คุ้ย
kúiMeanings
1VerbA2
[to] rummage; dig around
to search by moving things around or digging through them in a messy or probing way (e.g., a bag, drawer, trash, soil)
Examples
ฉันchǎnฉันchǎn1I; me2[to] eat (of Buddhist monks and novices)คุ้ยkúiคุ้ยkúi1[to] rummage; dig around2[to] scratch; scrape; scoop3[to] pry into; nose around (fig.)กระเป๋าgrà-bpǎoกระเป๋าgrà-bpǎo1bag; handbag; purse2pocket3wallet4classifier: ใบหาhǎaหาhǎa1[to] look for; search for2[to] find (after searching)3[to] get; procure4[to] earn (money); make a living5[to] visit; go see6[to] seek out; contactกุญแจgun-jɛɛกุญแจgun-jɛɛ1key (for a lock)2key; crucial factor3answer key; key (solutions)4clef (music)แต่ยังdtɛ̀ɛ-yangแต่ยังdtɛ̀ɛ-yangbut still; yetหาไม่เจอhǎa-mâi-jəəหาไม่เจอhǎa-mâi-jəə[to] be unable to find [sth]
I rummaged through my bag for the keys but still couldn't find them.
3 more examplesShow less
เขาkǎoคุ้ยkúiลิ้นชักlín-chákจนjonกระดาษgrà-dàatยุ่งyûngไปหมดbpai-mòtเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaหาhǎaบัตรประชาชนbàt-bprà-chaa-chon
He rummaged through the drawer until the papers were a mess to find his ID card.
Mom dug through the kitchen trash to find the bottle cap she accidentally dropped.
เด็กdèkๆ-คุ้ยkúiดินdinหลังบ้านlăng bâanอย่างyàangตื่นเต้นdtèun dtênเผื่อpèuuaจะjàเจอjerของเล่นkŏng lênที่têeฝังfăngไว้wái
The kids excitedly dug through the soil in the backyard in case they might find a toy that was buried.
2VerbB1
[to] scratch; scrape; scoop
to move or displace material by scratching, scraping, or scooping with hands, feet, or a tool, as with soil or food
Examples
เขาkǎoเขาkǎo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillใช้cháiใช้chái1[to] use; employ2[to] spend (money); pay; expend3[to] require; take (time/effort/amount)4[to] tell [sb] to do [sth]; assign; orderช้อนchɔ́ɔnช้อนchɔ́ɔn1spoon2classifier: spoonfuls3[to] scoop; ladleคุ้ยkúiคุ้ยkúi1[to] rummage; dig around2[to] scratch; scrape; scoop3[to] pry into; nose around (fig.)ข้าวkâaoข้าวkâao1rice (cooked)2rice (grain/uncooked)3meal; food (general)4rice plant; paddyในnaiในnai1in; inside; within2during; in (time)3of; belonging to (formal)หม้อmɔ̂ɔหม้อmɔ̂ɔ1pot; cooking pot2jar; pot (earthen/ceramic)3electric rice cooker (colloquial)4transformer (colloq.)ให้hâiให้hâi1[to] give; provide2[to] allow; let; permit3[to] have [sb] do; cause to4for (benefit of)5so that; in order to6until; to the point that (result)เด็กdèkเด็กdèk1child; kid2young person (informal)ก่อนgɔ̀ɔnก่อนgɔ̀ɔn1before; earlier; previously; first2previous; prior; former
He used a spoon to scoop up rice from the pot for the kids first.
3 more examplesShow less
Mom scraped the dry leaves into a pile to burn.
เด็กๆdèk dèkช่วยกันchûuai ganคุ้ยkúiทรายsaaiเป็นbpenหลุมlǔmเพื่อpêuuaปลูกbplòokต้นไม้dtôn máaiเล็กๆlék lék
The kids helped scrape the sand into holes to plant small trees.
บริษัทbɔɔ-rí-sàtคุ้ยkúiงบประมาณngóp-bprà-maanจากjàakหลายlǎaiแผนกpà-nɛ̀ɛkมารวมกันmaa-ruuam-ganเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaทำtamโครงการใหญ่kroong-gaan-yàiนี้níi
The company scraped together budgets from several departments to fund this major project.
3VerbB2
[to] pry into; nose around (fig.)
to intrusively seek information about someone else’s matters; to poke around (figurative)
Examples
อย่าyàaอย่าyàadon’t; do not (negative imperative)คุ้ยkúiคุ้ยkúi1[to] rummage; dig around2[to] scratch; scrape; scoop3[to] pry into; nose around (fig.)เรื่องส่วนตัวrʉ̂ʉang-sùuan-dtuuaเรื่องส่วนตัวrʉ̂ʉang-sùuan-dtuuapersonal matter; private affairของเขาkɔ̌ɔng-kǎoของเขาkɔ̌ɔng-kǎohis; hers; theirsเลยləəiเลยləəi1at all; whatsoever (often in negatives)2so; thus; then (immediate result)3completely; absolutely (emphasis)4[to] pass; go beyond; exceedเขาkǎoเขาkǎo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillไม่สบายใจmâi-sà-baai-jaiไม่สบายใจmâi-sà-baai-jai1uneasy; worried; troubled2[to] feel uneasy/worried (about [sth])
Don’t poke into his personal matters; it makes him uncomfortable.
3 more examplesShow less
นักข่าวnák-kàaoบางคนbaang-konชอบchɔ̂ɔpคุ้ยkúiประวัติbprà-wàtรักrákเก่าgàoของkɔ̌ɔngดาราdaa-raaเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaเรียกrîiakยอดวิวyɔ̂ɔt-wiu
Some reporters like to pry into celebrities’ past relationships to get views.
เธอtəəโกรธgròotเพราะprɔ́เพื่อนร่วมงานpʉ̂ʉan-rûuam-ngaanคุ้ยkúiเรื่องrʉ̂ʉangครอบครัวkrɔ̂ɔp-kruuaจนjonเกินgəənขอบเขตkɔ̀ɔp-kèet
She was angry because a coworker poked around her family matters beyond acceptable boundaries.
การgaanคุ้ยkúiชีวิตchii-wítคนอื่นkon-ʉ̀ʉnอย่างyàangไม่mâiเกรงใจgreeng-jaiอาจàatทำลายtam-laaiความไว้วางใจkwaam-wái-waang-jaiในnaiทีมtiimได้dâai
Intrusively prying into others’ lives can undermine trust within the team.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classLow class
- Tone markMai tho
- Syllable endingLive syllableNot needed here: the tone mark decides.
Low class consonants
คฅฆงชซฌญฑฒณทธนพฟภมยรลวฬฮ
Result
High tone
kúi
Starts high and keeps climbing.
Low class + Mai tho → High
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 | — | — |