บ้าน
bâanMeanings
1NounA1
house; home
A dwelling where people live; also the place one resides or feels a sense of home.
Examples
บ้านbâanบ้านbâan1house; home2home (family unit)3village; hometown4classifier: หลังของฉันkɔ̌ɔng-chǎnของฉันkɔ̌ɔng-chǎnmy; mineอยู่yùuอยู่yùu1[to] live; reside; stay2to be (located); be at3progressive/continuative marker4to exist; remainใกล้glâiใกล้glâi1near; close (in distance/time/resemblance)2[to] be near; be close toตลาดdtà-làatตลาดdtà-làat1market; marketplace2market (economic demand/sector)3popular; mainstream (colloq.)
My home is near the market.
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In the evening I go home early.
เมื่อวานmʉ̂ʉa-waanฉันchǎnย้ายเข้าyáai-kâoไปbpaiอยู่yùuบ้านใหม่bâan-màiที่tîiเงียบngîiapและlɛ́อบอุ่นòp-ùn
Yesterday I moved into a new home that is quiet and cozy.
พรุ่งนี้prûng-níiเราraoจะjàทำความสะอาดtam-kwaam-sà-àatบ้านbâanทั้งtángหลังlǎngเพื่อให้pʉ̂ʉa-hâiรู้สึกrúu-sʉ̀kน่าอยู่nâa-yùuขึ้นkʉ̂n
Tomorrow we will clean the entire house to make it feel more livable.
2NounA2
home (family unit)
One’s household or family, especially as a social unit (e.g., ที่บ้านที่บ้านtîi-bâan1at home; at one’s residence2one’s family; people at home ‘at home/with family’).
Examples
ที่บ้านtîi-bâanที่บ้านtîi-bâan1at home; at one’s residence2one’s family; people at homeกินginกินgin1[to] eat2[to] drink (colloquial/with some nouns)3[to] consume; use up4[to] corrode; erode; eat into5[to] take (a bribe); pocketข้าวเย็นkâao-yenข้าวเย็นkâao-yendinner; supper; evening mealพร้อมหน้าprɔ́ɔm-nâaพร้อมหน้าprɔ́ɔm-nâaall together; all presentกันganกันgan1together; together with2each other; one another (post-verb marker)3[to] prevent; keep [sth] out; ward off; block4protective; resistant to; -proof5I; me (informal, male speech)6[to] set aside; reserve; earmark
My family eats dinner together.
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Yesterday my family talked about going on a trip.
This weekend I will stay with my family at home.
My family teaches me to be frugal and to help with household chores.
3NounB1
village; hometown
A village or native place; used in reference to where someone comes from (e.g., บ้านนอกบ้านนอกbâan-nɔ̂ɔk1the countryside; rural area2rural; from the countryside3unsophisticated; provincial (derogatory) ‘countryside’).
Examples
ช่วงchûuangช่วงchûuang1period; span (of time)2span; extent3section; segment (part of something)4range; interval (between limits)5distance between supportsสงกรานต์sǒng-graanสงกรานต์sǒng-graan1Songkran festival2Songkran period/holidayฉันchǎnฉันchǎn1I; me2[to] eat (of Buddhist monks and novices)จะjàจะjà1will; shall (future/intention marker)2about to; going to (near future, often w/ กำลังจะ)3will; would (in conditional results)กลับบ้านเกิดglàp-bâan-gə̀ətกลับบ้านเกิดglàp-bâan-gə̀ət[to] return to one's hometownต่างจังหวัดdtàang-jang-wàtต่างจังหวัดdtàang-jang-wàt1upcountry; outside the capital2provincial; out-of-townไปเจอbpai-jəəไปเจอbpai-jəə1[to] go meet [sb]2[to] come across [sb/sth]เพื่อนเก่าpʉ̂ʉan-gàoเพื่อนเก่าpʉ̂ʉan-gàoold friend; friend from the past
During Songkran I will return to my hometown upcountry to meet old friends.
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เขาkǎoเติบโตdtə̀əp-dtooที่บ้านtîi-bâanริมแม่น้ำrim-mɛ̂ɛ-náamจึงjʉngชอบchɔ̂ɔpวิถีชีวิตwí-tǐi-chii-wítแบบชนบทbɛ̀ɛp-chon-ná-bòt
He grew up in a riverside village, so he likes the rural way of life.
เวลาwee-laaคิดkítถึงบ้านtʉ̌ng-bâanฉันchǎnมักmákนึกถึงnʉ́k-tʉ̌ngงานวัดngaan-wátและlɛ́สำเนียงsǎm-niiangคนkonแถวนั้นtɛ̌ɛo-nán
When I miss my hometown, I often think of temple fairs and the local accent.
แม้máeจะjàย้ายyáaiมาmaaอยู่yòoกรุงเทพฯgrung-têpนานแล้วnaan láewแต่dtàeความทรงจำkwaam song jamเกี่ยวกับgìiao gàpบ้านนอกbâan nôkยังyangคอยkoiย้ำyámให้hâiระลึกถึงrá-léuk tèungรากเหง้าrâak ngâo
Even though I’ve lived in Bangkok for a long time, memories of the countryside keep reminding me of my roots.
4ClassifierB1
classifier: หลังหลังlǎng1back (of body)2rear; back (part)3behind; at the back of4after; later than5CL: building; house; structure
The usual classifier for houses is หลังหลังlǎng1back (of body)2rear; back (part)3behind; at the back of4after; later than5CL: building; house; structure.
Examples
หมู่บ้านmùu-bâanหมู่บ้านmùu-bâan1village; hamlet2housing estate; gated communityนี้níiนี้níi1this (near speaker)2this one3this; the present (time/topic)มีmiiมีmii1[to] have; possess2there is/are; exist3[to] experience; undergoบ้านbâanบ้านbâan1house; home2home (family unit)3village; hometown4classifier: หลังยี่สิบyîi-sìpยี่สิบyîi-sìptwentyหลังlǎngหลังlǎng1back (of body)2rear; back (part)3behind; at the back of4after; later than5CL: building; house; structure
This village has twenty houses.
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This project will build ten more houses next year.
We rented two houses for the team.
ผู้พัฒนาpûu-pát-tá-naaเสนอsà-nə̌əแบบbɛ̀ɛpบ้านbâanสามsǎamแบบbɛ̀ɛpลูกค้าlûuk-káaเลือกlʉ̂ʉakสร้างsâangกี่หลังgìi-lǎngก็ได้gɔ̂-dâaiตามdtaamงบngóp
The developer offers three house models, and customers can build any number of houses according to their budget.
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
bâan
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 | — | — |