ขาว
kǎaoMeanings
1AdjectiveA1
white (color)
having the color white
Examples
กระดาษgrà-dàatกระดาษgrà-dàat1paper (material)2sheet of paper; piece of paper3paper; written or printed sheetแผ่นpɛ̀nแผ่นpɛ̀n1sheet; slab; panel2classifier for flat items3disc; recordนี้níiนี้níi1this (near speaker)2this one3this; the present (time/topic)ขาวkǎaoขาวkǎao1white (color)2fair-skinned; light-complexioned3[to] be white; be fair-skinnedมากmâakมากmâak1very; extremely2much; a lot; greatly3many; numerous
This sheet of paper is very white.
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The snowball is white.
I bought a white shirt to wear to work.
The living room wall is painted entirely white.
2AdjectiveA2
fair-skinned; light-complexioned
having light-colored skin or a pale complexion
Examples
เธอtəəเธอtəə1you (informal; familiar)2she; herผิวpǐuผิวpǐu1skin2surface3complexion; skin toneขาวkǎaoขาวkǎao1white (color)2fair-skinned; light-complexioned3[to] be white; be fair-skinnedมากmâakมากmâak1very; extremely2much; a lot; greatly3many; numerousจนjonจนjon1poor2until; up to3so ... that; to the point ofต้องdtɔ̂ngต้องdtɔ̂ng1must; have to2must; bound toทาtaaทาtaa1[to] apply; spread (a substance)2[to] coat; paint (surface)ครีมกันแดดkriim-gan-dɛ̀ɛtครีมกันแดดkriim-gan-dɛ̀ɛtsunscreenทุกวันtúk-wanทุกวันtúk-wan1every day; daily2daily; occurring every day
She has very fair skin, so she has to put on sunscreen every day.
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When I was a kid, my skin was fairer because I hardly went out in the sun.
พ่อpɔ̂ɔบอกว่าbɔ̀ɔk-wâaแม่mɛ̂ɛผิวpǐuขาวkǎaoขึ้นkʉ̂nหลังจากlǎng-jàakดูแลตัวเองduu-lɛɛ-dtuua-eengมากขึ้นmâak-kʉ̂n
Dad said Mom's complexion became fairer after she took better care of herself.
นักแสดงnák-sà-dɛɛngคนนี้kon-níiขึ้นkʉ̂nกล้องglɔ̂ngดีdiiเพราะprɔ́ผิวpǐuขาวkǎaoและlɛ́โทนtoonผิวpǐuสม่ำเสมอsà-màm-sà-mə̌ə
This actor looks good on camera because of his fair and even skin tone.
3NounB1
white (color)
the color white, especially when referring to colors or contrasting white with another color
Examples
บนbonบนbon1on; upon; in; above2upper; top3[to] vow (at a shrine)ผนังpà-nǎngผนังpà-nǎng1wall (of a room/building)2wall (anatomy/biology)มีmiiมีmii1[to] have; possess2there is/are; exist3[to] experience; undergoคราบkrâapคราบkrâap1stain; deposit; residue2crust; dried film3trace; remnantขาวkǎaoขาวkǎao1white (color)2fair-skinned; light-complexioned3[to] be white; be fair-skinnedเป็นวงbpen-wongเป็นวงbpen-wong1in a circle2circular; ring-shapedใหญ่yàiใหญ่yài1big; large2major; important3elder; seniorจากjàakจากjàak1from; away from2[to] leave; depart; part from3nipa palmปูนbpuunปูนbpuun1cement; mortar; plaster2lime (quicklime/slaked lime)3betel lime pasteเก่าgàoเก่าgào1old; not new2former; previous3old-fashioned; outdated
There is a large white patch on the wall from old plaster.
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เช้านี้cháao-níiทุ่งนาtûng-naaเต็มไปด้วยdtem-bpai-dûuaiหมอกmɔ̀ɔkขาวkǎaoที่tîiลอยlɔɔiต่ำdtàmเหนือnʉ̌ʉaยอดหญ้าyɔ̂ɔt-yâa
This morning the fields were covered with white fog floating low above the grass.
นักวิทยาศาสตร์nák-wít-tá-yaa-sàatเก็บgèpตัวอย่างdtuua-yàangผงpǒngขาวkǎaoจากjàakพื้นpʉ́ʉnห้องปฏิบัติการhɔ̂ng-bpà-dtì-bàt-gaanไปตรวจbpai-dtrùuat
The scientist collected a sample of white powder from the lab floor for testing.
