บะ
bàMeanings
1InterjectionC1
bah!; expressing displeasure
An interjection expressing displeasure, irritation, or anger.
Examples
บะbàบะbà1bah!; expressing displeasure2fruit-name prefix (Northern Thai)เมื่อกี้mʉ̂ʉa-gîiเมื่อกี้mʉ̂ʉa-gîi1just now; a moment ago2a moment ago; just now (time)ฟ้าผ่าfáa-pàaฟ้าผ่าfáa-pàa1lightning strike2[to] strike (of lightning)ดังdangดังdang1loud2[to] sound; resound3famous; well-known4as; likeขนาดkà-nàatขนาดkà-nàat1size; dimension; magnitude2degree; extent3to such an extent; that much4even; to the extent that5as; to the extent of6very; extremely (Northern Thai)เลยləəiเลยləəi1at all; whatsoever (often in negatives)2so; thus; then (immediate result)3completely; absolutely (emphasis)4[to] pass; go beyond; exceedเนาะnɔ́เนาะnɔ́right?; okay?; yeah? (Isan/Northern Thai)
Wow, the thunder just struck so loudly!
3 more examplesShow less
Hey, seeing you eat something that spicy—so impressive!
บะbàป้อจายbpɔ̂ɔ-jaaiคนkonนั้นnánขี่kìiมอเตอร์ไซค์mɔɔ-dtəə-sáiผ่าpàaฝนfǒnมาmaaเตื่อdtʉ̀ʉaบ่ากลัวbàa-gluuaป๋วbpǒowยกyókาbaa-rá-yaa
Hey, that man rode his motorcycle through the rain—aren’t you afraid of getting sick?
บะbàจ๊าดjâatนักnákขึ้นราคาkêun raa-kaaตวยกั๋นdtuai gănขนาดkà-nàatบ่าbàaดาdaaย๋yŏละláคนkonบ่ไหวbò wăiแล้วláeoหนาnăa
Wow, that’s excessive—the prices keep going up; people can’t take it anymore.
2NounC1
fruit-name prefix (Northern Thai)
A prefix used in Northern Thai names of fruits and certain plants, corresponding to มะมะmá1come on; please (urge/invite)2hey!; come! (call attention)3fruit-name prefix (bound)- in many standard Thai names.
Examples
ยายyaaiยายyaai1grandmother (maternal)2old woman (informal; can be rude)เรียกrîiakเรียกrîiak1[to] call [sb/sth] (by name); name2[to] call out; summon; hail3[to] ask for; charge; demandมะม่วงmá-mûuangมะม่วงmá-mûuang1mango (fruit)2mango treeว่าwâaว่าwâa1[to] say; tell2that (clause marker)3[to] think; consider; deem4[to] scold; reproach; criticizeบะbàบะbà1bah!; expressing displeasure2fruit-name prefix (Northern Thai)ม่วงmûuangม่วงmûuang1purple; violet (color)2purple; violet (the color)เพราะprɔ́เพราะprɔ́1because2because of; due to3melodious; pleasant-soundingภาษาเหนือpaa-sǎa-nʉ̌ʉaภาษาเหนือpaa-sǎa-nʉ̌ʉaNorthern Thai language (Kham Mueang/คำเมือง)ใช้cháiใช้chái1[to] use; employ2[to] spend (money); pay; expend3[to] require; take (time/effort/amount)4[to] tell [sb] to do [sth]; assign; orderบะbàบะbà1bah!; expressing displeasure2fruit-name prefix (Northern Thai)แทนtɛɛnแทนtɛɛn1instead; rather2[to] replace; substitute for3in place of; on behalf ofมะmáมะmá1come on; please (urge/invite)2hey!; come! (call attention)3fruit-name prefix (bound)ในnaiในnai1in; inside; within2during; in (time)3of; belonging to (formal)ชื่อchʉ̂ʉชื่อchʉ̂ʉ1name2[to] be named; be called3reputation; renownผลไม้pǒn-lá-máaiผลไม้pǒn-lá-máaifruitบางชนิดbaang-chá-nítบางชนิดbaang-chá-nítsome kinds; certain types
Grandma calls mangoes “ba muang” because Northern Thai uses the prefix “ba” instead of “ma” in some fruit names.
3 more examplesShow less
เมื่อmʉ̂ʉaเทียบtîiapคำว่าkam-wâaบะbàขามkǎamกับgàpมะขามmá-kǎamจะjàเห็นว่าhěn-wâaบะbàในnaiภาษาเหนือpaa-sǎa-nʉ̌ʉaทำหน้าที่tam-nâa-tîiเป็นbpenคำเติมkam-dtəəmหน้าnâaชื่อchʉ̂ʉผลไม้pǒn-lá-máaiเช่นเดียวกับchên-diiao-gàpมะmáในnaiภาษาไทยมาตรฐานpaa-sǎa-tai-mâat-dtrà-tǎan
Comparing “ba kham” with “ma kham” shows that Northern Thai “ba” functions as a prefix in fruit names, just as “ma” does in Standard Thai.
การที่gaan-tîiตัวละครdtuua-lá-kɔɔnเรียกrîiakมะม่วงmá-mûuangว่าwâaบะbàม่วงmûuangโดยdooiใช้cháiคำเติมkam-dtəəmหน้าnâaบะbàตามdtaamภาษาเหนือpaa-sǎa-nʉ̌ʉaช่วยให้chûuai-hâiบทสนทนาbòt-sǒn-tá-naaสื่อถึงsʉ̀ʉ-tʉ̌ngพื้นเพpʉ́ʉn-peeของkɔ̌ɔngตัวละครdtuua-lá-kɔɔnได้dâaiโดยdooiไม่ต้องmâi-dtɔ̂ngบอกbɔ̀ɔkตรงdtrong
Having a character call a mango “ba muang,” using the Northern Thai prefix “ba,” allows the dialogue to convey the character’s background without stating it explicitly.
ในnaiการรวบรวมgaan-rûuap-ruuamชื่อchʉ̂ʉพืชpʉ̂ʉtท้องถิ่นtɔ́ɔng-tìnผู้จัดทำpûu-jàt-tamคงkongคำเติมkam-dtəəmหน้าnâaบะbàไว้wáiในnaiคำkamอย่างyàangบะbàขามkǎamแทนที่จะtɛɛn-tîi-jàปรับbpràpเป็นbpenมะmáทั้งหมดtáng-mòtเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaรักษาrák-sǎaรูปคำrûup-kamที่tîiคนในพื้นที่kon-nai-pʉ́ʉn-tîiใช้cháiจริงjing
When compiling local plant names, the editors retained the prefix “ba” in words such as “ba kham” rather than changing every instance to “ma,” preserving the forms actually used by local people.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classMid class
- Tone markNo tone mark
- Syllable endingDead syllableA short vowel with no final consonant, so it is dead.
Mid class consonants
กจฎฏดตบปอ
Result
Low tone
bà
Starts low and stays low, easing slightly down.
Mid class + No tone mark + Dead syllable → Low
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 | — | — |