ต้า
dtâaMeanings
1NounB1
Thai nickname (from Chinese 'big; great')
A common Thai nickname or given name, often influenced by Chinese ต้าต้าdtâa1Thai nickname (from Chinese 'big; great')2big; great (Sino-Thai, in names/phrases) ‘big; great’; used informally for any gender.
Examples
นี่nîiนี่nîi1this (colloq.)2this; this one (pronoun)3here4here is…; look/listen (attention-getter)5you see; after all (colloq.)ต้าdtâaต้าdtâa1Thai nickname (from Chinese 'big; great')2big; great (Sino-Thai, in names/phrases)เพื่อนร่วมชั้นpʉ̂ʉan-rûuam-chánเพื่อนร่วมชั้นpʉ̂ʉan-rûuam-chánclassmateของฉันkɔ̌ɔng-chǎnของฉันkɔ̌ɔng-chǎnmy; mine
This is Ta, my classmate.
3 more examplesShow less
Tomorrow Ta will take us to eat at a new noodle shop.
ถ้าtâaต้าdtâaสะดวกsà-dùuakช่วยchûuaiประสานงานbprà-sǎan-ngaanกับgàpฝ่ายบัญชีfàai-ban-chiiให้hâiหน่อยnɔ̀iได้ไหมdâai-mǎi
If Ta is available, could you help coordinate with the accounting department?
ทุกคนtúk-konเรียกrîiakเขาkǎoว่าwâaต้าdtâaตั้งแต่dtâng-dtɛ̀ɛสมัยsà-mǎiมัธยมmát-tá-yomแม้mɛ́ɛตอนdtɔɔnทำงานtam-ngaanก็gɔ̂ยังyangใช้cháiชื่อchʉ̂ʉนี้níiอย่างyàangไม่เป็นทางการmâi-bpen-taang-gaan
Everyone has called him Ta since high school, and even at work he still uses this name informally.
2AdjectiveC1
big; great (Sino-Thai, in names/phrases)
Loan/colloquial usage from Chinese meaning ‘big’ or ‘great’, seen in names, nicknames, or playful phrases; not standard Thai vocabulary.
Examples
เพื่อนpʉ̂ʉanเพื่อนpʉ̂ʉan1friend2classmate; colleague (peer)3companion; fellowชอบchɔ̂ɔpชอบchɔ̂ɔp1[to] like; be fond of2tend to; usually3be proper; be fitting (formal)เรียกrîiakเรียกrîiak1[to] call [sb/sth] (by name); name2[to] call out; summon; hail3[to] ask for; charge; demand4[to] draw attention; bring out a reactionเขาkǎoเขาkǎo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillว่าwâaว่าwâa1[to] say; tell2that (clause marker)3[to] think; consider; deem4[to] scold; reproach; criticizeต้าdtâaต้าdtâa1Thai nickname (from Chinese 'big; great')2big; great (Sino-Thai, in names/phrases)เจjeeเจjee1Chinese Buddhist vegan; vegan (jay)2jay food; vegan dish (Chinese Buddhist style)แบบbɛ̀ɛpแบบbɛ̀ɛp1style; type; kind; manner2classifier for types, styles, or designs3model; pattern; design; template4form; questionnaire5model; person posing6in a ... way; -ly (pre-head adverbial marker)ล้อเล่นlɔ́ɔ-lênล้อเล่นlɔ́ɔ-lên1[to] joke; kid; tease playfully2just kidding; I’m jokingเพราะprɔ́เพราะprɔ́1because2because of; due to3melodious; pleasant-soundingทำอะไรtam-à-raiทำอะไรtam-à-raiwhat are you doing?ก็gɔ̂ก็gɔ̂1also; too2then; so (sequence/result)3conditional marker (if… then…)4well; after all (emphasis/justification)5topic/resumption markerชอบchɔ̂ɔpชอบchɔ̂ɔp1[to] like; be fond of2tend to; usually3be proper; be fitting (formal)เอาaoเอาao1[to] take; get; pick2[to] want (request/ordering)3[to] use; employ4[to] bring/take (for use)5marker: adverse consequence6come on; all right; go ahead7[to] have sex (vulgar slang)8auxiliary marking emphasis or resultใหญ่yàiใหญ่yài1big; large2major; important3elder; seniorเข้าkâoเข้าkâo1[to] enter; go in2[to] put in; insert3in; inward4[to] understand5[to] join; enter (an organization, school, etc.)6[to] fit; suit; match7rice (archaic; dialectal)8[to] enter; reach (a period or stage)ไว้wáiไว้wái1[to] keep; save; store2[to] set aside; reserve3for later; in reserve4[to] leave (something) as is5marks retention or maintenance of a state6[to] wear; sport (hair/moustache/etc.)
Friends jokingly call him “Ta-je” because he tends to do everything in a big way.
3 more examplesShow less
ในnaiโฆษณาkôh-sà-naaมีmeeสโลแกนsà-loh gaenติดหูdtìt hŏoว่าwâaโปรbproนี้néeต้าdtâaๆ-คุ้มkúmกระชากใจgrà-châak jaiใช้cháiคำkamจีนjeenปนbponไทยtaiให้ดูhâi dooสนุกsà-nùk
The ad has a catchy slogan: “This promo is ta-ta, insanely worth it,” mixing Chinese and Thai for a playful feel.
น้องnóngในnaiทีมteemชอบchôpติดคำdtìt kamว่าwâaต้าdtâaไว้หน้าwái nâaคำคุณศัพท์kam kun-ná-sàpเช่นchênต้าdtâaดีdeeต้าdtâaสวยsŭuaiเพื่อpêuuaย้ำyámความรู้สึกkwaam róo-sèukเว่อร์วังwêr wangแบบbàepขำๆkăm kăm
A teammate likes to prefix adjectives with “ta,” like ta-good or ta-beautiful, to humorously exaggerate the feeling.
เวลาway-laaแซวsaeoเพื่อนpêuuanว่าwâaชอบchôpคิดkítใหญ่yàiเกินจริงgern jingเราraoจะjàพูดpôotว่าwâaแนวnaeoต้าdtâaไปหน่อยbpai nòiนะnáซึ่งsêungเป็นbpenลูกผสมlôok pà-sŏmภาษาจีนpaa-săa jeenไทยtaiที่têeวัยรุ่นwai rûnใช้cháiเล่นๆlên lên
When teasing a friend for overly grand ideas, we say “that's a bit ta-style,” a Chinese-Thai hybrid used playfully by youths.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classMid class
- Tone markMai tho
- Syllable endingLive syllableNot needed here: the tone mark decides.
Mid class consonants
กจฎฏดตบปอ
Result
Falling tone
dtâa
Starts high, rises a little, then drops clearly.
Mid class + Mai tho → 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 | — | — |