คืบ
kʉ̂ʉpMeanings
1NounB1
span (hand measure); khuep
A traditional Thai unit of length equal to the span from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger when spread, about 20–25 cm.
Examples
เชือกchʉ̂ʉakเชือกchʉ̂ʉak1rope; cord; line2classifier for domesticated elephantsเส้นsênเส้นsên1line; stripe; thread-like length2noodle (food strand)3CL: strand-like things4tendon; nerve; sinew5route; line (service/path)6connections; pull (informal)นี้níiนี้níi1this (near speaker)2this one3this; the present (time/topic)ยาวyaaoยาวyaao1long (length)2long (duration)3[to] grow long; become longerประมาณbprà-maanประมาณbprà-maan1approximately; about2[to] estimate; approximate3estimate (noun)4moderate; reasonable (literary)ห้าhâaห้าhâafive (number)คืบkʉ̂ʉpคืบkʉ̂ʉp1span (hand measure); khuep2[to] advance a little; inch forward; creep forward3a small amount; a small step (figurative)
This rope is about five spans long.
3 more examplesShow less
ช่างchângวัดwátความกว้างkwaam-gwâangของkɔ̌ɔngโต๊ะdtóเป็นbpenคืบkʉ̂ʉpเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaคำนวณkam-nuuanพื้นที่pʉ́ʉn-tîi
The craftsman measured the table's width in spans to calculate the area.
ฉันchǎnกะgàระยะrá-yáปลูกbplùukต้นไม้dtôn-máaiให้hâiห่างhàangกันganสองsɔ̌ɔngคืบkʉ̂ʉpเพื่อให้pʉ̂ʉa-hâiรากrâakไม่mâiชนchonกันgan
I spaced the plants two spans apart so their roots wouldn't clash.
ในnaiงานหัตถกรรมพื้นบ้านngaan-hàt-tà-gam-pʉ́ʉn-bâanมักmákใช้cháiหน่วยnùuaiคืบkʉ̂ʉpกำหนดgam-nòtขนาดkà-nàatเช่นchênผ้าpâaความยาวkwaam-yaaoสิบsìpคืบkʉ̂ʉpเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaความสะดวกkwaam-sà-dùuakและlɛ́สอดคล้องกับsɔ̀ɔt-klɔ́ɔng-gàpประเพณีbprà-pee-nii
In traditional crafts, the span is often used to determine size, such as cloth ten spans long, for convenience and adherence to tradition.
2VerbB2
[to] advance a little; inch forward; creep forward
To move or progress only a small amount; to creep or inch forward little by little.
Examples
รถติดrót-dtìtรถติดrót-dtìt1traffic jam; congestion2[to] have heavy traffic; be congestedมากmâakมากmâak1very; extremely2much; a lot; greatly3many; numerousขยับkà-yàpขยับkà-yàp1[to] move slightly; shift2[to] advance slightly; move up3[to] adjust; tweakคืบkʉ̂ʉpคืบkʉ̂ʉp1span (hand measure); khuep2[to] advance a little; inch forward; creep forward3a small amount; a small step (figurative)เดียวdiiaoเดียวdiiaosingle; one; only; sameในnaiในnai1in; inside; within2during; in (time)3of; belonging to (formal)สิบห้าsìp-hâaสิบห้าsìp-hâafifteen (15)นาทีnaa-tiiนาทีnaa-tii1minute (time unit)2moment; minute (informal)
The traffic is so bad; it moved only an inch in fifteen minutes.
3 more examplesShow less
งานngaanซ่อมsɔ̂mถนนtà-nǒnคืบkʉ̂ʉpช้าcháaมากmâakทั้งที่táng-tîiประกาศbprà-gàatว่าwâaจะjàเสร็จsètเดือนนี้dʉʉan-níi
The road repair is progressing very slowly, even though they announced it would be finished this month.
โครงการkroong-gaanอนุมัติà-nú-mátแล้วlɛ́ɛoแต่dtɛ̀ɛขั้นตอนkân-dtɔɔnเอกสารèek-gà-sǎanยังyangคืบkʉ̂ʉpอย่างเชื่องช้าyàang-chʉ̂ʉang-cháaเพราะprɔ́ติดdtìtระเบียบrá-bìiap
The project has been approved, but the paperwork is inching forward sluggishly due to regulations.
