บัก
bàkMeanings
1NounB2
fruit-name prefix (Isan)
A prefix used before fruit names in Isan, corresponding to มะมะmá1hey!; come! (call attention)2fruit-name prefix (bound)3come on; please (urge/invite) in many standard Thai fruit names.
Examples
เธอterเธอter1you (informal; familiar)2she; herชอบchôpชอบchôp1[to] like; be fond of2tend to; usually3be proper; be fitting (formal)กินginกินgin1[to] eat2[to] drink (colloquial/with some nouns)3[to] consume; use up4[to] corrode; erode; eat into5[to] take (a bribe); pocketบักหุ่งbàk hûngบักหุ่งbàk hûngpapaya (Isan/Lao)ส้มตำsôm dtamส้มตำsôm dtamsom tam; green papaya saladเผ็ดๆpèt pètเผ็ดๆpèt pèt1spicy; nice and spicy2spicy; with some heat3fierce/sexy (style; slang)มากmâakมากmâak1very; extremely2much; a lot; greatly3many; numerous
She loves eating spicy papaya salad.
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แม่ค้าmɛ̂ɛ-káaเอาaoบักเผิ่งbàk-pə̀əngสุกsùkมาmaaวางwaangหน้าร้านnâa-ráanกลิ่นหอมglìn-hɔ̌ɔmไปbpaiทั้งtángซอยsɔɔi
The vendor put freshly ripened papayas out front; the aroma filled the whole alley.
เขาkǎoบอกว่าbɔ̀ɔk-wâaบักก้วยbàk-gûuaiเต้งdtêengลูกlûukนั้นnánหวานฉ่ำwǎan-chàmพอดีpɔɔ-diiเหมาะmɔ̀เอาไปao-bpaiทำtamขนมkà-nǒm
He said that that papaya is perfectly juicy and sweet, ideal for making dessert.
บ้านเฮาbâan haoปลูกbplòokบักม่วงbàk mûuangหลายlăaiพันธุ์panไว้กินwái ginสุกsùkกับgàpทำtamแซ่บๆsâep sâepตอนหน้าdton nâaฝนfŏn
Our household grows many varieties of mango to eat ripe and to make tasty dishes during the rainy season.
2NounC1
prefix for male (Isan/Lao)
a colloquial Isan/Lao prefix before a male's name or noun, often rough or familiar in tone
Examples
บักหนึ่งbàk-nʉ̀ngบักหนึ่งbàk-nʉ̀ngthat guy; that person (Isan; mildly rough)โทรมาหาtoo-maa-hǎaโทรมาหาtoo-maa-hǎa[to] call; phone [sb]อ้ายแนâai-nɛɛอ้ายแนâai-nɛɛhey; you there (Isan/Lao)เดี๋ยวdǐiaoเดี๋ยวdǐiao1soon; in a moment2for a moment; briefly; one moment3wait! just a moment4otherwise; or else (colloq.)5alternating; now … now …อ้ายâaiอ้ายâai1older brother (Isan/Lao; also male slightly older)2you (rude/insulting; dialectal)3insulting prefix before a nounสอนsɔ̌ɔnสอนsɔ̌ɔn1[to] teach [sb] [sth]2[to] instruct; train [sb]3[to] admonish; give moral guidanceกีตาร์gii-dtâaกีตาร์gii-dtâaguitarให้hâiให้hâi1[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)
Hey Bak Nueng, give me a call; I’ll teach you guitar.
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เมื่อวานmʉ̂ʉa-waanบักbàkเอกèekเว้าwáoฮอดhɔ̂ɔtงานบุญบ้านngaan-bun-bâanบรรยากาศban-yaa-gàatม่วนคักmûuan-kák
Yesterday Bak Ek talked about the village merit-making event; the atmosphere was really fun.
บักbàkโต้dtôhยyกะบ่gà bòฟ้าวเฮ็ดfâao hêtดอกdòkเดี๋ยวdĭiaoเจ้าของjâo kŏngกะได้gà dâiถืกtèukอาจารย์ดุaa-jaan dùอีกèek
Bak Toi still isn’t getting it done; he himself will get scolded by the teacher again.
มื้ออื่นmʉ́ʉ-ʉ̀ʉnบักหำbàk-hǎmสิsìพาไปpaa-bpaiเบิ่งbə̀əngหมอลำmɔ̌ɔ-lamอย่าลืมyàa-lʉʉmเอาaoผ้าขาวม้าpâa-kǎao-máaติดdtìtโตdtooไปbpaiแนnɛɛเด้อdə̂ə
Tomorrow Bak Ham will take you to watch molam; don’t forget to bring your pha khao ma with you.