บนbonยอดเขาyɔ̂ɔt-kǎoมีmiiแถบtɛ̀ɛpขาวkǎaoของkɔ̌ɔngหิมะhì-máที่tîiยังyangไม่mâiละลายlá-laaiตัดกับdtàt-gàpสีเขียวsǐi-kǐiaoของป่าkɔ̌ɔng-bpàaอย่างเด่นชัดyàang-dèen-chát
On the mountaintop, a white band of unmelted snow contrasts sharply with the green of the forest.
4VerbB2
[to] be white; be fair-skinned
to have a white color or a light complexion
Examples
เสื้อsêuuaเสื้อsêuua1shirt; top2jacket; coat3classifier: ตัวที่têeที่têe1place; spot; seat; space2at; in; to (a place)3classifier: places; seats; individual servings4that/which/who (relative marker)5when; the time that (time marker)6ordinal markerซักsákซักsák1[to] wash (clothes)2about; approximately (before numbers)3[to] interrogate; question closelyด้วยdûuayด้วยdûuay1with; together with2also; too; as well3by; by means of; using4because of; due to5because; since (formal/literary)6request particle; please; tooน้ำยาnám yaaน้ำยาnám yaa1solution; liquid agent2ability; effectiveness (slang)3semen (slang)ชนิดchà-nítชนิดchà-nít1kind; type; category2classifier for kinds/types3species; kind (biology)นี้néeนี้née1this (near speaker)2this one3this; the present (time/topic)จะjàจะjà1will; shall (future/intention marker)2about to; going to (near future, often w/ กำลังจะ)3will; would (in conditional results)ค่อยๆkôi kôiค่อยๆkôi kôi1slowly; gently2gradually; little by littleขาวkăaoขาวkăao1white (color)2fair-skinned; light-complexioned3[to] be white; be fair-skinnedขึ้นkêunขึ้นkêun1[to] go up; rise; ascend2[to] increase3[to] board; get on4result complement: upward/better5postverbal particle: onset or occurrence6[to] sprout; grow; appear7northward/up-countryหลังlăngหลังlăng1back (of body)2rear; back (part)3behind; at the back of4after; later than5CL: building; house; structureซักsákซักsák1[to] wash (clothes)2about; approximately (before numbers)3[to] interrogate; question closelyไม่กี่mâi gèeไม่กี่mâi gèea few; not manyครั้งkrángครั้งkráng1time; occasion; instance2classifier for occurrences or times
Shirts washed with this detergent gradually become white after a few washes.
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ผงpǒngฟอกขาวfɔ̂ɔk-kǎaoทำให้tam-hâiผ้าpâaปูbpuuโต๊ะdtóที่tîiเหลืองlʉ̌ʉangอยู่yùuกลับglàpขาวkǎaoเหมือนmʉ̌ʉanใหม่mài
Bleaching powder makes the yellowed tablecloth become white like new.
เมื่อmʉ̂ʉaเราraoตากdtàakกระดาษgrà-dàatไว้wáiกลางแดดglaang-dɛ̀ɛtหมึกmʉ̀kที่tîiซีดลงsîit-longทำให้tam-hâiพื้นpʉ́ʉnกระดาษgrà-dàatดูเหมือนduu-mʉ̌ʉanขาวkǎaoขึ้นkʉ̂n
When we leave the paper in the sun, the fading ink makes the paper’s background seem to become white.
ช่างภาพchâng-pâapตั้งค่าdtâng-kâaแสงsɛ̌ɛngให้hâiพื้นหลังpʉ́ʉn-lǎngขาวkǎaoสนิทsà-nìtเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaทำให้tam-hâiวัตถุwát-tùหลักlàkดูduuขาวkǎaoและlɛ́เด่นชัดdèen-chátขึ้นkʉ̂n
The photographer set the lighting so the background becomes pure white, in order to make the main subject look white and stand out.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classHigh class
- Tone markNo tone mark
- Syllable endingLive syllableEnds in -ว, a sonorant, so it is live.
High class consonants
ขฃฉฐถผฝศษสห
Result
Rising tone
kǎao
Dips low first, then rises clearly.
High class + No tone mark + Live syllable → Rising
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 | — | — |