ลำบาก
lam-bàakMeanings
1AdjectiveA2
difficult; troublesome
Hard to do, inconvenient, or causing trouble.
Examples
วันนี้wan-níiวันนี้wan-níi1today (time of speech)2today; this day3nowadays; at presentฝนตกfǒn-dtòkฝนตกfǒn-dtòkit is raining; [to] rainหน้าบ้านnâa-bâanหน้าบ้านnâa-bâan1front of the house; frontage2front office; customer-facing sideน้ำขังnáam-kǎngน้ำขังnáam-kǎng1standing water; stagnant water2[to] have standing water; [to] become waterloggedเดินdəənเดินdəən1[to] walk; go on foot2[to] proceed; go; move along3[to] run; operate (machine/system)4[to] run; operate; keep runningลำบากlam-bàakลำบากlam-bàak1difficult; troublesome2[to] be in hardship; have a hard time3poor; needy (of living conditions)
It's raining today; water is pooling in front of the house, making it hard to walk.
3 more examplesShow less
If we go in the evening, the traffic is heavy and finding parking will be difficult.
เอกสารèek-gà-sǎanเยอะyə́และlɛ́กำหนดส่งgam-nòt-sòngใกล้เข้ามาglâi-kâo-maaทำให้tam-hâiจัดการjàt-gaanเวลาwee-laaได้dâaiลำบากlam-bàak
There are many documents and the deadline is approaching, which makes time management difficult.
การย้ายgaan-yáaiบ้านbâanกลางglaangสัปดาห์sàp-daaลำบากlam-bàakเพราะprɔ́ต้องdtɔ̂ngขออนุญาตkɔ̌ɔ-à-nú-yâatลิฟต์lípและlɛ́วางแผนwaang-pɛ̌ɛnขนkǒnของkɔ̌ɔng
Moving house midweek is inconvenient because you need elevator permission and must plan the transport of items.
2VerbB1
[to] be in hardship; have a hard time
To live under difficulty or face hardship; to struggle.
Examples
ช่วงchûuangช่วงchûuang1period; span (of time)2span; extent3section; segment (part of something)4range; interval (between limits)5distance between supportsตกงานdtòk-ngaanตกงานdtòk-ngaan1[to] be unemployed2[to] lose one’s jobที่ผ่านมาtîi-pàan-maaที่ผ่านมาtîi-pàan-maa1past; previous; last (time already passed)2previously; earlier; so far (context-dependent)เขาkǎoเขาkǎo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillต้องdtɔ̂ngต้องdtɔ̂ng1must; have to2must; bound toลำบากlam-bàakลำบากlam-bàak1difficult; troublesome2[to] be in hardship; have a hard time3poor; needy (of living conditions)มากmâakมากmâak1very; extremely2much; a lot; greatly3many; numerousกับgàpกับgàp1with; together with2and (informal)3side dish; accompaniment4against; versus5to; toward (recipient/target)6classifier: sets/pairs (spoon and fork)การหาเงินgaan-hǎa-ngənการหาเงินgaan-hǎa-ngənearning money; making moneyมาmaaมาmaa1[to] come; arrive2[to] come to (a state or situation)3past/as of now aspect markerจุนเจือjun-jʉʉaจุนเจือjun-jʉʉa[to] support [sb]; provide for [sb]ครอบครัวkrɔ̂ɔp-kruuaครอบครัวkrɔ̂ɔp-kruuafamily; household
During the period of unemployment, he struggled greatly to earn money to support his family.
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หลังlăngย้ายไปyáai bpaiต่างจังหวัดdtàang jang-wàtใหม่màiๆ-เราraoลำบากlam-bàakกับgàpการหาgaan hăaหมอmŏrและláeร้านráanของใช้kŏng chái
After moving to a new province, we struggled with finding doctors and stores.
ตั้งแต่dtâng-dtɛ̀ɛพ่อpɔ̂ɔป่วยbpùuaiแม่mɛ̂ɛต้องdtɔ̂ngทำงานtam-ngaanสองsɔ̌ɔngงานngaanทำให้tam-hâiทั้งtángบ้านbâanลำบากlam-bàakกันganถ้วนหน้าtûuan-nâa
Since dad fell ill, mom has had to work two jobs, making the whole family struggle.