3NounC1
fruit-name prefix (Isan/Lao)
A prefix used before fruit names in Isan and Lao.
Examples
คนอีสานkon-ii-sǎanคนอีสานkon-ii-sǎanIsan person; Northeasterner (Thailand)เรียกrîiakเรียกrîiak1[to] call [sb/sth] (by name); name2[to] call out; summon; hail3[to] ask for; charge; demandมะละกอmá-lá-gɔɔมะละกอmá-lá-gɔɔ1papaya (fruit)2papaya treeว่าwâaว่าwâa1[to] say; tell2that (clause marker)3[to] think; consider; deem4[to] scold; reproach; criticizeบักหุ่งbàk-hùngบักหุ่งbàk-hùngpapaya (Isan/Lao)เวลาwee-laaเวลาwee-laa1time2time; period; occasion3when; at the time (that)4classifier: scheduled occasions; meals; dosesไปbpaiไปbpai1[to] go2away; off (directional complement/particle)3on; onward; continuously (aspect marker)4(aspect) completed; already pastตลาดdtà-làatตลาดdtà-làat1market; marketplace2market (economic demand/sector)3popular; mainstream (colloq.)ก็gɔ̂ก็gɔ̂1also; too2then; so (sequence/result)3conditional marker (if… then…)4well; after all (emphasis/justification)5topic/resumption markerจะjàจะjà1will; shall (future/intention marker)2about to; going to (near future, often w/ กำลังจะ)3will; would (in conditional results)บอกว่าbɔ̀ɔk-wâaบอกว่าbɔ̀ɔk-wâa1[to] say/tell that; report/declare that2[of text/sign] say/indicate thatอยากyàakอยากyàak1[to] want; desire2to crave; to long forซื้อsʉ́ʉซื้อsʉ́ʉ1[to] buy; purchase2[to] bribe; buy offบักหุ่งbàk-hùngบักหุ่งbàk-hùngpapaya (Isan/Lao)สุกsùkสุกsùk1cooked; done (food)2ripe (fruit)3[to] ripen; [to] get cookedสักsàkสักsàk1about; approximately2teak3[to] tattoo4any; even (a little); at allลูกlûukลูกlûuk1child; son; daughter2offspring (of animals); young3ball; spherical object4fruit5classifier: fruits, balls, and certain other objects
Isan people call papaya 'bak-hung'; when going to the market they might say they want to buy a ripe 'bak-hung.'
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ในnaiภาษาอีสานpaa-sǎa-ii-sǎanคำว่าkam-wâaบักbàkมักmákวางwaangหน้าnâaชื่อchʉ̂ʉผลไม้pǒn-lá-máaiเช่นchênบักม่วงbàk-mûuangมะม่วงmá-mûuangหรือrʉ̌ʉบักแก้วbàk-gɛ̂ɛoฝรั่งfà-ràng
In the Isan language, 'bak' is often placed before fruit names, such as bak-muang (mango) or bak-kaeo (guava).
ในnaiงานบุญบ้านngaan bun bâanแม่ครัวmâe kruuaสั่งให้sàng hâiเด็กๆdèk dèkปอกบักเขือbpòk bàk kĕuuaเผือกpèuuakกับgàpบักพร้าวbàk práaoเพื่อpêuuaเตรียมdtriiamทำแกงtam gaengให้hâiผู้pôoมาmaaร่วมงานrûuam ngaan
At the village merit-making event, the cook told the kids to peel bak-khuea phueak (eggplant) and bak-phrao (coconut) to prepare curry for attendees.
พอpɔɔได้ยินdâi-yinคนเฒ่าคนแก่kon-tâo-kon-gɛ̀ɛเอ่ยถึงyèe-tʉ̌ngบักbàkสีดาsǐi-daaกับgàpบักbàkนัดnátก็gɔ̂รู้ทันrúu-tanทีtiiว่าwâaเขาkǎoหมายถึงmǎai-tʉ̌ngมะละกอmá-lá-gɔɔกับgàpขนุนkà-nǔnในnaiสำนวนsǎm-nuuanอีสานii-sǎan
When I hear elders mention 'bak-sida' and 'bak-nat,' I immediately know they mean papaya and jackfruit in Isan usage.
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 syllableEnds in -ก, a stop, so it is dead.
Mid class consonants
กจฎฏดตบปอ
Result
Low tone
bàk
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 | — | — |