ราว
raaoMeanings
1NounA2
rail; bar; pole
a long bar, rail, or pole for holding, supporting, or hanging things (e.g., handrail, clothes rail)
Examples
ฉันchănฉันchăn1I; me2[to] eat (of Buddhist monks and novices)แขวนkwăenแขวนkwăen1[to] hang [sth]; suspend [sth] from above2[to] suspend; put on hold; shelveเสื้อsêuuaเสื้อsêuua1shirt; top2jacket; coat3classifier: ตัวไว้บนwái bonราวraaoราวraao1rail; bar; pole2about; approximately; around3approximately; roughly4classifier: rails
I hang my shirt on the rail.
3 more examplesShow less
Yesterday the technician installed a new handrail at my house.
Tomorrow Mom will buy another clothes rail.
ในnaiรถไฟฟ้าrót-fai-fáaมีmiiราวraaoให้hâiจับjàpเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaความปลอดภัยkwaam-bplɔ̀ɔt-paiระหว่างrá-wàangยืนyʉʉn
In the metro there are rails to hold for safety while standing.
2PrepositionA2
about; approximately; around
used before numbers, amounts, time, or distance to show an approximate value
Examples
เขาkǎoเขาkǎo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillมาถึงmaa-tʉ̌ngมาถึงmaa-tʉ̌ng1[to] arrive (somewhere)2[to] reach; come to (time/stage/topic)ราวraaoราวraao1rail; bar; pole2about; approximately; around3approximately; roughly4classifier: railsหกโมงเย็นhòk-moong-yenหกโมงเย็นhòk-moong-yen6 PM; six o'clock in the evening
He arrived at around six in the evening.
3 more examplesShow less
The work should be finished around tomorrow afternoon.
The cost is around two thousand baht, including food and accommodation.
จากjàakกรุงเทพฯgrung-têpไปbpaiหัวหินhŭua hĭnใช้เวลาchái way-laaราวraaoสามsăamชั่วโมงchûua-mohngถ้าtâaรถrótไม่ติดmâi dtìt
From Bangkok to Hua Hin takes around three hours if there’s no traffic.
3AdverbA2
approximately; roughly
used adverbially to indicate an approximate amount, time, distance, or number
Examples
ฉันchǎnฉันchǎn1I; me2[to] eat (of Buddhist monks and novices)มีmiiมีmii1[to] have; possess2there is/are; exist3[to] experience; undergoเงินngənเงินngən1money2funds; finances3silver (metal)ราวraaoราวraao1rail; bar; pole2about; approximately; around3approximately; roughly4classifier: railsหนึ่งร้อยnʉ̀ng-rɔ́ɔiหนึ่งร้อยnʉ̀ng-rɔ́ɔione hundred; 100บาทbàatบาทbàat1baht (Thai currency unit)2baht (classifier for Thai currency amounts)3foot (literary)
I have around one hundred baht.
7 more examplesShow less
He arrived around 5 p.m. yesterday.
Our house is about two kilometers from the market.
งานประชุมngaan bprà-chumจะjàเริ่มขึ้นrêrm kûenราวๆraao raaoต้นdtônสัปดาห์หน้าsàp-daa nâaถ้าtâaมีmeeการเปลี่ยนแปลงgaan bplìian bplaengจะjàแจ้งให้ทราบjâeng hâi sâapอีกครั้งèek kráng
The conference will start around the beginning of next week; if there are any changes, we will inform you again.
อากาศaa-gàatวันนี้wan-níiเงียบสงบngîiap-sà-ngòpราวraaoไม่มีmâi-miiพายุpaa-yúเคยkəəiพัดผ่านpát-pàanมาmaa
The weather today is calm, as if no storm had ever passed through.
She smiled at me as if yesterday’s incident had never happened.
4ClassifierB2
classifier: rails
a classifier used when counting rails, such as clothes rails
Examples
ช่างchângช่างchâng1artisan; mechanic; technician2crafts-; technical (prefix)3never mind; let it be4how (exclamatory)5[to] be inclined to; be given toสวนsǔuanสวนsǔuan1garden; orchard; park2classifier: gardens/orchards/plantations3[to] oppose; contradict; go against4[to] move against; counter (direction)สั่งsàngสั่งsàng1[to] order [sth]; place an order (food/goods)2[to] command; instruct; direct3[to] prescribe; order (medical/legal/official)ไม้ไผ่máai-pàiไม้ไผ่máai-pài1bamboo (plant)2bamboo (material)ห้าhâaห้าhâafive (number)ราวraaoราวraao1rail; bar; pole2about; approximately; around3approximately; roughly4classifier: railsเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaเพื่อpʉ̂ʉa1for; in order to2for the sake of; on behalf ofทำtamทำtam1[to] do; make2[to] act; behave3[to] cook; prepare food4[to] do; carry out (work)5[to] cause; makeค้างkáangค้างkáang1[to] stay over; spend the night2[to] remain; be left over3[to be] overdue; outstanding4[to] remain suspended; be stuck in position5[to] freeze; stop respondingให้hâiให้hâi1[to] give; provide2[to] allow; let; permit3[to] have [sb] do; cause to4for (benefit of)5so that; in order to6until; to the point that (result)แตงกวาdtɛɛng-gwaaแตงกวาdtɛɛng-gwaacucumberเลื้อยlʉ́ʉaiเลื้อยlʉ́ʉai1[to] crawl; creep; slither2[to] climb/spread (of vines/plants)
The gardener ordered five bamboo poles to make trellises for cucumbers to climb.
3 more examplesShow less
เราraoต้องdtɔ̂ngใช้cháiเหล็กlèkสองsɔ̌ɔngราวraaoสำหรับsǎm-ràpทำtamรั้วrúuaชั่วคราวchûua-kraaoรอบrɔ̂ɔpงานก่อสร้างngaan-gɔ̀ɔ-sâang
We need two iron rods to make a temporary fence around the construction site.
ครูพละkruu-pá-láเตรียมdtriiamไม้พลองmáai-plɔɔngสิบsìpราวraaoไว้wáiสำหรับsǎm-ràpการซ้อมgaan-sɔ́ɔmระบำrá-bamประกอบbprà-gɔ̀ɔpเพลงpleengของkɔ̌ɔngนักเรียนnák-riian
The PE teacher prepared ten batons for the students’ rehearsal of the choreographed dance.
ช่างไม้châng-máaiคำนวณkam-nuuanว่าwâaควรkuuanใช้cháiไม้เนื้อแข็งmáai-nʉ́ʉa-kɛ̌ngสี่sìiราวraaoเป็นbpenโครงkroongหลักlàkแล้วlɛ́ɛoค่อยkɔ̂iเสริมsə̌əmด้วยdûuaiแผ่นไม้pɛ̀n-máaiอัดàtเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaเพิ่มpə̂əmความแข็งแรงkwaam-kɛ̌ng-rɛɛng
The carpenter calculated that four hardwood beams should be used as the main frame, then reinforced with plywood for added strength.
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 syllableEnds in -ว, a sonorant, so it is live.
Low class consonants
คฅฆงชซฌญฑฒณทธนพฟภมยรลวฬฮ
Result
Mid tone
raao
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 | — | — |