หม่า
màaMeaning
1VerbB2
[to] soak; steep (dialectal)
To leave something immersed in water to soften it, especially rice before cooking; used in Northern and Isan speech.
Examples
แม่mɛ̂ɛแม่mɛ̂ɛ1mother; mom2form of address for a woman (traditional/familiar)3prefix: female; main; baseหม่าmàaหม่าmàa[to] soak; steep (dialectal)ข้าวเหนียวkâao-nǐiaoข้าวเหนียวkâao-nǐiaosticky rice; glutinous riceไว้wáiไว้wái1[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.)ตั้งแต่dtâng-dtɛ̀ɛตั้งแต่dtâng-dtɛ̀ɛfrom; since (starting point)เมื่อคืนmʉ̂ʉa-kʉʉnเมื่อคืนmʉ̂ʉa-kʉʉn1last night (the night before today)2last nightเช้านี้cháao-níiเช้านี้cháao-níithis morningเลยləəiเลยləəi1at all; whatsoever (often in negatives)2so; thus; then (immediate result)3completely; absolutely (emphasis)4[to] pass; go beyond; exceedนึ่งnʉ̂ngนึ่งnʉ̂ng1[to] steam [sth]2steamedได้dâaiได้dâai1okay; sure; agreed2[to] get; obtain; receive3can; [to] be able to; may4[to] manage to; succeed in5actualized-action markerทันทีtan-tiiทันทีtan-tiiimmediately; at once
Mom soaked the sticky rice overnight, so it was ready to steam this morning.
3 more examplesShow less
ยายyaaiบอกว่าbɔ̀ɔk-wâaข้าวเหนียวkâao-nǐiaoเก่าgàoต้องdtɔ̂ngหม่าmàaนานnaanกว่าgwàaข้าวkâaoใหม่màiเพราะprɔ́เมล็ดmá-létแห้งhɛ̂ɛngกว่าgwàaและlɛ́ใช้เวลาchái-wee-laaดูดdùutน้ำnáamมากกว่าmâak-gwàa
Grandma said that older sticky rice needs to be soaked longer than newly harvested rice because the grains are drier and take longer to absorb water.
พอpɔɔรู้rúuว่าwâaต้องdtɔ̂ngออกจากบ้านɔ̀ɔk-jàak-bâanแต่เช้าdtɛ̀ɛ-cháaoมืดmʉ̂ʉtแม่mɛ̂ɛก็gɔ̂หม่าmàaข้าวเหนียวkâao-nǐiaoไว้wáiก่อนนอนgɔ̀ɔn-nɔɔnเพื่อให้pʉ̂ʉa-hâiตื่นมาdtʉ̀ʉn-maaนึ่งnʉ̂ngได้เลยdâai-ləəiโดยdooiไม่ต้องmâi-dtɔ̂ngรอrɔɔให้hâiข้าวนิ่มkâao-nîm
Once she learned that we had to leave before dawn, Mom soaked the sticky rice before bed so she could steam it as soon as she got up, without waiting for it to soften.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classHigh classLeading หA silent ห before ม puts this syllable in high class.
- Tone markMai ek
- Syllable endingLive syllableNot needed here: the tone mark decides.
High class consonants
ขฃฉฐถผฝศษสห
Result
Low tone
màa
Starts low and stays low, easing slightly down.
High class + Mai ek → Low
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 | — | — |