แม้mɛ́ɛทีมtiimจะjàพยายามpá-yaa-yaamเร่งเครื่องrêng-krʉ̂ʉangความคืบหน้าkwaam-kʉ̂ʉp-nâaกลับglàpคืบkʉ̂ʉpทีละน้อยtii-lá-nɔ́ɔiเพราะprɔ́ข้อจำกัดkɔ̂ɔ-jam-gàtด้านdâanงบประมาณngóp-bprà-maan
Even though the team is trying to accelerate, progress is inching along due to budget constraints.
3NounB2
a small amount; a small step (figurative)
A very small degree of progress or distance; a tiny step forward.
Examples
คดีká-diiคดีká-diilegal case; lawsuitนี้níiนี้níi1this (near speaker)2this one3this; the present (time/topic)ยังyangยังyang1still; continuing2not yet (with ไม่)3yet? (question use)4still/even (emphatic degree)ไม่mâiไม่mâi1not (negator)2no (reply)คืบkʉ̂ʉpคืบkʉ̂ʉp1span (hand measure); khuep2[to] advance a little; inch forward; creep forward3a small amount; a small step (figurative)เลยləəiเลยləəi1at all; whatsoever (often in negatives)2so; thus; then (immediate result)3completely; absolutely (emphasis)4[to] pass; go beyond; exceedแม้mɛ́ɛแม้mɛ́ɛ1even if; although; even though2evenจะjàจะjà1will; shall (future/intention marker)2about to; going to (near future, often w/ กำลังจะ)3will; would (in conditional results)สอบปากคำsɔ̀ɔp-bpàak-kamสอบปากคำsɔ̀ɔp-bpàak-kam[to] interrogate; [to] take a formal statement; [to] examine a witnessพยานpá-yaanพยานpá-yaan1witness (person)2witness (in court)3evidence; proofไปbpaiไปbpai1[to] go2away; off (directional complement/particle)3on; onward; continuously (aspect marker)4(aspect) completed; already pastหลายคนlǎai-konหลายคนlǎai-konmany/several peopleแล้วlɛ́ɛoแล้วlɛ́ɛo1already; now (as of this point)2then; and then; after that3already; completed-action marker4and; and then (linking clauses)
This case hasn’t advanced even a tiny bit, despite interviewing many witnesses.
3 more examplesShow less
งานngaanซ่อมsɔ̂mถนนtà-nǒnคืบkʉ̂ʉpเพียงเล็กน้อยpiiang-lék-nɔ́ɔiเพราะprɔ́ฝนตกfǒn-dtòkต่อเนื่องdtɔ̀ɔ-nʉ̂ʉangทั้งสัปดาห์táng-sàp-daa
The road repair has only inched forward because it rained continuously all week.
แผนpɛ̌ɛnปรับbpràpโครงสร้างองค์กรkroong-sâang-ong-gɔɔnคืบkʉ̂ʉpทีละนิดtii-lá-nítโดยdooiยังyangติดdtìtขั้นตอนkân-dtɔɔnอนุมัติà-nú-mátจากjàakคณะกรรมการká-ná-gam-má-gaan
The organizational restructuring plan is progressing only a tiny step at a time, still stuck at the board approval stage.
แม้mɛ́ɛจะjàเจรจาjee-rá-jaaหลายรอบlǎai-rɔ̂ɔpความคืบหน้าkwaam-kʉ̂ʉp-nâaของkɔ̌ɔngข้อตกลงkɔ̂ɔ-dtòk-longยังyangมีmiiเพียงpiiangคืบkʉ̂ʉpเดียวdiiaoเมื่อเทียบกับmʉ̂ʉa-tîiap-gàpประเด็นbprà-denที่tîiต้องdtɔ̂ngแก้ไขgɛ̂ɛ-kǎi
Even after many rounds of talks, progress on the agreement is only a tiny step compared to the issues that need resolving.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classLow class
- Tone markNo tone mark
- Syllable endingDead syllableLong vowelEnds in -บ, a stop, so it is dead.
Low class consonants
คฅฆงชซฌญฑฒณทธนพฟภมยรลวฬฮ
Result
Falling tone
kʉ̂ʉp
Starts high, rises a little, then drops clearly.
Low class + No tone mark + Dead syllable · Long vowel → Falling
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 | — | — |