มะ
máMeanings
1ParticleA2
come on; please (urge/invite)
an informal particle used to urge, invite, or coax someone to do something, similar to “come on” or softening a request; common in child-directed speech
Examples
3 more examplesShow less
Can you help me pick up the stuff?
Come with me tomorrow? I’m taking the train.
อย่าyàaกังวลgang-wonเลยləəiมะmáลองlɔɔngก่อนgɔ̀ɔnเดี๋ยวdǐiaoฉันchǎnช่วยchûuaiแนะนำnɛ́-namทีละขั้นตอนtii-lá-kân-dtɔɔn
Don’t worry—come on, try it first; I’ll guide you step by step.
2InterjectionA2
hey!; come! (call attention)
an informal interjection used to call someone’s attention or summon them; sometimes equivalent to “hey!” or “come!”
Examples
มะmáมะmá1come on; please (urge/invite)2hey!; come! (call attention)3fruit-name prefix (bound)นี่nîiนี่nîi1this (colloq.)2this; this one (pronoun)3here4here is…; look/listen (attention-getter)5you see; after all (colloq.)ดูduuดูduu1[to] look; watch; see2[to] examine; check; inspect3[to] seem; appear4try; have a go5[to] divine; tell fortuneนี่nîiนี่nîi1this (colloq.)2this; this one (pronoun)3here4here is…; look/listen (attention-getter)5you see; after all (colloq.)สิsìสิsì1will; shall (Isan)2emphatic particle (statement)3urging/encouraging particle (imperative)
Hey, look at this.
3 more examplesShow less
Hey, come eat with us.
Hey, come here for a moment; I’ll show you a picture.
มะmáฟังfangประกาศbprà-gàatตรงนี้dtrong-níiก่อนgɔ̀ɔnเดี๋ยวค่อยdǐiao-kɔ̂iแยกย้ายกันyɛ̂ɛk-yáai-ganไปbpai
Hey, listen to the announcement here first, then we’ll split up.
3NounB1
fruit-name prefix (bound)
a bound prefix in many Thai fruit or plant names; not used independently and not productive by itself
Examples
คำว่าkam wâaคำว่าkam wâathe word/term (introductory marker)มะmáมะmá1come on; please (urge/invite)2hey!; come! (call attention)3fruit-name prefix (bound)ในnaiในnai1in; inside; within2during; in (time)3of; belonging to (formal)คำว่าkam wâaคำว่าkam wâathe word/term (introductory marker)มะนาวmá-naaoมะนาวmá-naao1lime (key/Thai lime)2lime treeเป็นbpenเป็นbpen1to be (identity/category/state)2to become3[to] know how; be able to (skill)4alive; living5[to] have; suffer from; be in (a condition)ส่วนหน้าsùuan nâaส่วนหน้าsùuan nâafront part; front sectionของkŏngของkŏng1of; belonging to2thing; item; stuff3property; goodsชื่อchêuชื่อchêu1name2[to] be named; be called3reputation; renownพืชpêutพืชpêutplant; floraเท่านั้นtâo nánเท่านั้นtâo nán1only; just; no more than2that much/that many; to that extent3that’s all; period (sentence‑final)ไม่ได้ใช้mâi dâi cháiไม่ได้ใช้mâi dâi chái1to not use; didn’t use2unused; not in use3[to] not get to use [sth]เดี่ยวๆdìiao dìiaoเดี่ยวๆdìiao dìiaoalone; single-handedly
The word 'ma' in 'manow' (lime) is just a front part of a plant name and isn’t used on its own.
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ในnaiภาษาไทยpaa-sǎa-taiมะmáเป็นbpenหน่วยคำnùuai-kamที่tîiขึ้นต้นkʉ̂n-dtônชื่อchʉ̂ʉผลไม้pǒn-lá-máaiหลายชนิดlǎai-chá-nítเช่นchênมะม่วงmá-mûuangมะเขือmá-kʉ̌ʉaและlɛ́มะพร้าวmá-práao
In Thai, 'ma' is a morpheme that begins the names of many fruits, such as mango, eggplant, and coconut.
ครูkruuอธิบายà-tí-baaiว่าwâaมะmáเป็นbpenปัจจัยbpàt-jaiที่tîiพบpópในnaiชื่อchʉ̂ʉพืชpʉ̂ʉtดั้งเดิมdâng-dəəmแต่dtɛ̀ɛตัวdtuuaมันmanเองeengไม่mâiมีความหมายmii-kwaam-mǎaiเมื่อmʉ̂ʉaใช้cháiลำพังlam-pang
The teacher explained that 'ma' is an affix found in traditional plant names, but by itself it has no meaning.
นักภาษาศาสตร์nák-paa-sǎa-sàatระบุว่าrá-bù-wâaมะmáในnaiคำkamอย่างyàangมะยมmá-yomมะเดื่อmá-dʉ̀ʉaและlɛ́มะขามmá-kǎamเป็นbpenปัจจัยbpàt-jaiไม่mâiก่อรูปgɔ̀ɔ-rûupใหม่màiจึงjʉngไม่สามารถmâi-sǎa-mâatนำไปnam-bpaiประกอบbprà-gɔ̀ɔpคำใหม่kam-màiตามใจdtaam-jaiได้dâai
Linguists note that 'ma' in words like mayom (star gooseberry), madeua (fig), and makham (tamarind) is a non-productive affix, so it cannot be freely used to form new words.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classLow class
- Tone markNo tone mark
- Syllable endingDead syllableShort vowelA short vowel with no final consonant, so it is dead.
Low class consonants
คฅฆงชซฌญฑฒณทธนพฟภมยรลวฬฮ
Result
High tone
má
Starts high and keeps climbing.
Low class + No tone mark + Dead syllable · Short vowel → 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 | — | — |