มีแต่
mii-dtɛ̀ɛMeanings
1VerbB1
have only; nothing but
to possess or contain only a particular thing, with nothing else
Examples
ในnaiในnai1in; inside; within2during; in (time)3of; belonging to (formal)กระเป๋าgrà-bpǎoกระเป๋าgrà-bpǎo1bag; handbag; purse2pocket3wallet4classifier: ใบของฉันkɔ̌ɔng-chǎnของฉันkɔ̌ɔng-chǎnmy; mineมีแต่mii-dtɛ̀ɛมีแต่mii-dtɛ̀ɛ1have only; nothing but2there is/are only; nothing else3do nothing but; only ever [do]4only serves to; merely results inหนังสือnǎng-sʉ̌ʉหนังสือnǎng-sʉ̌ʉ1book (printed work)2document; letter
In my bag, there are only books.
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ตู้เย็นdtûu-yenที่บ้านtîi-bâanมีแต่mii-dtɛ̀ɛน้ำเปล่าnáam-bplàaoกับgàpไข่kàiไม่รู้mâi-rúuจะjàทำอะไรtam-à-raiกินginเลยləəi
The fridge at home has only plain water and eggs; I have no idea what to make to eat.
กล่องของขวัญglɔ̀ng-kɔ̌ɔng-kwǎnใบbaiนี้níiดูduuใหญ่yàiแต่dtɛ̀ɛข้างในkâang-naiมีแต่mii-dtɛ̀ɛกระดาษgrà-dàatฝอยfɔ̌ɔi
This gift box looks big, but inside it contains only shredded paper.
รายงานraai-ngaanของเขาkŏng kăoมีแต่mee dtàeข้อดีkôr deeล้วนๆlúuan-lúuanทำให้tam hâiผมpŏmสงสัยsŏng săiว่าwâaมันmanน่าเชื่อถือnâa chêuua tĕuแค่ไหนkâe năi
His report contains only positive points, which makes me wonder how credible it is.
2VerbB1
there is/are only; nothing else
used existentially to state that only a particular thing exists or is present
Examples
แถวนี้tɛ̌ɛo-níiแถวนี้tɛ̌ɛo-níi1around here; nearby2this area; this neighborhood3approximately; around this time/amountมีแต่mii-dtɛ̀ɛมีแต่mii-dtɛ̀ɛ1have only; nothing but2there is/are only; nothing else3do nothing but; only ever [do]4only serves to; merely results inคนรวยkon-ruuaiคนรวยkon-ruuairich person; the rich
Around here, there are only rich people.
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พอpɔɔตกดึกdtòk-dʉ̀kบนbonถนนtà-nǒnก็gɔ̂มีแต่mii-dtɛ̀ɛรถบรรทุกrót-ban-túkวิ่งwîngกันganเต็มไปหมดdtem-bpai-mòt
Once it gets late at night, there are only trucks running all over the road.
เปิดbpèrtทีวีช่องtee-wee chôngไหนnăiก็gâwมีแต่mee dtàeข่าวkàaoเดิมๆderm dermน่าเบื่อnâa bèuuaมากmâak
Whichever TV channel I turn to, there's only the same old news. It's so boring.
ในnaiสังคมปัจจุบันsăng-kom bpàt-jù-banนี้néeมองmongไปทางไหนbpai taang năiก็gâwมีแต่mee dtàeการแข่งขันgaan kàeng kănที่têeสูงขึ้นsŏong kêunเรื่อยๆrêuuai-rêuuai
In today's society, wherever you look, there is only ever-increasing competition.
3VerbB1
do nothing but; only ever [do]
used with an action (often nominalized) to mean someone does only that and nothing else
Examples
น้องชายnɔ́ɔng-chaaiน้องชายnɔ́ɔng-chaai1younger brother2penis (euphemistic)ของฉันkɔ̌ɔng-chǎnของฉันkɔ̌ɔng-chǎnmy; mineมีแต่mii-dtɛ̀ɛมีแต่mii-dtɛ̀ɛ1have only; nothing but2there is/are only; nothing else3do nothing but; only ever [do]4only serves to; merely results inเล่นเกมlên-geemเล่นเกมlên-geem[to] play gamesไม่mâiไม่mâi1not (negator)2no (reply)ยอมyɔɔmยอมyɔɔm1[to] agree; consent2[to] allow; permit3[to] yield; give in; submit4[to] admit (acknowledge)ทำการบ้านtam-gaan-bâanทำการบ้านtam-gaan-bâan1[to] do homework2[to] prepare oneself; [to] do researchเลยləəiเลยləəi1at all; whatsoever (often in negatives)2so; thus; then (immediate result)3completely; absolutely (emphasis)4[to] pass; go beyond; exceed
My younger brother does nothing but play games and refuses to do his homework.
