คำช่วย
kam-chûuaiMeanings
1NounB1
particle (grammar)
a grammatical function word used with other words or clauses to mark their relationship or add grammatical, discourse, or expressive meaning
Examples
คำว่าkam-wâaคำว่าkam-wâathe word/term (introductory marker)นะnáนะná1softener; friendly particle2persuasive/confirming particleและlɛ́และlɛ́and (coordinating)ครับkrápครับkráppolite particle (male speaker)เป็นbpenเป็นbpen1to be (identity/category/state)2to become3[to] know how; be able to (skill)4[to] have; suffer from; be in (a condition)คำช่วยkam-chûuaiคำช่วยkam-chûuai1particle (grammar)2auxiliary elementที่tîiที่tîi1place; spot; seat; space2at; in; to (a place)3classifier: places; seats; individual servings4that/which/who (relative marker)5when; the time that (time marker)6ordinal markerทำให้tam-hâiทำให้tam-hâi1[to] make; cause [sb/sth] to [do/be sth]; render2[to] do/make [sth] for [sb]ประโยคbprà-yòokประโยคbprà-yòoksentence (grammar)นุ่มนวลnûm-nuuanนุ่มนวลnûm-nuuansoft; gentle; smooth (tone, manner, texture); tenderขึ้นkʉ̂nขึ้นkʉ̂n1[to] go up; rise; ascend2[to] increase3[to] board; get on4result complement: upward/better5postverbal particle: onset or occurrence6[to] sprout; grow; appear7northward/up-country
The words “na” and “khráp” are particles that make a sentence softer.
3 more examplesShow less
ในnaiภาษาไทยpaa-sǎa-taiคำช่วยkam-chûuaiอย่างyàangสิsìหรือrʉ̌ʉเถอะtə̀ช่วยchûuaiแสดงsà-dɛɛngน้ำเสียงnáam-sǐiangเชิญชวนchəən-chuuanหรือrʉ̌ʉขอร้องkɔ̌ɔ-rɔ́ɔngโดยdooiไม่mâiเปลี่ยนใจbplìian-jaiความkwaamหลักlàk
In Thai, particles like “sí” or “thoè” convey an inviting or requesting tone without changing the main proposition.
ผู้พูดpûu-pûutเลือกใช้คำlʉ̂ʉak-chái-kamช่วยchûuaiเช่นchênนะnáหรือrʉ̌ʉล่ะlâเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaปรับระดับbpràp-rá-dàpความสุภาพkwaam-sù-pâapและlɛ́ความใกล้ชิดkwaam-glâi-chítกับgàpผู้ฟังpûu-fang
Speakers choose particles like “na” or “là” to adjust politeness and closeness to the listener.
การวางgaan-waangคำช่วยkam-chûuaiท้ายtáaiประโยคbprà-yòokเช่นchênจังjangนะnáครับkrápสามารถsǎa-mâatสื่อsʉ̀ʉอารมณ์aa-romและlɛ́ท่าทีtâa-tiiของkɔ̌ɔngผู้พูดpûu-pûutได้dâaiละเอียดlá-ìiatขึ้นkʉ̂nโดยdooiไม่mâiเปลี่ยนbplìianเนื้อหาnʉ́ʉa-hǎaข้อความkɔ̂ɔ-kwaam
Placing particles at the end of a sentence, such as “jang na khráp,” can finely convey the speaker’s emotion and attitude without altering the content.
