ยากเข็ญ
yâak-kěnMeanings
1AdjectiveC1
destitute; in severe hardship
very poor; suffering severe hardship or deprivation
Examples
คนkonคนkon1person; human2classifier: people3[to] stir; mix by stirringในnaiในnai1in; inside; within2during; in (time)3of; belonging to (formal)หมู่บ้านmùu-bâanหมู่บ้านmùu-bâan1village; hamlet2housing estate; gated communityนี้níiนี้níi1this (near speaker)2this one3this; the present (time/topic)ส่วนใหญ่sùuan-yàiส่วนใหญ่sùuan-yài1the majority; most2most (of); the majority of3mostly; mainly; largelyมีชีวิตmii-chii-wítมีชีวิตmii-chii-wít1[to] be alive; live2alive; livingที่tîiที่tîi1place; spot; seat; space2at; in; to (a place)3classifier: places; seats; individual servings4that/which/who (relative marker)5when; the time that (time marker)6ordinal markerยากเข็ญyâak-kěnยากเข็ญyâak-kěn1destitute; in severe hardship2hard-pressed; in dire straitsไม่มีmâi-miiไม่มีmâi-mii1to not have; lack2there is/are not; does/do not exist3[reply] we don't have it; out of stockแม้แต่mɛ́ɛ-dtɛ̀ɛแม้แต่mɛ́ɛ-dtɛ̀ɛeven (emphasizing an extreme or unlikely example)ไฟฟ้าfai-fáaไฟฟ้าfai-fáa1electricity; electric power2electric; electricalใช้cháiใช้chái1[to] use; employ2[to] spend (money); pay; expend3[to] require; take (time/effort/amount)4[to] tell [sb] to do [sth]; assign; order
Most people in this village live a very poor life, not even having electricity.
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รัฐบาลrát-tà-baanมีmiiนโยบายná-yoo-baaiช่วยเหลือchûuai-lʉ̌ʉaครอบครัวkrɔ̂ɔp-kruuaที่tîiยากเข็ญyâak-kěnโดยเฉพาะdooi-chà-pɔ́ในnaiพื้นที่ห่างไกลpʉ́ʉn-tîi-hàang-glai
The government has a policy to help extremely poor families, especially in remote areas.
แม้mɛ́ɛจะjàเติบโตdtə̀əp-dtooมาmaaในnaiครอบครัวkrɔ̂ɔp-kruuaที่tîiแสนsɛ̌ɛnยากเข็ญyâak-kěnแต่dtɛ̀ɛเขาkǎoก็gɔ̂มุ่งมั่นmûng-mânศึกษาsʉ̀k-sǎaจนjonประสบความสำเร็จbprà-sòp-kwaam-sǎm-rèt
Despite growing up in an extremely impoverished family, he was determined to study until he succeeded.
วรรณกรรมwan-ná-gamเรื่องrʉ̂ʉangนี้níiสะท้อนภาพsà-tɔ́ɔn-pâapชีวิตchii-wítอันanยากเข็ญyâak-kěnของkɔ̌ɔngชาวนาchaao-naaในnaiยุคyúkข้าวkâaoยากyâakหมากmàakแพงpɛɛngได้dâaiอย่างyàangสมจริงsǒm-jing
This piece of literature realistically reflects the severely deprived lives of farmers during an era of famine and high prices.
2AdjectiveC1
hard-pressed; in dire straits
experiencing great difficulty or adversity (of a person’s life, times, or circumstances)
Examples
การเดินทางgaan-dəən-taangการเดินทางgaan-dəən-taang1travel; traveling (in general)2a trip; a journeyไปถึงbpai-tʉ̌ngไปถึงbpai-tʉ̌ng1[to] arrive at; get to; reach (a place)2[to] reach; extend to (level/amount/scope)3[to] reach; be delivered to (sb/sth)ยอดเขาyɔ̂ɔt-kǎoยอดเขาyɔ̂ɔt-kǎomountaintop; summit; peakในnaiในnai1in; inside; within2during; in (time)3of; belonging to (formal)ฤดูหนาวrʉ́-duu-nǎaoฤดูหนาวrʉ́-duu-nǎaowinter; cold seasonนั้นnánนั้นnán1that (distal demonstrative)2that one; that thing3(topic-marking or emphatic particle)ยากเข็ญyâak-kěnยากเข็ญyâak-kěn1destitute; in severe hardship2hard-pressed; in dire straitsกว่าที่gwàa-tîiกว่าที่gwàa-tîi1than (what/that)2not until; by the time thatคิดkítคิดkít1[to] think; consider2[to] calculate; figure out3[to] charge (a price)4[to] intend; planไว้wáiไว้wái1[to] keep; save; store2[to] set aside; reserve3for later; in reserve4[to] leave (something) as is5marks retention or maintenance of a state6[to] wear; sport (hair/moustache/etc.)มากmâakมากmâak1very; extremely2much; a lot; greatly3many; numerous
The journey to the mountain peak in winter was much more difficult than I had thought.
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การฟื้นฟูgaan-fʉ́ʉn-fuuธุรกิจtú-rá-gìtหลังlǎngวิกฤตเศรษฐกิจwí-grìt-sèet-tà-gìtเป็นbpenภารกิจpaa-rá-gìtที่tîiยากเข็ญyâak-kěnสำหรับsǎm-ràpผู้ประกอบการpûu-bprà-gɔ̀ɔp-gaanรายย่อยraai-yɔ̂i
Reviving a business after an economic crisis is an incredibly difficult task for small entrepreneurs.
เส้นทางsên-taangสู่sùuการเป็นgaan-bpenนักกีฬามืออาชีพnák-gii-laa-mʉʉ-aa-chîipนั้นnánเต็มไปด้วยdtem-bpai-dûuaiความยากkwaam-yâakเข็ญkěnต้องdtɔ̂ngอาศัยaa-sǎiทั้งtángพรสวรรค์pɔɔn-sà-wǎnและlɛ́ความพยายามkwaam-pá-yaa-yaamอย่างยิ่งยวดyàang-yîng-yûuat
The path to becoming a professional athlete is fraught with adversity, requiring both immense talent and extreme effort.
การผ่านgaan-pàanช่วงเวลาchûuang-wee-laaแห่งhɛ̀ngความสูญเสียkwaam-sǔun-sǐiaนั้นnánช่างchâangยากเข็ญyâak-kěnแต่dtɛ̀ɛด้วยdûuaiกำลังใจgam-lang-jaiจากjàakคนรอบข้างkon-rɔ̂ɔp-kâangเขาkǎoก็gɔ̂สามารถsǎa-mâatก้าวข้ามgâao-kâamไปbpaiได้dâaiในที่สุดnai-tîi-sùt
Getting through a time of loss is tremendously difficult, but with encouragement from those around him, he was finally able to move on.
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 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 | — | — |
Word Breakdown
ยากyâakยากyâak1difficult; hard2unlikely; hard to imagine happening3poor; impoverished (dated/formal)difficult; hardPart 1
+
เข็ญkěnเข็ญkěn1hardship; misery; destitution2poor; destitute; wretchedhardship; misery; destitutionPart 2
ยากเข็ญyâak-kěnยากเข็ญyâak-kěndestitute; in severe hardshipdestitute; in severe hardshipWord