อ้ำๆ
âm âmMeanings
1VerbB1
[to] bite; [to] eat
to bite; to eat (often used in childish language or when feeding a baby)
Examples
มาmaaมาmaa1[to] come; arrive2[to] come to (a state or situation)3past/as of now aspect markerเร็วreoเร็วreo1fast; quick (speed/time)2quickly; fast3early; soonลูกlôokลูกlôok1child; son; daughter2offspring (of animals); young3ball; spherical object4fruit5classifier: fruits, balls, and certain other objectsอ้าปากâa bpàakอ้าปากâa bpàak[to] open one's mouthกว้างๆgwâang gwâangกว้างๆgwâang gwâang1broadly; generally; in general terms2quite wide; rather broadแล้วláeoแล้วláeo1already; now (as of this point)2then; and then; after that3already; completed-action marker4and; and then (linking clauses)อ้ำๆâm âmอ้ำๆâm âm1[to] bite; [to] eat2[to] stammer; [to] hesitate to speakข้าวkâaoข้าวkâao1rice (cooked)2rice (grain/uncooked)3meal; food (general)4rice plant; paddyคำkamคำkam1word; term2classifier for words/utterances3speech; saying; utteranceโตๆdoh dtohโตๆdoh dtoh1big; large; sizable2grown-up; olderนะnáนะná1softener; friendly particle2persuasive/confirming particle3wondering particle
Come on baby, open your mouth wide and eat a big bite of rice.
3 more examplesShow less
คุณแม่kun mâeหลอกล่อlòk lôrให้hâiลูกชายlôok chaaiกินginผักpàkโดยdoiทำเสียงtam sĭiangเครื่องบินkrêuuang binแล้วláeoบอกว่าbòk wâaอ้ำๆâm âm
The mother coaxed her son to eat vegetables by making an airplane sound and saying 'ahmm'.
การสอนgaan sŏnให้hâiเด็กเล็กdèk lékกินginอาหารaa-hăanเองayngอาจจะàat jàเลอะเทอะlé-téหน่อยnòiแต่dtàeพอporเขาkăoพูดpôotว่าwâaอ้ำๆâm âmแล้วláeoตักdtàkเข้าปากkâo bpàakเองayngได้dâiคนเป็นพ่อkon bpen pôoแม่mâeก็gâwชื่นใจchêun jai
Teaching toddlers to eat by themselves might be a bit messy, but when they say 'ahmm' and feed themselves, parents are delighted.
2VerbB2
[to] stammer; [to] hesitate to speak
to stammer; to hesitate to speak or be at a loss for words
Examples
พอporพอpor1enough; sufficient2enough; sufficiently3[to] suffice; be enough4quite; rather; fairly5as soon as; whenครูkruuครูkruu1teacher2master; mentor (respectful)ถามtăamถามtăam1[to] ask; inquire2[to] ask about; consult3[to] question; interrogateว่าwâaว่าwâa1[to] say; tell2that (clause marker)3[to] think; consider; deem4[to] scold; reproach; criticizeใครkraiใครkrai1who2anyone; whoeverทำtamทำtam1[to] do; make2[to] act; behave3[to] cook; prepare food4[to] do; carry out (work)5[to] cause; makeแก้วgâewแก้วgâew1drinking glass2glass (material)3classifier: glasses of drink4crystal; precious gem5precious; cherished; beloved (literary)6bullet wood; Spanish cherry (northern Thai)7orange jasmine (Murraya paniculata)แตกdtàekแตกdtàek1[to] crack; break; shatter2broken; cracked3[to] burst; rupture4[to] split up; fall apart (figurative)5[to] be exposed; come to light6[to] ejaculate; climax (slang)เขาkăoเขาkăo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillก็gâwก็gâw1also; too2then; so (sequence/result)3conditional marker (if… then…)4well; after all (emphasis/justification)5topic/resumption markerได้แต่dâai dtàeได้แต่dâai dtàecan only; do nothing but; merelyตอบdtòpตอบdtòp1[to] answer; reply2[to] respond; react3sunken; hollow (of cheeks/abdomen)อ้ำๆâm âmอ้ำๆâm âm1[to] bite; [to] eat2[to] stammer; [to] hesitate to speakไม่mâiไม่mâi1not (negator)2no (reply)ยอมyomยอมyom1[to] agree; consent2[to] allow; permit3[to] yield; give in; submit4[to] admit (acknowledge)พูดpôotพูดpôot1[to] speak; talk2[to] say; speak3[to] tell; talk aboutความจริงkwaam jingความจริงkwaam jing1truth; fact2actually; in fact; to tell the truth
When the teacher asked who broke the glass, he just answered stammeringly, refusing to tell the truth.
3 more examplesShow less
ทำไมtam maiเธอterถึงtĕungพูดpôotอ้ำๆâm âmแบบนั้นbàep nánมีอะไรmee à-raiปิดบังbpìt bangฉันchănอยู่yòoหรือเปล่าrĕu bplàao
Why are you stammering like that? Are you hiding something from me?
เมื่อmêuuaถูกtòokนักข่าวnák kàaoซักไซ้sák sáiถึงtĕungเรื่องrêuuangทุจริตtút-jà-rìtนักการเมืองnák gaan-meuuangคนkonนั้นnánก็gâwตอบdtòpอ้ำๆâm âmอึ้งêungๆ-และláeรีบrêepเดินหนีdern nĕeไปbpai
When pressed by reporters about the corruption issue, the politician hesitated to speak and quickly walked away.
ผู้ต้องสงสัยpôo dtông sŏng-săiให้การhâi gaanอ้ำๆâm âmวกไปวนมาwók bpai won maaทำให้tam hâiตำรวจdtam-rùuatยิ่งyîngสงสัยsŏng săiในnaiพฤติกรรมprút-dtì-gamของเขาkŏng kăo
The suspect gave a stammering, roundabout statement, making the police even more suspicious of his behavior.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
Why is อ้ำๆ said อ้ำ-อ้ำ?
âm âm
Thai spelling does not always show how a word sounds. This is how it is said.
The tone rules below use the spoken syllables.
2 syllables · pick one to see its rule
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classMid class
- Tone markMai tho
- Syllable endingLive syllableNot needed here: the tone mark decides.
Mid class consonants
กจฎฏดตบปอ
Result
Falling tone
âm
Starts high, rises a little, then drops clearly.
Mid class + Mai tho → 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 | — | — |