มา
maaMeanings
1VerbA1
[to] come; arrive
to move or travel toward the speaker or a reference point; to arrive
Examples
เธอtəəเธอtəə1you (informal; familiar)2she; herมาหาmaa-hǎaมาหาmaa-hǎa1[to] come see/visit [sb]2[to] come looking for [sth]ฉันchǎnฉันchǎn1I; me2[to] eat (of Buddhist monks and novices)ที่บ้านtîi-bâanที่บ้านtîi-bâan1at home; at one’s residence2one’s family; people at homeได้ไหมdâai-mǎiได้ไหมdâai-mǎi1is it possible/allowed?; OK?2could you ... ? (request softener)
Can you come to see me at my house?
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My friend came to school late today.
Yesterday my older brother came to visit in the evening.
Tomorrow afternoon I will come in time for the meeting.
2VerbB1
[to] come to (a state or situation)
to come to a state or situation, used with other verbs to describe a development toward a reference point, as in กลายมาเป็นกลายมาเป็นglaai-maa-bpento become; to come to be
Examples
จากjàakจากjàak1from; away from2[to] leave; depart; part from3nipa palmงานอดิเรกngaan à-dì-rèkงานอดิเรกngaan à-dì-rèkhobby; pastimeเล็กlékเล็กlék1small; little2young; younger; youngest3minor; slightๆ-เขาkăoเขาkăo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillค่อยkôiค่อยkôi1gradually; little by little2gently; softly3not very; hardly (with negation)4then; later; only afterๆ-พัฒนาpát-tá-naaพัฒนาpát-tá-naa1[to] develop; improve2development (process)จนjonจนjon1poor2until; up to3so ... that; to the point ofกลายมาเป็นglaai maa bpenกลายมาเป็นglaai maa bpento become; to come to beธุรกิจtú-rá-gìtธุรกิจtú-rá-gìt1business (commercial activity)2business (company; enterprise)3business affairs; work mattersจริงจังjing-jangจริงจังjing-jang1serious; earnest2seriously; earnestly
From a small hobby, he gradually developed it until it came to be a serious business.
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หลังlǎngฝึกฝนfʉ̀k-fǒnหลายlǎaiปีbpiiเสียงร้องsǐiang-rɔ́ɔngของkɔ̌ɔngเธอtəəกลายมาเป็นglaai-maa-bpenเอกลักษณ์èek-gà-lák
After years of practice, her singing has come to be distinctive.
เรื่องrêuuangเล่นlênๆ-ระหว่างrá-wàangเพื่อนpêuuanท้ายที่สุดtáai tîi sùtกลายมาเป็นglaai maa bpenปัญหาbpan-hăaใหญ่yài
What started as a joke among friends eventually came to be a big problem.
แนวคิดnaeo kítนี้néeค่อยkôiๆ-พัฒนาpát-tá-naaและláeสุกงอมsùk ngomจนjonกลายมาเป็นglaai maa bpenนโยบายสาธารณะná-yoh-baai săa-taa-rá-náที่têeจับต้องได้jàp dtông dâi
This idea gradually developed and matured, eventually coming to be a tangible public policy.
3ParticleB1
past/as of now aspect marker
used after a verb to indicate action continuing up to the present or done already (e.g., ทำมาทำมาtam-maa1[to] have done; have been doing2[to] make/prepare earlier (and bring/use now) 3 ปีปีbpii1year2classifier: years ‘have been doing for 3 years’)
Examples
ผมpǒmผมpǒm1I; me (male speaker, polite)2hair (on the head)ทำงานtam-ngaanทำงานtam-ngaan1[to] work; do one's job; be on duty2[to] function; operateร้านนี้ráan-níiร้านนี้ráan-níithis shop; this storeมาmaaมาmaa1[to] come; arrive2[to] come to (a state or situation)3past/as of now aspect markerสองsɔ̌ɔngสองsɔ̌ɔng1two; 22secondปีbpiiปีbpii1year2classifier: yearsแล้วlɛ́ɛoแล้วlɛ́ɛo1already; now (as of this point)2then; and then; after that3already; completed-action marker4and; and then (linking clauses)
I have worked at this shop for two years already.
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He had been saving money for months before he could buy a computer.
เราraoฝึกfʉ̀kทีมtiimมาmaaอย่างต่อเนื่องyàang-dtɔ̀ɔ-nʉ̂ʉangจนถึงjon-tʉ̌ngนัดnátนี้níiแล้วจึงlɛ́ɛo-jʉngชนะchá-ná
We had been training the team continuously up to this match, and then we won.
บริษัทbɔɔ-rí-sàtลงทุนlong-tunโครงการkroong-gaanนี้níiมาmaaห้าhâaปีbpiiเต็มdtemจึงjʉngเริ่มrə̂əmเห็นผลhěn-pǒnชัดเจนchát-jeen
The company has invested in this project for five full years, so clear results are starting to show.
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 endingLive syllableA long vowel with no final consonant, so it is live.
Low class consonants
คฅฆงชซฌญฑฒณทธนพฟภมยรลวฬฮ
Result
Mid tone
maa
Level, in your normal speaking voice.
Low 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 | — | — |