ยาก
yâakMeanings
1AdjectiveA2
difficult; hard
difficult to do, achieve, understand, or deal with; hard
Examples
การบ้านgaan-bâanการบ้านgaan-bâan1homework; school assignment2housework (colloq.)ข้อkɔ̂ɔข้อkɔ̂ɔ1item; point; clause2classifier: items/points/clauses/questions3joint (anatomy)4condition; term5node; joint; segment (botany/zoology)นี้níiนี้níi1this (near speaker)2this one3this; the present (time/topic)ยากมากyâak-mâakยากมากyâak-mâakvery difficult; very hard
This homework problem is very difficult.
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Yesterday I baked a cake for the first time; it was harder than I thought.
Tomorrow we will hike; the trail might be difficult for beginners.
เขาkǎoพยายามpá-yaa-yaamอธิบายà-tí-baaiกฎgòtนี้níiแล้วlɛ́ɛoแต่dtɛ̀ɛศัพท์เฉพาะsàp-chà-pɔ́เยอะyə́ทำให้tam-hâiเนื้อหาnʉ́ʉa-hǎaเรียนรู้riian-rúuยากyâak
He tried to explain this rule, but there’s a lot of technical jargon, which makes the material difficult to learn.
2AdjectiveB1
unlikely; hard to imagine happening
having little likelihood of happening or being achieved, especially in constructions such as ยากจะ... and ยากที่...
Examples
ช่วงนี้chûuang-níiช่วงนี้chûuang-níi1these days; lately; currently2this period (of time); the current periodฝนตกหนักfǒn-dtòk-nàkฝนตกหนักfǒn-dtòk-nàk[to] rain heavily; pourจึงjʉngจึงjʉng1therefore; so; thus2only then; then (as a result)ยากyâakยากyâak1difficult; hard2unlikely; hard to imagine happening3poor; impoverished (dated/formal)จะjàจะjà1will; shall (future/intention marker)2about to; going to (near future, often w/ กำลังจะ)3will; would (in conditional results)เห็นhěnเห็นhěn1[to] see2[to] notice; [to] realize; [to] find (that)3[to] think; [to] be of the opinion4[to] consider; [to] regard asดาวdaaoดาวdaao1star (celestial body)2star (famous person)3star symbol/markตอนกลางคืนdtɔɔn-glaang-kʉʉnตอนกลางคืนdtɔɔn-glaang-kʉʉn1at night; during the night2nighttime; the night period
Lately it’s raining heavily, so it’s hardly possible to see stars at night.
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In big cities, it’s hard to find free parking in the evening.
เขาkǎoไม่ค่อยmâi-kɔ̂iออกɔ̀ɔkสังคมsǎng-komจึงjʉngยากyâakที่จะtîi-jàนัดพบnát-pópเขาkǎoในnaiวันหยุดwan-yùt
He rarely socializes, so it’s unlikely to arrange to meet him on weekends.
ถ้าtâaไม่มีmâi-miiข้อมูลkɔ̂ɔ-muunเพิ่มเติมpə̂əm-dtəəmก็gɔ̂คงkongยากyâakที่จะtîi-jàสรุปsà-rùpข้อเท็จจริงkɔ̂ɔ-tét-jingได้dâaiอย่างชัดเจนyàang-chát-jeen
Without further information, it would be hard to clearly conclude the facts.
3AdjectiveB1
poor; impoverished (dated/formal)
having little money; living in poverty (dated/formal usage in modern Thai)
Examples
ครอบครัวkrɔ̂ɔp-kruuaครอบครัวkrɔ̂ɔp-kruuafamily; householdเขาkǎoเขาkǎo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillเคยkəəiเคยkəəi1ever; before (past experience)2used to (past habit or state)อยู่yùuอยู่yùu1[to] live; reside; stay2to be (located); be at3progressive/continuative marker4to exist; remainกันganกันgan1together; 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; earmarkอย่างyàangอย่างyàang1kind; type; sort2manner; way3classifier (for kinds/types)4in the manner of; -lyยากyâakยากyâak1difficult; hard2unlikely; hard to imagine happening3poor; impoverished (dated/formal)ต้องdtɔ̂ngต้องdtɔ̂ng1must; have to2must; bound toประหยัดbprà-yàtประหยัดbprà-yàt1economical; cost‑saving2[to] save; be thriftyทุกบาทtúk-bàatทุกบาทtúk-bàat1every baht; every single baht2every baht (amount of money)
His family once lived in poverty and had to save every baht.
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สมัยเด็กsà-mǎi-dèkผมpǒmบ้านbâanยากyâakแม่mɛ̂ɛรับจ้างráp-jâangรายวันraai-wanเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaเลี้ยงดูlíiang-duuพวกเราpûuak-rao
When I was young, my family was poor; my mother worked day labor to support us.
เธอtəəเติบโตdtə̀əp-dtooมาmaaในnaiชุมชนchum-chonยากyâakจึงjʉngตั้งใจเรียนdtâng-jai-riianเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaเปลี่ยนbplìianชีวิตchii-wít
She grew up in an impoverished community, so she studied hard to change her life.
แม้mɛ́ɛจะjàยากจนyâak-jonแค่ไหนkɛ̂ɛ-nǎiเขาkǎoก็gɔ̂ไม่mâiยอมyɔɔmทิ้งtíngความฝันkwaam-fǎnเพราะprɔ́รู้rúuว่าwâaการศึกษาgaan-sʉ̀k-sǎaเป็นbpenทางออกtaang-ɔ̀ɔkจากjàakความยากkwaam-yâak
No matter how poor he is, he will not abandon his dream, because he knows education is the way out of poverty.
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 syllableLong vowelEnds in -ก, a stop, so it is dead.
Low class consonants
คฅฆงชซฌญฑฒณทธนพฟภมยรลวฬฮ
Result
Falling tone
yâak
Starts high, rises a little, then drops clearly.
Low class + No tone mark + Dead syllable · Long vowel → 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 | — | — |