เซา
saoMeanings
1VerbB2
[to] stop; cease; quit (Isan/Lao dialect)
(Isan/Lao dialect) To stop or cease doing something; to quit.
Examples
เซาsaoเซาsao1[to] stop; cease; quit (Isan/Lao dialect)2[to] pause; stop briefly; take a break (Isan/Lao dialect)ไห้hâiไห้hâi[to] cry; weep (often in 'ร้องไห้')ได้แล้วdâai-lɛ́ɛoได้แล้วdâai-lɛ́ɛogot it; done; now possibleลูกlûukลูกlûuk1child; son; daughter2offspring (of animals); young3ball; spherical object4fruit5classifier: fruits, balls, and certain other objectsเดี๋ยวdǐiaoเดี๋ยวdǐiao1soon; in a moment2for a moment; briefly; one moment3wait! just a moment4otherwise; or else (colloq.)5alternating; now … now …แม่mɛ̂ɛแม่mɛ̂ɛ1mother; mom2form of address for a woman (traditional/familiar)3prefix: female; main; baseพาไปpaa-bpaiพาไปpaa-bpai[to] take [sb] (to [somewhere])ซื้อsʉ́ʉซื้อsʉ́ʉ1[to] buy; purchase2[to] bribe; buy offขนมkà-nǒmขนมkà-nǒmsnack; sweet; dessert
Stop crying now, child. Mom will take you to buy snacks.
3 more examplesShow less
He said he would quit drinking for his family.
เฮ็ดงานhét ngaanมาmaaหลายlăaiปีbpeeแล้วláeoข่อยkòiว่าwâaสิsìเซาsaoแล้วláeoไปbpaiอยู่yòoบ้านนอกbâan nôkสบายๆsà-baai sà-baai
I've been working for many years. I think I'll quit and go live a comfortable life in the countryside.
ถ้าtâaเจ้าjâoบ่bòเซาsaoเว้าwáoเรื่องrêuuangเก่าๆgào gàoเฮาhaoสิsìเลิกคบlêrk kópกันganอีหลีเด้ee-lĕe dây
If you don't stop talking about the past, we're really going to break up.
2VerbB2
[to] pause; stop briefly; take a break (Isan/Lao dialect)
(Isan/Lao dialect) To pause or stop for a short time, often to rest, before continuing.
Examples
ย่างyâangย่างyâang1[to] grill; roast over direct heat2[to] step; stride; pace; approach (age/time)3step; pace (walking)มาไกลmaa-glaiมาไกลmaa-glai1[to] have come a long way; make great progress2well advanced; far alongแล้วlɛ́ɛoแล้วlɛ́ɛo1already; now (as of this point)2then; and then; after that3already; completed-action marker4and; and then (linking clauses)มาmaaมาmaa1[to] come; arrive2[to] come to (a state or situation)3past/as of now aspect markerเซาsaoเซาsao1[to] stop; cease; quit (Isan/Lao dialect)2[to] pause; stop briefly; take a break (Isan/Lao dialect)ก่อนgɔ̀ɔnก่อนgɔ̀ɔn1before; earlier; previously; first2previous; prior; formerเถาะtɔ̀เถาะtɔ̀Rabbit (zodiac sign); the Year of the Rabbit
We've walked a long way. Let's take a break first.
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เที่ยงtîiangแล้วlɛ́ɛoไปbpaiเซาsaoกินข้าวgin-kâaoก่อนgɔ̀ɔnเดี๋ยวdǐiaoบ่ายbàaiค่อยkɔ̂iมาmaaเฮ็ดhétต่อdtɔ̀ɔ
It's noon, let's go take a break to eat. We can continue working in the afternoon.
ตอนdtɔɔnขับรถkàp-rótกลับบ้านglàp-bâanข่อยkɔ̀ɔiต้องdtɔ̂ngแวะwɛ́เซาsaoอยู่yùuปั๊มbpámจักหน่อยjàk-nɔ̀iเพราะว่าprɔ́-wâaเมื่อยแฮงmʉ̂ʉai-hɛɛng
On the drive home, I had to stop and rest at a gas station for a bit because I was very tired.
เฮ็ดนามาเบิ่ดhét naa maa bèrtมื้อméuuแล้วláeoขอkŏrเซาsaoเมื่อยmêuuaiใต้dtâiฮ่มhômไม้máiจักjàkคราวkraaoก่อนgònสิsìไปต่อbpai dtòr
After working in the rice field all day, I need to pause and rest under the shade of a tree for a moment before I continue.
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 syllableThe vowel เ-า hides a final -ว, so it is live.
Low class consonants
คฅฆงชซฌญฑฒณทธนพฟภมยรลวฬฮ
Result
Mid tone
sao
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 | — | — |