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เขาkǎoไม่mâiช่วยchûuaiทำอะไรtam-à-raiเลยləəiมีแต่mii-dtɛ̀ɛบ่นbònว่าwâaเหนื่อยnʉ̀ʉaiอย่างเดียวyàang-diiao
He doesn't help with anything; he does nothing but complain that he's tired.
ตั้งแต่dtâng-dtɛ̀ɛได้dâaiโทรศัพท์too-rá-sàpใหม่màiลูกสาวlûuk-sǎaoก็gɔ̂มีแต่mii-dtɛ̀ɛก้มหน้าก้มตาgôm-nâa-gôm-dtaaเล่นมือถือlên-mʉʉ-tʉ̌ʉตลอดเวลาdtà-lɔ̀ɔt-wee-laa
Ever since getting a new phone, my daughter does nothing but look down at her phone all the time.
ผู้จัดการpûu-jàt-gaanคนkonนั้นnánมีแต่mii-dtɛ̀ɛการคิดgaan-kítถึงtʉ̌ngผลกำไรpǒn-gam-raiระยะสั้นrá-yá-sânโดยdooiไม่สนใจmâi-sǒn-jaiการเติบโตgaan-dtə̀əp-dtooที่tîiยั่งยืนyâng-yʉʉnของkɔ̌ɔngบริษัทbɔɔ-rí-sàtเลยləəi
That manager does nothing but think about short-term profits, paying no attention to the company's sustainable growth.
4VerbB2
only serves to; merely results in
used with จะจะjà1will; shall (future/intention marker)2about to; going to (near future, often w/ กำลังจะ)3will; would (in conditional results) + verb to express that something can only lead to a particular (often negative) outcome
Examples
ถ้าtâaถ้าtâaif; in caseเธอtəəเธอtəə1you (informal; familiar)2she; herยังyangยังyang1still; continuing2not yet (with ไม่)3yet? (question use)4still/even (emphatic degree)ขี้เกียจkîi-gìiatขี้เกียจkîi-gìiat1lazy; not wanting to make effort2[to] not feel like [doing sth]; [to] be too lazy to [do sth]แบบนี้bɛ̀ɛp-níiแบบนี้bɛ̀ɛp-níi1like this; in this way2this kind/type (modifier)3this kind (standalone)ต่อไปdtɔ̀ɔ-bpaiต่อไปdtɔ̀ɔ-bpai1on; further (continue doing sth)2next; following (in order)3from now on; henceforth4next; subsequentผลการเรียนpǒn-gaan-riianผลการเรียนpǒn-gaan-riian1grades; marks2academic performance; academic resultsก็gɔ̂ก็gɔ̂1also; too2then; so (sequence/result)3conditional marker (if… then…)4well; after all (emphasis/justification)5topic/resumption markerมีแต่mii-dtɛ̀ɛมีแต่mii-dtɛ̀ɛ1have only; nothing but2there is/are only; nothing else3do nothing but; only ever [do]4only serves to; merely results inจะjàจะjà1will; shall (future/intention marker)2about to; going to (near future, often w/ กำลังจะ)3will; would (in conditional results)แย่ลงyɛ̂ɛ-longแย่ลงyɛ̂ɛ-long[to] get worse; [to] worsen
If you keep being lazy like this, your grades will only get worse.
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ทะเลาะกันtá-ló ganไปbpaiก็gâwไม่มีอะไรmâi mee à-raiดีขึ้นdee kêunหรอกròkมีแต่mee dtàeจะjàทำให้tam hâiเสียความรู้สึกsĭia kwaam róo-sèukกันganเปล่าๆbplào bplào
Arguing won't make anything better; it will only lead to hurt feelings for no reason.
การปกปิดgaan-bpòk-bpìtความจริงkwaam-jingมีแต่mii-dtɛ̀ɛจะjàทำให้tam-hâiสถานการณ์sà-tǎa-ná-gaanบานปลายbaan-bplaaiและlɛ́แก้ไขgɛ̂ɛ-kǎiได้dâaiยากyâakขึ้นkʉ̂n
Hiding the truth will only cause the situation to escalate and become harder to resolve.
หากhàakรัฐบาลrát-tà-baanยังคงyang-kongเมินเฉยməən-chə̌əiต่อdtɔ̀ɔปัญหาbpan-hǎaนี้níiความเหลื่อมล้ำkwaam-lʉ̀ʉam-lámในnaiสังคมsǎng-komก็gɔ̂มีแต่mii-dtɛ̀ɛจะjàถ่างtàangกว้างgwâangออกไปɔ̀ɔk-bpaiอีกìik
If the government continues to ignore this problem, social inequality will only widen further.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
2 syllables · pick one to see its rule
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
mii
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 | — | — |
Word Breakdown
+
แต่dtɛ̀ɛแต่dtɛ̀ɛ1but; however (contrast)2only; just (restriction)3from; since (starting point)but; however (contrast)Part 2
มีแต่mii-dtɛ̀ɛมีแต่mii-dtɛ̀ɛhave only; nothing buthave only; nothing butWord