กวน
guuanMeanings
1VerbA2
[to] stir; mix by stirring
to move a substance around with a tool to mix or prevent sticking, especially while cooking
Examples
ช่วยchûuaiช่วยchûuai1[to] help; assist [sb/sth]2please (request marker)3[to] save; rescue [sb]กวนguuanกวนguuan1[to] stir; mix by stirring2[to] disturb; bother; annoy3annoying; provoking (informal)4[to] cook down by stirring; stir until thickซุปsúpซุปsúpsoupในnaiในnai1in; inside; within2during; in (time)3of; belonging to (formal)หม้อmɔ̂ɔหม้อmɔ̂ɔ1pot; cooking pot2jar; pot (earthen/ceramic)3electric rice cooker (colloquial)4transformer (colloq.)หน่อยnɔ̀iหน่อยnɔ̀i1a little; a bit2polite softener (request)มันmanมันman1it (thing/animal)2greasy; oily; fatty3fun; thrilling; highly entertaining4he/she (colloquial, impolite)5starchy tuber; tuberous crop6fat; grease7creamy; rich (texture/taste)จะjàจะjà1will; shall (future/intention marker)2about to; going to (near future, often w/ กำลังจะ)3will; would (in conditional results)ติดdtìtติดdtìt1[to] stick; attach; fasten2[to] be stuck; be attached; adhere3[to] catch; pick up (disease/odor/habit)4addicted to; hooked on; attached to5close to; adjacent; touching; contiguous6owing; indebted; behind on payments7busy; occupied; tied up8[to] catch fire; light; start; come on9[to] follow closely; keep close toก้นgônก้นgôn1buttocks; butt; rear2bottom; base (of a container/object)3tail end; back end; bottom4butt (of a cigarette)
Please stir the soup in the pot or it will stick to the bottom.
3 more examplesShow less
เมื่อวานmêuua waanแม่mâeบอกให้bòk hâiฉันchănกวนguanแกงgaengอย่างyàangช้าcháaๆ-เพื่อไม่ให้pêuua mâi hâiไหม้mâi
Yesterday my mom told me to stir the curry slowly so it wouldn’t burn.
I’ll keep stirring the porridge; you go chop the vegetables first.
พ่อครัวpɔ̂ɔ-kruuaกำชับgam-chápให้hâiกวนguuanซอสsɔ́ɔtตลอดเวลาdtà-lɔ̀ɔt-wee-laaเพราะprɔ́ถ้าtâaหยุดyùtซอสsɔ́ɔtจะjàจับตัวเป็นก้อนjàp-dtuua-bpen-gɔ̂ɔn
The chef insisted on stirring the sauce constantly, because if you stop, it will clump.
2VerbB1
[to] disturb; bother; annoy
to trouble, inconvenience, or irritate someone
Examples
ขอโทษkɔ̌ɔ-tôotขอโทษkɔ̌ɔ-tôot1sorry; excuse me2[to] apologize (to [sb]) (for)ที่tîiที่tîi1place; spot; seat; space2at; in; to (a place)3classifier: places; seats; individual servings4that/which/who (relative marker)5when; the time that (time marker)6ordinal markerโทรtooโทรtoo[to] call; phoneดึกdʉ̀kดึกdʉ̀k1late at night; late2late at nightนะnáนะná1softener; friendly particle2persuasive/confirming particleเราraoเราrao1we; us2I; me (informal/regional)ไม่mâiไม่mâi1not (negator)2no (reply)อยากyàakอยากyàak1[to] want; desire2to crave; to long forกวนguuanกวนguuan1[to] stir; mix by stirring2[to] disturb; bother; annoy3annoying; provoking (informal)4[to] cook down by stirring; stir until thickคุณkunคุณkun1you (polite)2Mr.; Ms.; Mrs. (title)3quality; virtue; merit
Sorry for calling late; I don't want to trouble you.
3 more examplesShow less
เสียงsǐiangก่อสร้างgɔ̀ɔ-sâangหน้าบ้านnâa-bâanกวนguuanฉันchǎnทั้งเช้าtáng-cháoทำให้tam-hâiทำงานtam-ngaanไม่ค่อยmâi-kɔ̂iได้dâai
The construction noise in front of my house irritated me all morning and made it hard to work.
เธอterบอกbòkเพื่อนpêuuanตรงdtrongๆ-ว่าwâaอย่าyàaทักtákตอนdtonประชุมbprà-chumเพราะpráwข้อความkôr kwaamเด้งdêngขึ้นมาkêun maaมันmanกวนguanสมาธิsà-maa-tí
She told her friend directly not to text during the meeting because the pop-ups disrupt her concentration.
ถ้าtâaขอkɔ̌ɔความช่วยเหลือkwaam-chûuai-lʉ̌ʉaตอนนี้dtɔɔn-níiจะjàกวนguuanเกินไปgəən-bpaiไหมmǎiฉันchǎnกลัวgluuaรบกวนróp-guuanตารางงานdtaa-raang-ngaanคุณkun
Would it be too much of a bother to ask for help now? I’m afraid of inconveniencing your schedule.