2NounB2
auxiliary element
a minor word used with a main verb or clause to mark aspect, mood, politeness, or sentence type
Examples
ในnaiในnai1in; inside; within2during; in (time)3of; belonging to (formal)ภาษาไทยpaa-sǎa-taiภาษาไทยpaa-sǎa-tai1Thai language2Thai-language; in Thai3Thai (school subject)คำช่วยkam-chûuaiคำช่วยkam-chûuai1particle (grammar)2auxiliary elementบางคำbaang-kamบางคำbaang-kamsome words; certain wordsใช้cháiใช้chái1[to] use; employ2[to] spend (money); pay; expend3[to] require; take (time/effort/amount)4[to] tell [sb] to do [sth]; assign; orderบอกbɔ̀ɔkบอกbɔ̀ɔk1[to] tell; inform2[to] tell; instruct; ask [sb] to do [sth]3[to] indicate; showแง่ngɛ̂ɛแง่ngɛ̂ɛ1aspect; angle; point of view2corner; edge; protruding pointเวลาwee-laaเวลาwee-laa1time2time; period; occasion3when; at the time (that)4classifier: scheduled occasions; meals; dosesและlɛ́และlɛ́and (coordinating)ลักษณะlák-sà-nàลักษณะlák-sà-nà1characteristic; trait; feature2form; shape; appearance3manner; mode; way4nature; character (abstract quality)5classifier: types/kinds/forms/featuresของkɔ̌ɔngของkɔ̌ɔng1of; belonging to2thing; item; stuff3property; goodsเหตุการณ์hèet-gaanเหตุการณ์hèet-gaan1event; incident; occurrence2situation; state of affairs3classifier: ครั้ง / เหตุการณ์เช่นchênเช่นchên1for example; such as2like; asอยู่yùuอยู่yùu1[to] live; reside; stay2to be (located); be at3progressive/continuative marker4to exist; remainที่tîiที่tîi1place; spot; seat; space2at; in; to (a place)3classifier: places; seats; individual servings4that/which/who (relative marker)5when; the time that (time marker)6ordinal markerบอกbɔ̀ɔkบอกbɔ̀ɔk1[to] tell; inform2[to] tell; instruct; ask [sb] to do [sth]3[to] indicate; showการgaanการgaan1nominalizer2work; business; task3affair; matterกำลังgam-langกำลังgam-lang1currently; in the middle of2power; strength3power (physics)4troops; forcesกระทำgrà-tamกระทำgrà-tam1[to] do; perform; act2[to] commit (an act/offense)3[to] treat; act toward
In Thai, some auxiliaries indicate time and aspect of events, such as ‘อยู่’ which marks ongoing action.
3 more examplesShow less
ครูkruuอธิบายà-tí-baaiว่าwâaคำช่วยkam-chûuaiวางwaangหลังlǎngคำกริยาkam-grì-yaaเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaบอกbɔ̀ɔkลักษณะlák-sà-nàเช่นchênไปbpaiกินginมาmaaใช้cháiมาmaaเป็นbpenคำช่วยkam-chûuaiบอกbɔ̀ɔkผลลัพธ์pǒn-láp
The teacher explained that auxiliaries are placed after verbs to mark aspect, as in ‘ไปกินมา’ using ‘มา’ as an auxiliary indicating resultant state.
ผู้เรียนpûu-riianควรkuuanแยกyɛ̂ɛkคำกริยาkam-grì-yaaแท้tɛ́ɛกับgàpคำช่วยkam-chûuaiเช่นchênได้dâaiในnaiได้dâaiอ่านàanแล้วlɛ́ɛoทำหน้าที่tam-nâa-tîiบอกbɔ̀ɔkมอดัลmɔɔ-danหรือrʉ̌ʉแอสเปกต์ɛ̀ɛt-bpèek
Learners should distinguish main verbs from auxiliaries; for example, ‘ได้’ in ‘ได้อ่านแล้ว’ functions to mark modality or aspect.
ในnaiการวิเคราะห์gaan-wí-krɔ́ประโยคbprà-yòokคำช่วยkam-chûuaiอย่างyàangเคยkəəiยังyangแล้วlɛ́ɛoแสดงsà-dɛɛngเส้นsênเวลาwee-laaและlɛ́สภาพsà-pâapของkɔ̌ɔngเหตุการณ์hèet-gaanโดยdooiไม่mâiเปลี่ยนbplìianความหมายkwaam-mǎaiหลักlàkของkɔ̌ɔngกริยาgrì-yaa
In sentence analysis, auxiliaries like 'khoei', 'yang', and 'laew' show the timeline and state of events without changing the main meaning of the verb.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
Why is คำช่วย said คัม-ช่วย?
kam-chûuai
The tone rules below use the spoken syllables.
2 syllables · pick one to see its rule
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classLow class
- Tone markNo tone mark
- Syllable endingLive syllableThe vowel ำ hides a final -ม, so it is live.
Low class consonants
คฅฆงชซฌญฑฒณทธนพฟภมยรลวฬฮ
Result
Mid tone
kam
Level, in your normal speaking voice.
Low 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
+
ช่วยchûuaiช่วยchûuai1[to] help; assist [sb/sth]2please (request marker)3[to] save; rescue [sb][to] help; assist [sb/sth]Part 2
คำช่วยkam-chûuaiคำช่วยkam-chûuaiparticle (grammar)particle (grammar)Word