingThe double รร is read as a vowel (“a” or “an”), not as two ร.
The tone rules below use the spoken syllables.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classMid class
- Tone markNo tone mark
- Syllable endingLive syllableEnds in -ม, a sonorant, so it is live.
Mid class consonants
กจฎฏดตบปอ
Result
Mid tone
gam
Level, in your normal speaking voice.
Mid class + No tone mark + Live syllable → Mid
Tone chart
Every class and spelling pattern, with this syllable outlined.
| Mid class | High class | Low class | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No mark + live | Mid | Rising | Mid |
| No mark + dead short | Low | Low | High |
| No mark + dead long | Low | Low | Falling |
| Mai ek | Low | Low | Falling |
| Mai tho | Falling | Falling | High |
| Mai tri | High | — | — |
| Mai chattawa | Rising | — | — |
Word Breakdown
+
รมromรมrom1[to] fumigate; smoke-treat2fumigation; smoking (process)3[to] chemically darken (metal); patinate[to] fumigate; smoke-treatPart 2
กรรมgamกรรมgamdamn it; what bad luck! (colloquial)damn it; what bad luck! (colloquial)Word