กาพย์
gàapMeaning
1NounC1
traditional Thai verse form
A classical Thai poetic verse form with fixed meters and set patterns (e.g., กาพย์ยานีกาพย์ยานีgàap-yaa-niiKap Yanee; Thai verse form (11-syllable line), กาพย์ฉบัง), used in traditional literature.
Examples
ครูสอนkruu sŏnให้เราhâi raoให้เราhâi rao1[to] give us; [to] give me2for us; for me3let us; allow me/usรู้จักrúu jàkรู้จักrúu jàk1[to] know; be acquainted with2[to] know how; be capable (from familiarity); be prudent withกาพย์ยานีgàap yaa-neeกาพย์ยานีgàap yaa-neeKap Yanee; Thai verse form (11-syllable line)และláeและláeand (coordinating)กาพย์gàapกาพย์gàaptraditional Thai verse formฉบังchà-bangฉบังchà-bangvisor; front guardซึ่งsêungซึ่งsêung1which; that (relative pronoun)2which/and this; introducing explanationเป็นbpenเป็นbpen1to be (identity/category/state)2to become3[to] know how; be able to (skill)4alive; living5[to] have; suffer from; be in (a condition)รูปแบบrôop bàepรูปแบบrôop bàep1form; format; pattern2design; template; modelคำkamคำkam1word; term2classifier for words/utterances3speech; saying; utteranceประพันธ์bprà-panประพันธ์bprà-pan[to] compose; author (literary/music)ไทยtaiไทยtai1Thai (language)2Thai; of Thailand3Thai personแบบดั้งเดิมbàep dâng-dermแบบดั้งเดิมbàep dâng-derm1traditional; old‑style; conventional2original (of the first/early form)3traditionally; in the original way
The teacher taught us about Kap Yani and Kap Chabang, which are traditional Thai verse forms.
3 more examplesShow less
ฉันchǎnอ่านàanกาพย์gàapเรื่องrʉ̂ʉangหนึ่งnʉ̀ngแล้วlɛ́ɛoสังเกตsǎng-gèetว่าwâaมีmiiจำนวนjam-nuuanพยางค์pá-yaangและlɛ́จังหวะjang-wàกำหนดgam-nòtตายตัวdtaai-dtuuaในnaiแต่ละวรรคdtɛ̀ɛ-lá-wák
I read a kap poem and noticed that each line has fixed syllable counts and rhythms.
นักเรียนnák riianต้องdtôngแต่งกาพย์dtàeng gàapตามdtaamฉันทลักษณ์chăn-tá-lákที่têeกำหนดgam-nòtทั้งtángจำนวนjam-nuuanครุkruลหุlá-hùและláeสัมผัสในsăm-pàt naiให้hâiครบถ้วนkróp tûuan
Students must compose a kap following the prescribed prosody, including the set heavy and light syllables and internal rhymes.
วรรณคดีไทยwan-ná-ká-dii-taiหลายlǎaiเรื่องrʉ̂ʉangใช้cháiกาพย์gàapเป็นbpenโครงสร้างkroong-sâangหลักlàkเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaควบคุมจังหวะkûuap-kum-jang-wàถ้อยคำtɔ̂ɔi-kamและlɛ́สร้างsâangสุนทรียภาพsǔn-tá-rii-yá-pâapตามแบบแผนdtaam-bɛ̀ɛp-pɛ̌ɛnโบราณboo-raan
Many Thai literary works use kap as the main structure to control the cadence of wording and create aesthetics in the traditional style.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
Why is กาพย์ said กาบ?
gàap
- Final soundAt the end of a syllable, พ is said like บ (p).Silent letterย์ is silent: the ◌์ mark cancels its sound.
The tone rules below use the spoken syllables.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classMid class
- Tone markNo tone mark
- Syllable endingDead syllableEnds in -พ, a stop, so it is dead.
Mid class consonants
กจฎฏดตบปอ
Result
Low tone
gàap
Starts low and stays low, easing slightly down.
Mid class + No tone mark + Dead syllable → Low
ย์ is silent here.
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 | — | — |