บัว
buuaMeanings
1NounA2
lotus; water lily
A general name for lotus and water-lily plants and their flowers.
Examples
สระน้ำsà-náamสระน้ำsà-náam1pond; pool (small body of water)2swimming poolหน้าnâaหน้าnâa1face2front; frontage3page4next; upcoming5in front; at the front6season; time of yearวัดwátวัดwát1to measure2Buddhist temple3to gauge; assessมีmiiมีmii1[to] have; possess2there is/are; exist3[to] experience; undergoดอกบัวdɔ̀ɔk-buuaดอกบัวdɔ̀ɔk-buualotus flower; water-lily flowerสีชมพูsǐi-chom-puuสีชมพูsǐi-chom-puu1pink (color)2pink; pink-colored3rosy; romantic (figurative)
The pond in front of the temple has pink lotus flowers.
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Yesterday I fed the fish and admired the lotus in the water garden.
Tomorrow we will go take photos of lotus flowers at dawn at the marsh.
คนไทยkon-taiมักmákนำnamดอกบัวdɔ̀ɔk-buuaไปbpaiถวายtà-wǎaiพระpráเพราะprɔ́บัวbuuaเป็นbpenสัญลักษณ์sǎn-yá-lákแห่งhɛ̀ngความบริสุทธิ์kwaam-bɔɔ-rí-sùtในnaiพุทธศาสนาpút-tá-sàat-sà-nǎa
Thai people often offer lotus flowers to Buddha because the lotus symbolizes purity in Buddhism.
2NounB1
lotus motif/shape
A decorative design resembling a lotus, used in art, architecture, and crafts (e.g., ยอดบัว, บัวหัวเสาบัวหัวเสาbuua-hǔua-sǎolotus-shaped column capital).
Examples
วัดwátวัดwát1to measure2Buddhist temple3to gauge; assessนี้níiนี้níi1this (near speaker)2this one3this; the present (time/topic)ติดdtìtติดdtìt1[to] stick; attach; fasten2[to] be stuck; be attached; adhere3[to] catch; pick up (disease/odor/habit)4addicted to; hooked on; attached to5close to; adjacent; touching; contiguous6owing; indebted; behind on payments7busy; occupied; tied up8[to] catch fire; light; start; come on9[to] follow closely; keep close toลายlaaiลายlaai1pattern; design2marking; stripe; streak3true colors; underlying character4patterned; marked5pattern; design (classifier)6[to] be patterned; show marksบัวbuuaบัวbuua1lotus; water lily2lotus motif/shape3moulding (architectural)ที่tîiที่tîi1place; spot; seat; space2at; in; to (a place)3classifier: places; seats; individual servings4that/which/who (relative marker)5when; the time that (time marker)6ordinal markerหน้าบันnâa-banหน้าบันnâa-bangable; gable pediment (Thai architecture)ดูduuดูduu1[to] look; watch; see2[to] examine; check; inspect3[to] seem; appear4try; have a go5[to] divine; tell fortuneสวยsǔuaiสวยsǔuai1beautiful; pretty2nicely done; fine3beautifully; nicely; neatlyและlɛ́และlɛ́and (coordinating)อ่อนช้อยɔ̀ɔn-chɔ́ɔiอ่อนช้อยɔ̀ɔn-chɔ́ɔigraceful; lithe; delicate (in movement or form)มากmâakมากmâak1very; extremely2much; a lot; greatly3many; numerous
This temple has lotus-pattern decorations on the gable, looking very beautiful and graceful.
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ช่างปั้นchâng-bpânบัวbuuaหัวเสาhǔua-sǎoให้hâiเข้าชุดkâo-chútกับgàpยอดyɔ̂ɔtบัวbuuaของkɔ̌ɔngอาคารaa-kaanเพื่อให้pʉ̂ʉa-hâiดูเป็นduu-bpenเอกภาพèek-gà-pâap
The artisan crafted lotus-shaped column capitals to match the building’s lotus spires for a unified look.
งานแกะสลักngaan-gɛ̀-sà-làkลายlaaiบัวbuuaบนbonบานประตูbaan-bprà-dtuuไม้máaiช่วยchûuaiขับkàpให้hâiโถงtǒongรับแขกráp-kɛ̀ɛkดูมีเสน่ห์duu-mii-sà-hèenแบบไทยbɛ̀ɛp-taiมากขึ้นmâak-kʉ̂n
The carved lotus motifs on the wooden doors enhance the hall’s charm with a distinctly Thai style.
