พลิ้ว
plíuMeanings
1AdjectiveB1
flowing; fluttery (appearance/movement)
moving or appearing light, smooth, and airy, as fabric, hair, or leaves blown by wind
Examples
ลมlomลมlom1wind2gas; flatulence3air (breath); life-force (traditional)4nonsense; empty talk (fig.)พัดpátพัดpát1[to] blow; [to] fan2fan; hand fan3classifier: อัน4[to] blow; sweep; carry alongเบาbaoเบาbao1light (not heavy)2soft; quiet (of sound)3gentle; mild; light (degree/force)4easy; light (workload/effort)5[to] urinate (polite euphemism)6[to] lighten; reduce; easeๆ-ทำให้tam hâiทำให้tam hâi1[to] make; cause [sb/sth] to [do/be sth]; render2[to] do/make [sth] for [sb]ผมpŏmผมpŏm1I; me (male speaker, polite)2hair (on the head)ของkŏngของkŏng1of; belonging to2thing; item; stuff3property; goodsเธอterเธอter1you (informal; familiar)2she; herพลิ้วplíuพลิ้วplíu1flowing; fluttery (appearance/movement)2[to] flutter; ripple; sway3supple; flexible; agile4glib; slippery (colloquial)สวยงามsŭuay ngaamสวยงามsŭuay ngaambeautiful; lovely
A gentle breeze made her hair flow lightly and beautifully.
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กระโปรงgrà-bproongผ้าไหมpâa-mǎiของkɔ̌ɔngเธอtəəพลิ้วplíuตามdtaamแรงลมrɛɛng-lomขณะkà-nàเดินข้ามdəən-kâamสะพานsà-paan
Her silk skirt billowed lightly in the wind as she walked across the bridge.
The roadside grass fluttered lightly as the car passed.
ผ้าม่านpâa-mâanบางbaangสีขาวsǐi-kǎaoพลิ้วplíuเป็นระลอกbpen-rá-lɔ̂ɔkอย่างyàangอ่อนɔ̀ɔnละมุนlá-munราวกับraao-gàpไอหมอกai-mɔ̀ɔk
The sheer white curtains rippled lightly and softly like mist.
2VerbB1
[to] flutter; ripple; sway
to move lightly back and forth or in soft waves, as in wind or current
Examples
ธงtongธงtong1flag2ผืน (classifier for flags)หน้าnâaหน้าnâa1face2front; frontage3page4next; upcoming5in front; at the front6season; time of year7topping (food)โรงเรียนroong-riianโรงเรียนroong-riian1school (institution)2school (building)พลิ้วplíuพลิ้วplíu1flowing; fluttery (appearance/movement)2[to] flutter; ripple; sway3supple; flexible; agile4glib; slippery (colloquial)ไปมาbpai-maaไปมาbpai-maa1[to] go back and forth; frequent2back and forth; to and froเมื่อmʉ̂ʉaเมื่อmʉ̂ʉa1when; at the time that2at; in; on (with time expressions)มีmiiมีmii1[to] have; possess2there is/are; exist3[to] experience; undergoลมlomลมlom1wind2gas; flatulence3air (breath); life-force (traditional)4nonsense; empty talk (fig.)พัดpátพัดpát1[to] blow; [to] fan2fan; hand fan3classifier: อัน4[to] blow; sweep; carry along
The flag in front of the school sways back and forth when the wind blows.
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The water in the pond ripples gently when a fish swims by.
The entire field of grass moved in soft waves with the afternoon breeze.
สายsăaiผิวน้ำทะเลpĭu náam tá-layพลิ้วplíuแผ่วpàewๆ-รับกับráp gàpลมหนาวlom năaoราวกับraao gàpคลื่นklêunเล็กlékคอยkoiซัดsátเข้าkâoฝั่งfàngอย่างyàangอ่อนโยนòn yohn
The sea surface undulated softly with the cold wind, like small waves gently washing ashore.
3AdjectiveB2
supple; flexible; agile
able to bend, move, or perform with grace and ease (e.g., a dancer’s supple moves; a flexible playing style)
Examples
นักเต้นnák-dtênนักเต้นnák-dtêndancerคนนี้kon-níiคนนี้kon-níithis personเคลื่อนไหวklʉ̂ʉan-wǎiเคลื่อนไหวklʉ̂ʉan-wǎi1[to] move; be in motion2[to] act; take actionได้dâaiได้dâai1okay; sure; agreed2[to] get; obtain; receive3can; [to] be able to; may4[to] manage to; succeed in5actualized-action markerพลิ้วplíuพลิ้วplíu1flowing; fluttery (appearance/movement)2[to] flutter; ripple; sway3supple; flexible; agile4glib; slippery (colloquial)จนjonจนjon1poor2until; up to3so ... that; to the point ofคนดูkon-duuคนดูkon-duu1viewer; spectator; audience member2audience; viewers (collective)ตะลึงdtà-lʉngตะลึงdtà-lʉng1stunned; astonished; amazed2[to] be stunned; be astonished; be amazed
This dancer moves so fluidly that the audience is amazed.
