เฒ่า
tâoMeanings
1AdjectiveB1
old; elderly; aged
Advanced in age; elderly. Used in ordinary compounds as well as literary, regional, or colloquial speech.
Examples
ต้นไม้dtôn-máaiต้นไม้dtôn-máai1tree2plants/greenery (general, esp. woody plants)เฒ่าtâoเฒ่าtâo1old; elderly; aged2old person; elderหน้าบ้านnâa-bâanหน้าบ้านnâa-bâan1front of the house; frontage2front office; customer-facing sideยังyangยังyang1still; continuing2not yet (with ไม่)3yet? (question use)4still/even (emphatic degree)ยืนต้นyʉʉn-dtônยืนต้นyʉʉn-dtôn1perennial; long-lived (of trees)2[of a tree/plant] die while still standingอยู่yùuอยู่yùu1[to] live; reside; stay2to be (located); be at3progressive/continuative marker4to exist; remainแม้mɛ́ɛแม้mɛ́ɛ1even if; although; even though2evenลมแรงlom-rɛɛngลมแรงlom-rɛɛng1strong wind; high wind2windy; very windy; strong-wind conditionsเมื่อคืนmʉ̂ʉa-kʉʉnเมื่อคืนmʉ̂ʉa-kʉʉn1last night (the night before today)2last night
The aged tree in front of the house still stands, despite the strong wind last night.
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หมู่บ้านmùu-bâanนี้níiยังyangรักษาrák-sǎaขนบธรรมเนียมkà-nòp-tam-niiamเฒ่าtâoที่tîiสืบต่อกันมาsʉ̀ʉp-dtɔ̀ɔ-gan-maaอย่างเคร่งครัดyàang-krêeng-krát
This village strictly preserves the old, timeworn traditions passed down through generations.
เขียนkĭianจดหมายjòt măaiด้วยdûuayสำนวนsăm-nuuanเฒ่าtâoทำให้tam hâiข้อความkôr kwaamฟังดูfang dooขรึมkrĕumและláeโบราณboh-raan
He wrote the letter in an aged, old-fashioned style, making the message sound solemn and archaic.
เพลงกล่อมเด็กplayng glòm dèkทำนองtam-nongเฒ่าtâoที่têeคุณยายkun yaaiฮัมเบาham baoๆ-ชวนให้chuan hâiคิดถึงkít tĕungยุคก่อนyúk gòn
The lullaby with an aged melody that Grandma hums softly evokes thoughts of a bygone era.
2NounB2
old person; elder
An elderly person, sometimes used as a designation before a person's name.
Examples
เฒ่าtâoเฒ่าtâo1old; elderly; aged2old person; elderคนหนึ่งkon nèungคนหนึ่งkon nèung1one person2a person; someoneที่บ้านtêe bâanที่บ้านtêe bâan1at home; at one’s residence2one’s family; people at homeท้ายซอยtáai soiท้ายซอยtáai soiend of the alleyชอบchôpชอบchôp1[to] like; be fond of2tend to; usually3be proper; be fitting (formal)เล่าเรื่องlâo rêuuangเล่าเรื่องlâo rêuuang1[to] tell a story; narrate2[to] recount; relate what happenedสมัยsà-măiสมัยsà-măi1period; era; age2term; tenure3during; in the time ofสงครามsŏng-kraamสงครามsŏng-kraamwarให้hâiให้hâi1[to] give; provide2[to] allow; let; permit3[to] have [sb] do; cause to4for (benefit of)5so that; in order to6until; to the point that (result)เด็กๆdèk dèkเด็กๆdèk dèk1children; kids2childish; immature3easy; trivial (colloquial)ฟังfangฟังfang1listen2heed3[to] sound; seem (to the ear)
An elderly man at the end of the alley likes to tell the children stories from the war era.
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ชาวบ้านchaao-bâanพาpaaเด็กdèkไปbpaiขอพรkɔ̌ɔ-pɔɔnจากjàakเฒ่าtâoผู้รู้pûu-rúuในnaiหมู่บ้านmùu-bâanก่อนgɔ̀ɔnออกเดินทางɔ̀ɔk-dəən-taang
Villagers took the child to receive blessings from the village elder before setting out.
ตำนานdtam-naanกล่าวถึงglàao-tʉ̌ngเฒ่าtâoผู้pûuเฝ้าfâoป่าbpàaผู้pûuคอยkɔɔiเตือนdtʉʉanคนหนุ่มสาวkon-nùm-sǎaoไม่ให้mâi-hâiประมาทbprà-mâatธรรมชาติtam-má-châat
The legend speaks of an elder guardian of the forest, who warns the young not to be reckless with nature.
เรื่องเล่าrʉ̂ʉang-lâoของkɔ̌ɔngเฒ่าทารกtâo-taa-rókสะท้อนsà-tɔ́ɔnความเชื่อโบราณkwaam-chʉ̂ʉa-boo-raanเกี่ยวกับgìiao-gàpวัฏจักรชีวิตwát-dtà-jàk-chii-wítและlɛ́ภูมิปัญญาpuum-bpan-yaaที่tîiเกิดgə̀ətก่อนgɔ̀ɔnวัยwai
The tale of the 'elder infant' reflects ancient beliefs about the cycle of life and wisdom beyond one's years.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classLow class
- Tone markMai ek
- Syllable endingLive syllableNot needed here: the tone mark decides.
Low class consonants
คฅฆงชซฌญฑฒณทธนพฟภมยรลวฬฮ
Result
Falling tone
tâo
Starts high, rises a little, then drops clearly.
Low class + Mai ek → 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 | — | — |