3AdjectiveB2
annoying; provoking (informal)
describing someone who behaves in a teasing or irritating way
Examples
เขาkǎoเขาkǎo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillชอบchɔ̂ɔpชอบchɔ̂ɔp1[to] like; be fond of2tend to; usually3be proper; be fitting (formal)พูดpûutพูดpûut1[to] speak; talk2[to] say; speak3[to] tell; talk aboutกวนguuanกวนguuan1[to] stir; mix by stirring2[to] disturb; bother; annoy3annoying; provoking (informal)4[to] cook down by stirring; stir until thickเวลาwee-laaเวลาwee-laa1time2time; period; occasion3when; at the time (that)4classifier: scheduled occasions; meals; dosesเพื่อนpʉ̂ʉanเพื่อนpʉ̂ʉan1friend2classmate; colleague (peer)3companion; fellowกำลังgam-langกำลังgam-lang1currently; in the middle of2power; strength3power (physics)4troops; forcesจริงจังjing-jangจริงจังjing-jang1serious; earnest2seriously; earnestlyทำให้tam-hâiทำให้tam-hâi1[to] make; cause [sb/sth] to [do/be sth]; render2[to] do/make [sth] for [sb]บรรยากาศban-yaa-gàatบรรยากาศban-yaa-gàat1atmosphere; ambience2atmosphere (gaseous envelope)เสียsǐiaเสียsǐia1broken; out of order2spoiled; ruined; gone bad3[to] pay4[to] lose; forfeit; waste5[to] die; pass away6particle marking emphasis, completion, or decisiveness
He likes to be teasing and annoying when friends are being serious, which ruins the mood.
3 more examplesShow less
น้องชายnóng chaaiชอบchôpแกล้งglâengกวนๆguuan guuanจนjonฉันchănทนไม่ไหวton mâi wăiต้องdtôngหนีไปnĕe bpaiอ่านหนังสือàan năng-sĕuเงียบๆngîiap ngîiap
My little brother keeps teasing and being irritating until I can't stand it and have to escape to read quietly.
เธอtəəไม่ชอบmâi-chɔ̂ɔpคุยkuiกับgàpคนkonที่tîiชอบchɔ̂ɔpใช้cháiมุกmúkกวนguuanประสาทbprà-sàatเพราะprɔ́รู้สึกrúu-sʉ̀kไม่mâiให้เกียรติhâi-gìiat
She doesn't like talking to people who use irritating, teasing jokes because it feels disrespectful.
พอporเขาkăoตอบdtòpแบบbàepกวนๆguuan guuanใส่sàiผู้ใหญ่pôo yàiหลายlăaiครั้งkrángเข้าkâoก็gâwเริ่มrêrmถูกtòokมองว่าmong wâaเสียsĭiaมารยาทmaa-rá-yâat
As he repeatedly responded in a teasing, irritating manner to elders, he began to be seen as rude.
4VerbB2
[to] cook down by stirring; stir until thick
to cook a mixture while stirring continuously until it thickens, especially when making preserves or sweets
Examples
ป้าbpâaป้าbpâa1aunt (older sister of father or mother)2auntie; middle‑aged/older woman (address)กำลังgam-langกำลังgam-lang1currently; in the middle of2power; strength3power (physics)4troops; forcesกวนguuanกวนguuan1[to] stir; mix by stirring2[to] disturb; bother; annoy3annoying; provoking (informal)4[to] cook down by stirring; stir until thickสังขยาsǎng-kà-yǎaสังขยาsǎng-kà-yǎa1Thai custard (sangkhaya)2Thai coconut custard spreadให้hâiให้hâi1[to] give; provide2[to] allow; let; permit3[to] have [sb] do; cause to4for (benefit of)5so that; in order to6until; to the point that (result)ข้นkônข้นkôn1thick; viscous (of liquid)2concentrated; rich (of substance/flavor)ก่อนgɔ̀ɔnก่อนgɔ̀ɔn1before; earlier; previously; first2previous; prior; formerราดrâatราดrâat1[to] pour over; [to] drizzle2[to] douse; [to] splash over3served with [sth] poured overบนbonบนbon1on; upon; in; above2upper; top3[to] vow (at a shrine)ขนมปังkà-nǒm-bpangขนมปังkà-nǒm-bpangbread
Auntie is stirring the custard until it thickens before pouring it on the bread.
3 more examplesShow less
Mom told me to keep stirring the jam until it starts to thicken.
เพื่อให้pʉ̂ʉa-hâiขนมชั้นkà-nǒm-chánเนียนniianเขาkǎoต้องdtɔ̂ngกวนguuanกะทิgà-tíกับgàpแป้งbpɛ̂ɛngอย่างสม่ำเสมอyàang-sà-màm-sà-mə̌əจนjonเกิดgə̀ətความข้นkwaam-kônมันman
To make smooth layered dessert, he must continuously stir the coconut milk with flour until it becomes thick and rich.
แม่ครัวmâe kruuaย้ำyámว่าwâaต้องdtôngกวนคัสตาร์ดguuan kát-sà-dtàatบนbonไฟอ่อนfai ònอย่างyàangไม่หยุดmâi yùtมือmeuuจนjonตั้งdtângยอดอ่อนyôt on
The cook emphasized that the custard must be stirred over low heat without stopping until it reaches a soft peak.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classMid class
- Tone markNo tone mark
- Syllable endingLive syllableEnds in -น, a sonorant, so it is live.
Mid class consonants
กจฎฏดตบปอ
Result
Mid tone
guuan
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 | — | — |