นักออกแบบnák-ɔ̀ɔk-bɛ̀ɛpผสมpà-sǒmลายlaaiบัวbuuaเข้ากับkâo-gàpลายlaaiประจำยามbprà-jam-yaamบนbonผืนผ้าpʉ̌ʉn-pâaเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaสะท้อนsà-tɔ́ɔnอัตลักษณ์àt-dtà-lákไทยtaiโดยdooiไม่mâiทำให้tam-hâiลวดลายlûuat-laaiดูรกduu-rókเกินไปgəən-bpai
The designer combined lotus motifs with the ‘pratchamyam’ pattern on the fabric to reflect Thai identity without making the design look cluttered.
3NounB2
moulding (architectural)
A decorative architectural moulding, such as trim along a wall base, ceiling edge, column, or opening.
Examples
ช่างchângช่างchâng1artisan; mechanic; technician2crafts-; technical (prefix)3never mind; let it be4how (exclamatory)5[to] be inclined to; be given toสั่งทำsàng-tamสั่งทำsàng-tam1to have [sth] made to order; commission2custom-made; made-to-orderบัวbuuaบัวbuua1lotus; water lily2lotus motif/shape3moulding (architectural)รอบrɔ̂ɔpรอบrɔ̂ɔp1around; surrounding2round; cycle; lap; turn3time slot; session4perimeter; circumference; surrounding area5classifier: rounds; laps; showings6all around; fullyวงกบประตูwong-gòp-bprà-dtuuวงกบประตูwong-gòp-bprà-dtuudoor frameให้hâiให้hâi1[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)โค้งkóongโค้งkóong1curve; bend2[to] curve; bend; arch3curved; bending; arched4[to] bow (upper body)นูนnuunนูนnuun1raised; protruding; convex2[to] bulge; protrudeเล็กน้อยlék-nɔ́ɔiเล็กน้อยlék-nɔ́ɔi1a little; slightly2minor; slight; trivial3a small amountเพื่อให้pʉ̂ʉa-hâiเพื่อให้pʉ̂ʉa-hâiso that; in order thatบ้านbâanบ้านbâan1house; home2home (family unit)3village; hometown4classifier: หลังดูduuดูduu1[to] look; watch; see2[to] examine; check; inspect3[to] seem; appear4try; have a go5[to] divine; tell fortuneมีมิติmii-mí-dtìมีมิติmii-mí-dtì1[to] have depth; be multidimensional (lit./fig.)2three-dimensional; with dimensionality
The builder ordered a slightly convex moulding around the door frame to add depth to the house.
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เสากลมsǎo-glomหน้าบ้านnâa-bâanติดdtìtบัวbuuaฐานtǎanเสาsǎoไว้wáiกันน้ำgan-náamกระเด็นgrà-denและlɛ́ช่วยให้chûuai-hâiดูเรียบร้อยduu-rîiap-rɔ́ɔi
The round front columns have base mouldings to prevent water splashes and make them look neat.
สถาปนิกเลือกsà-tǎa-bpà-ník-lʉ̂ʉakใช้cháiบัวbuuaคาดkâatรอบหน้าrɔ̂ɔp-nâaต่างdtàangแบบbɛ̀ɛpโปรไฟล์bproo-faiโค้งมนkóong-monเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaเน้นnénกรอบgrɔ̀ɔpและlɛ́ซ่อนsɔ̂ɔnรอยต่อrɔɔi-dtɔ̀ɔของkɔ̌ɔngผนังpà-nǎngกับgàpวงกบwong-gòp
The architect chose rounded-profile mouldings around the windows to accentuate the frames and conceal the joint between the wall and the frame.
ในnaiการบูรณะgaan-buu-rá-náอาคารaa-kaanเก่าgàoช่างchângต้องdtɔ̂ngเทียบtîiapแบบbɛ̀ɛpบัวbuuaเดิมdəəmที่tîiหัวเสาhǔua-sǎoและlɛ́เชิงchəəngผนังpà-nǎngให้hâiตรงdtrongสัดส่วนsàt-sùuanไม่งั้นmâi-ngánเส้นsênนูนnuunจะjàเสียsǐiaความต่อเนื่องkwaam-dtɔ̀ɔ-nʉ̂ʉang
During the restoration of the old building, the craftsmen had to match the original moulding profiles at the capitals and plinths proportionally; otherwise, the convex lines would lose continuity.
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 endingLive syllableA long vowel with no final consonant, so it is live.
Mid class consonants
กจฎฏดตบปอ
Result
Mid tone
buua
Level, in your normal speaking voice.
Mid class + No tone mark + Live syllable → Mid
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 | — | — |