ชาวchaaoชุมชนchum-chonชายฝั่งchaai-fàngลำบากlam-bàakในช่วงnai-chûuangมรสุมmɔɔ-rá-sǔmเพราะprɔ́ออกเรือɔ̀ɔk-rʉʉaไม่ได้mâi-dâaiและlɛ́รายได้raai-dâaiหดหายhòt-hǎai
Coastal communities struggle during the monsoon because they cannot go out to sea and their income dwindles.
3AdjectiveB1
poor; needy (of living conditions)
Having very little money or resources; living in hardship.
Examples
ช่วงนี้chûuang-níiช่วงนี้chûuang-níi1these days; lately; currently2this period (of time); the current periodบ้านbâanบ้านbâan1house; home2home (family unit)3village; hometown4classifier: หลัง5domestic; domesticated; cultivatedเขาkǎoเขาkǎo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillลำบากlam-bàakลำบากlam-bàak1difficult; troublesome2[to] be in hardship; have a hard time3poor; needy (of living conditions)เงินngənเงินngən1money2funds; finances3silver (metal)ไม่พอmâi-pɔɔไม่พอmâi-pɔɔ1not enough; insufficient2not enough; not sufficientlyใช้cháiใช้chái1[to] use; employ2[to] spend (money); pay; expend3[to] require; take (time/effort/amount)4[to] tell [sb] to do [sth]; assign; orderทั้งtángทั้งtáng1whole; entire2all3both4altogether; entirelyเดือนdʉʉanเดือนdʉʉan1month2the Moon; moon
His family is struggling financially these days; the money doesn’t last the whole month.
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หลังจากlǎng-jàakตกงานdtòk-ngaanเขาkǎoต้องdtɔ̂ngอยู่yùuแบบbɛ̀ɛpลำบากlam-bàakประหยัดbprà-yàtทุกอย่างtúk-yàang
After losing his job, he had to live in hardship and save on everything.
แม่ค้าmɛ̂ɛ-káaบอกว่าbɔ̀ɔk-wâaช่วงโควิดchûuang-koo-wítขายของkǎai-kɔ̌ɔngยากyâakรายได้raai-dâaiลดลงlót-longมากmâakจนjonอยู่yùuกันganลำบากlam-bàak
The vendor said that during COVID it was hard to sell, income dropped a lot, and they lived in hardship.
เธอtəəเติบโตdtə̀əp-dtooมาmaaในnaiครอบครัวkrɔ̂ɔp-kruuaที่tîiลำบากlam-bàakต้องdtɔ̂ngพึ่งpʉ̂ngทุนการศึกษาtun-gaan-sʉ̀k-sǎaและlɛ́งานพิเศษngaan-pí-sèetเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaประคองbprà-kɔɔngชีวิตchii-wít
She grew up in a financially troubled family, relying on scholarships and part-time jobs to get by.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
Why is ลำบาก said ลัม-บาก?
lam-bàak
The tone rules below use the spoken syllables.
2 syllables · pick one to see its rule
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classLow class
- Tone markNo tone mark
- Syllable endingLive syllableThe vowel ำ hides a final -ม, so it is live.
Low class consonants
คฅฆงชซฌญฑฒณทธนพฟภมยรลวฬฮ
Result
Mid tone
lam
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
ลำlamลำlam1classifier: boats; ships; aircraft; rockets; some musical instruments2classifier: beams/rays of light; laser3shaft; trunk; stalk; hull/body (of boat or instrument)4beam; ray (of light)5delicious; tasty (Northern Thai)6[to] sing; chant traditional verse (Isan)classifier: boats; ships; aircraft; rockets; some musical instrumentsPart 1
+
บากbàakบากbàak1[to] notch; cut a rebate2[to] miter; bevel; cut at an angle[to] notch; cut a rebatePart 2
ลำบากlam-bàakลำบากlam-bàakdifficult; troublesomedifficult; troublesomeWord