อยู่
yùuMeanings
1VerbA1
[to] live; reside; stay
To live in, reside at, or stay in a place (temporarily or permanently).
Examples
ฉันchǎnฉันchǎn1I; me2[to] eat (of Buddhist monks and novices)อยู่yùuอยู่yùu1[to] live; reside; stay2to be (located); be at3progressive/continuative marker4to exist; remainบ้านbâanบ้านbâan1house; home2home (family unit)3village; hometown4classifier: หลัง5domestic; domesticated; cultivatedกับgàpกับgàp1with; together with2and (informal)3side dish; accompaniment4against; versus5to; toward (recipient/target)6classifier: sets/pairs (spoon and fork)ครอบครัวkrɔ̂ɔp-kruuaครอบครัวkrɔ̂ɔp-kruuafamily; household
I live at home with my family.
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My older brother lives in a dorm near the university.
I’m staying in Chiang Mai for two weeks.
When I was a child, we lived upcountry for many years.
2VerbA2
to be (located); be at
To be situated or located at/in a place.
Examples
ห้องน้ำhɔ̂ng-náamห้องน้ำhɔ̂ng-náambathroom; restroom; toiletอยู่yùuอยู่yùu1[to] live; reside; stay2to be (located); be at3progressive/continuative marker4to exist; remainไหนnǎiไหนnǎi1which (asking to choose)2which one; which person/thing3where (question)4any; whichever (in indefinite constructions)
Where is the bathroom located?
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The bookstore is located next to the train station.
My desk is located in the left corner of the room.
สำนักงานใหม่sǎm-nák-ngaan-màiของkɔ̌ɔngบริษัทbɔɔ-rí-sàtอยู่yùuบนbonชั้นchánยี่สิบyîi-sìpของkɔ̌ɔngตึกdtʉ̀kฝั่งfàngทิศเหนือtít-nʉ̌ʉa
The company’s new office is located on the twentieth floor of the building’s north wing.
3ParticleA2
progressive/continuative marker
A marker placed after a verb or verb phrase to indicate an ongoing or continuing action or state, like ‘be doing’ or ‘still’.
Examples
ฉันchǎnฉันchǎn1I; me2[to] eat (of Buddhist monks and novices)กำลังgam-langกำลังgam-lang1currently; in the middle of2power; strength3power (physics)4troops; forcesกินข้าวgin-kâaoกินข้าวgin-kâao1[to] have a meal; eat (general)2[to] eat rice (literal)อยู่yùuอยู่yùu1[to] live; reside; stay2to be (located); be at3progressive/continuative marker4to exist; remain
I am eating (right now).
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He is still waiting for an answer.
It’s raining right now; don’t go out yet.
เราraoกำลังgam-langคุยkuiประเด็นbprà-denนี้níiอยู่yùuแต่ยังdtɛ̀ɛ-yangหาhǎaข้อสรุปkɔ̂ɔ-sà-rùpไม่ได้mâi-dâai
We are discussing this issue, but we still can’t reach a conclusion.
4VerbB1
to exist; remain
To continue to be present; to exist or remain.
Examples
แม่น้ำสายmɛ̂ɛ-náam-sǎaiแม่น้ำสายmɛ̂ɛ-náam-sǎaithe Sai River (proper name)นี้níiนี้níi1this (near speaker)2this one3this; the present (time/topic)ยังคงyang-kongยังคงyang-kongstill; [to] remain; [to] continue to be/have/doมีอยู่mii-yùuมีอยู่mii-yùu1[to] have on hand; possess (at the moment)2[to] exist; be present; there is/areไม่ได้mâi-dâaiไม่ได้mâi-dâai1cannot; not allowed; impossible2did not3[to] fail to get/receive [sth]4unacceptable; not allowed (won’t do)5No way!; absolutely not6not really/actually (corrective)แห้งหายhɛ̂ɛng-hǎaiแห้งหายhɛ̂ɛng-hǎai1[to] dry up and disappear2[to] clear up; heal (of sores/rashes)ไปไหนbpai-nǎiไปไหนbpai-nǎi1Where are you going?; Where did you go?; Where to?2[to] go anywhere (in negative or free-choice constructions)
This river still exists; it hasn't dried up.
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หลังพายุlǎng-paa-yúสงบลงsà-ngòp-longแล้วlɛ́ɛoความหวังkwaam-wǎngของkɔ̌ɔngชาวบ้านchaao-bâanก็gɔ̂ยังคงyang-kongมีอยู่mii-yùu
After the storm calmed, the villagers' hope still remained.
ของขวัญkɔ̌ɔng-kwǎnชิ้นchínนั้นnánอยู่yùuกับgàpฉันchǎnมาmaaหลายlǎaiปีbpiiเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaเตือนใจdtʉʉan-jaiว่าwâaความเมตตาkwaam-mêet-dtaaยังคงyang-kongมีmiiอยู่ในyùu-naiโลกlôokนี้níi
That gift has been with me for years to remind me that kindness still exists in this world.
แม้mɛ́ɛเวลาwee-laaจะjàเปลี่ยนไปbplìian-bpaiหลักการlàk-gaanที่tîiเราraoเชื่อchʉ̂ʉaก็gɔ̂ยังคงyang-kongมีอยู่mii-yùuและlɛ́กำหนดgam-nòtทิศทางtít-taangของkɔ̌ɔngสังคมsǎng-kom
Even as times change, the principles we believe in still remain and shape the direction of society.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classMid classLeading อA silent อ before ย puts this syllable in mid class.
- Tone markMai ek
- Syllable endingLive syllableNot needed here: the tone mark decides.
Mid class consonants
กจฎฏดตบปอ
Result
Low tone
yùu
Starts low and stays low, easing slightly down.
Mid 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 | — | — |