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เขาkǎoเลี้ยงlíiangบอลbɔɔnได้dâaiพลิ้วplíuหลบlòpคู่ต่อสู้kûu-dtɔ̀ɔ-sûuได้dâaiอย่างง่ายดายyàang-ngâai-daai
He dribbles with a supple style, evading opponents with ease.
ท่วงท่าtûuang-tâaของkɔ̌ɔngเธอtəəทั้งtángพลิ้วplíuและlɛ́สอดคล้องกับsɔ̀ɔt-klɔ́ɔng-gàpจังหวะjang-wàทำให้tam-hâiการแสดงgaan-sà-dɛɛngมีมิติmii-mí-dtì
Her movements are both supple and in sync with the rhythm, giving the performance depth.
นักไวโอลินnák-wai-oo-linเล่นlênได้dâaiพลิ้วplíuน้ำเสียงnáam-sǐiangลื่นไหลlʉ̂ʉn-lǎiและlɛ́ควบคุมkûuap-kumไดนามิกdai-naa-míkอย่างนุ่มนวลyàang-nûm-nuuan
The violinist plays with suppleness, producing a fluid tone and gently controlled dynamics.
4AdjectiveC1
glib; slippery (colloquial)
speaking or acting smoothly in a way that seems insincere or evasive; slippery
Examples
เวลาwee-laaเวลาwee-laa1time2time; period; occasion3when; at the time (that)4classifier: scheduled occasions; meals; dosesโดนdoonโดนdoon1[to] get; be subjected to (passive, often negative)2[to] be hit; be struck; be affected3[to] hit the mark; be spot on (slang/colloq.)4for a long time (Isan)ถามtǎamถามtǎam1[to] ask; inquire2[to] ask about; consult3[to] question; interrogateเรื่องrʉ̂ʉangเรื่องrʉ̂ʉang1matter; issue; subject2story; tale3classifier for stories/films/cases4about; regarding (as a topic marker)งบngópงบngópbudget (informal); fundsเขาkǎoเขาkǎo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillตอบdtɔ̀ɔpตอบdtɔ̀ɔp1[to] answer; reply2[to] respond; react3sunken; hollow (of cheeks/abdomen)พลิ้วplíuพลิ้วplíu1flowing; fluttery (appearance/movement)2[to] flutter; ripple; sway3supple; flexible; agile4glib; slippery (colloquial)มากmâakมากmâak1very; extremely2much; a lot; greatly3many; numerousเหมือนmʉ̌ʉanเหมือนmʉ̌ʉan1similar; alike2like; as3as if; as thoughพยายามpá-yaa-yaamพยายามpá-yaa-yaam[to] try; attemptเลี่ยงlîiangเลี่ยงlîiang1[to] avoid; dodge2[to] avoid; go around (detour)3[to] evade (rules/responsibility)ประเด็นbprà-denประเด็นbprà-den1point; issue2topic; subject3legal point; matter at issue
When asked about the budget, he answered very slickly, as if trying to evade the issue.
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ผู้สมัครpôo sà-màkใช้cháiคำพูดkam pôotพลิ้วๆplíu plíuฟังดูfang dooสวยหรูsŭuai rŏoแต่dtàeไม่mâiรับผิดชอบráp pìt chôpข้อเท็จจริงkôr tét jing
The candidate used slippery words that sounded grand but didn’t take responsibility for the facts.
นักการเมืองnák-gaan-mʉʉangคนkonนั้นnánพูดpûutพลิ้วplíuจนjonจับสาระjàp-sǎa-ráไม่ได้mâi-dâaiรู้สึกrúu-sʉ̀kเหมือนmʉ̌ʉanกำลังgam-langถูกtùukปั่นหัวbpàn-hǔua
That politician spoke so slickly that no substance could be grasped; it felt like being manipulated.
เวลาwee-laaมีmiiคำถามkam-tǎamยากyâakเขาkǎoมักmákตอบdtɔ̀ɔpแบบbɛ̀ɛpพลิ้วplíuหลบlòpไปมาbpai-maaไม่เคยmâi-kəəiให้คำมั่นhâi-kam-mânอย่างตรงไปตรงมาyàang-dtrong-bpai-dtrong-maa
When faced with tough questions, he tends to answer evasively, slipping around without giving a straightforward commitment.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classLow classConsonant clusterIn the cluster พล, the first consonant พ sets the class.
- Tone markMai tho
- Syllable endingLive syllableNot needed here: the tone mark decides.
Low class consonants
คฅฆงชซฌญฑฒณทธนพฟภมยรลวฬฮ
Result
High tone
plíu
Starts high and keeps climbing.
Low class + Mai tho → High
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 | — | — |