ขวาก
kwàakMeanings
1NounB2
spike; caltrop
A sharp spike, peg, or caltrop (often made of bamboo or wood) placed on the ground as a trap or obstacle
Examples
สมัยก่อนsà-mǎi-gɔ̀ɔnสมัยก่อนsà-mǎi-gɔ̀ɔn1formerly; in the past; back then2the old days; former timesชาวบ้านchaao-bâanชาวบ้านchaao-bâan1villagers; locals; rural residents2ordinary people; laypeople; the public3folksy; colloquial; plain (as a modifier)ใช้cháiใช้chái1[to] use; employ2[to] spend (money); pay; expend3[to] require; take (time/effort/amount)4[to] tell [sb] to do [sth]; assign; orderขวากkwàakขวากkwàak1spike; caltrop2obstacle; impedimentไม้ไผ่máai-pàiไม้ไผ่máai-pài1bamboo (plant)2bamboo (material)เพื่อpʉ̂ʉaเพื่อpʉ̂ʉa1for; in order to2for the sake of; on behalf ofดักdàkดักdàk1[to] set a trap; ambush; lie in wait2[to] intercept; cut off (someone’s path or message)3[to] head off; preempt [sb]/[sth] (colloquial)สัตว์sàtสัตว์sàt1animal (non-human creature)2beast; brute (pejorative)ในnaiในnai1in; inside; within2during; in (time)3of; belonging to (formal)ป่าbpàaป่าbpàa1forest; woodland2the wild; wilderness3wild; undomesticated; uncultivated4jungle area (gaming)
In the past, villagers used bamboo spikes to trap animals in the forest.
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ระวังrá-wangเวลาway-laaเดินdernลุยluiหญ้าyâaสูงๆsŏong sŏongเพราะpráwอาจจะàat jàมีmeeขวากkwàakซ่อนอยู่sôn yòo
Be careful when walking through tall grass because there might be spikes hidden.
ทหารtá-hǎanขุดkùtหลุมพรางlǔm-praangและlɛ́ปักbpàkขวากkwàakไม้máaiแหลมlɛ̌ɛmไว้wáiรอบrɔ̂ɔpค่ายkâaiเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaป้องกันbpɔ̂ng-ganการgaanลอบโจมตีlɔ̂ɔp-joom-dtiiของkɔ̌ɔngศัตรูsàt-dtruu
The soldiers dug pitfalls and planted sharp wooden spikes around the camp to prevent enemy sneak attacks.
นายพรานnaai-praanวางwaangขวากkwàakอาบàapยาพิษyaa-pítซ่อนsɔ̂ɔnไว้wáiตามdtaamทางเดินtaang-dəənสัตว์sàtเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaดักจับdàk-jàpสัตว์sàtใหญ่yài
The hunter hid poison-coated spikes along the animal trail to trap large prey.
2NounB2
obstacle; impediment
A problem, difficulty, or barrier that blocks progress
Examples
ทุกtúkทุกtúk1every; each2every (interval/frequency)ธุรกิจtú-rá-gìtธุรกิจtú-rá-gìt1business (commercial activity)2business (company; enterprise)3business affairs; work mattersย่อมyɔ̂mย่อมyɔ̂m1small; modest-sized2naturally; as expectedมีmiiมีmii1[to] have; possess2there is/are; exist3[to] experience; undergoขวากหนามkwàak-nǎamขวากหนามkwàak-nǎam1obstacle; hardship2spikes; thornsที่tîiที่tîi1place; spot; seat; space2at; in; to (a place)3classifier: places; seats; individual servings4that/which/who (relative marker)5when; the time that (time marker)6ordinal markerเราraoเราrao1we; us2I; me (informal/regional)ต้องdtɔ̂ngต้องdtɔ̂ng1must; have to2must; bound toก้าวผ่านgâao-pàanก้าวผ่านgâao-pàan1[to] step past; pass beyond [sth]2[to] overcome; get through [sth]ไปให้bpai-hâiไปให้bpai-hâi[to] go give [sth] [to sb]ได้dâaiได้dâai1okay; sure; agreed2[to] get; obtain; receive3can; [to] be able to; may4[to] manage to; succeed in5actualized-action marker
Every business naturally has obstacles that we must overcome.
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เขาkǎoไม่เคยmâi-kəəiยอมแพ้yɔɔm-pɛ́ɛแม้mɛ́ɛจะjàเจอjəəขวากหนามkwàak-nǎamมากมายmâak-maaiในnaiชีวิตchii-wít
He never gives up even when facing many obstacles in life.
แม้mɛ́ɛเส้นทางsên-taangสู่sùuความสำเร็จkwaam-sǎm-rètจะมีjà-miiขวากหนามkwàak-nǎamมากมายmâak-maaiแต่dtɛ̀ɛเธอtəəก็gɔ̂อดทนòt-tonฝ่าฟันfàa-fanจนถึงjon-tʉ̌ngเป้าหมายbpâo-mǎaiในที่สุดnai-tîi-sùt
Even though the path to success had many obstacles, she persevered through them to finally reach her goal.
ผู้นำpûu-namที่ดีtîi-diiจะjàมองเห็นmɔɔng-hěnขวากหนามkwàak-nǎamเหล่านี้lào-níiเป็นเพียงbpen-piiangบททดสอบbòt-tót-sɔ̀ɔpไม่ใช่mâi-châiอุปสรรคù-bpà-sàkที่tîiขวางกั้นkwǎang-gânความสำเร็จkwaam-sǎm-rèt
A good leader sees these barriers merely as tests, not as obstacles blocking success.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classHigh classConsonant clusterIn the cluster ขว, the first consonant ข sets the class.
- Tone markNo tone mark
- Syllable endingDead syllableEnds in -ก, a stop, so it is dead.
High class consonants
ขฃฉฐถผฝศษสห
Result
Low tone
kwàak
Starts low and stays low, easing slightly down.
High class + No tone mark + Dead syllable → Low
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 | — | — |