เน่า
nâoMeanings
1AdjectiveA2
rotten; decayed; spoiled
gone bad due to decomposition, especially food or organic matter; foul-smelling
Examples
ปลาbplaaปลาbplaa1fish (animal)2fish (as food)3classifier: ตัวที่วางtîi-waangที่วางtîi-waangstand; rack; holderทิ้งไว้tíng-wáiทิ้งไว้tíng-wái1[to] leave [sth] to sit/remain (for a time)2[to] leave [sth] behindข้างนอกkâang-nɔ̂ɔkข้างนอกkâang-nɔ̂ɔk1outside; outdoors2the outside; exteriorเน่าnâoเน่าnâo1rotten; decayed; spoiled2[to] rot; decay; go bad3corrupt; rotten (fig.)แล้วlɛ́ɛoแล้วlɛ́ɛo1already; now (as of this point)2then; and then; after that3already; completed-action marker4and; and then (linking clauses)กลิ่นแรงglìn-rɛɛngกลิ่นแรงglìn-rɛɛngstrong/pungent smellมากmâakมากmâak1very; extremely2much; a lot; greatly3many; numerous
The fish left outside has gone bad; the smell is very strong.
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ฉันchǎnเปิดbpə̀ətกล่องอาหารglɔ̀ng-aa-hǎanเมื่อเช้าmʉ̂ʉa-cháoแล้วlɛ́ɛoพบว่าpóp-wâaแกงgɛɛngเน่าnâoห้ามhâamกินginเด็ดขาดdèt-kàat
I opened the food container this morning and found the curry had gone bad; do not eat it at all.
ผลไม้pǒn-lá-máaiในnaiตู้เย็นdtûu-yenบางbaangลูกlûukเริ่มrə̂əmเน่าnâoเราraoควรkuuanเอาไปao-bpaiทิ้งtíngก่อนจะgɔ̀ɔn-jàส่งกลิ่นsòng-glìn
Some fruits in the fridge are starting to rot; we should throw them away before they smell.
เห็ดhètชุดchútนี้níiมีจุดmii-jùtดำdamและlɛ́กลิ่นglìnเหม็นměnคล้ายkláaiเน่าnâoแสดงว่าsà-dɛɛng-wâaเก็บไว้gèp-wáiนานเกินไปnaan-gəən-bpai
This batch of mushrooms has black spots and a foul, rotten smell, indicating they’ve been kept too long.
2VerbB1
[to] rot; decay; go bad
to spoil or decompose, especially organic matter over time
Examples
ผักpàkผักpàkvegetable(s)ที่tîiที่tîi1place; spot; seat; space2at; in; to (a place)3classifier: places; seats; individual servings4that/which/who (relative marker)5when; the time that (time marker)6ordinal markerลืมlʉʉmลืมlʉʉm1[to] forget2[to] leave behind (by forgetting)3forget to; omit unintentionallyไว้wáiไว้wái1[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.)ในnaiในnai1in; inside; within2during; in (time)3of; belonging to (formal)ตู้เย็นdtûu-yenตู้เย็นdtûu-yenrefrigerator; fridgeหลายlǎaiหลายlǎaimany; severalวันwanวันwan1day2daytime; daylight3classifier: daysเริ่มrə̂əmเริ่มrə̂əm1[to] start; begin2[to] start to; begin toเน่าnâoเน่าnâo1rotten; decayed; spoiled2[to] rot; decay; go bad3corrupt; rotten (fig.)และlɛ́และlɛ́and (coordinating)มีmiiมีmii1[to] have; possess2there is/are; exist3[to] experience; undergoกลิ่นแรงglìn-rɛɛngกลิ่นแรงglìn-rɛɛngstrong/pungent smell
The vegetables forgotten in the fridge for several days have started to rot and smell strong.
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ถ้าtâaทิ้งtíngเศษอาหารsèt aa-hăanในnaiถังขยะtăng kà-yàนานnaanๆ-มันmanจะjàเน่าnâoและláeมีmeeน้ำnáamเยิ้มyéerm
If you leave food scraps in the trash for a long time, they will decompose and become slimy.
ปลาbplaaที่tîiไม่ได้mâi-dâaiแช่เย็นchɛ̂ɛ-yenตั้งแต่dtâng-dtɛ̀ɛเมื่อวานmʉ̂ʉa-waanเน่าnâoไปแล้วbpai-lɛ́ɛoกินginไม่ได้mâi-dâai
The fish that wasn’t refrigerated since yesterday has rotted and is inedible.
ใบไม้bai máaiที่têeกองgongทับกันtáp ganชื้นchéunๆ-ใต้dtâiต้นไม้dtôn máaiจะjàค่อยkôiๆ-เน่าnâoกลายเป็นglaai bpenดินdinผสมpà-sŏmอินทรียวัตถุin-see wát-tù
Leaves piled damply under the tree gradually decompose and turn into soil mixed with organic matter.
3AdjectiveB2
corrupt; rotten (fig.)
morally corrupt, dysfunctional, or very bad in quality (informal/figurative, e.g., ระบบเน่า)
Examples
เด็กๆdèk dèkเด็กๆdèk dèk1children; kids2childish; immature3easy; trivial (colloquial)บ่นbònบ่นbòn1to complain; grumble2to nagว่าwâaว่าwâa1[to] say; tell2that (clause marker)3[to] think; consider; deem4[to] scold; reproach; criticizeระบบrá-bòpระบบrá-bòp1system; organized method2arrangement; orderสมัครsà-màkสมัครsà-màk1[to] apply (for)2[to] enroll; sign up; register3[to] subscribe4willing; voluntaryเรียนออนไลน์rian on-laiเรียนออนไลน์rian on-lai[to] study online; take an online courseเน่าnâoเน่าnâo1rotten; decayed; spoiled2[to] rot; decay; go bad3corrupt; rotten (fig.)มากmâakมากmâak1very; extremely2much; a lot; greatly3many; numerousเข้าkâoเข้าkâo1[to] enter; go in2[to] put in; insert3[to] understand4[to] join; enter (an organization, school, etc.)5[to] fit; suit; match6rice (archaic; dialectal)7[to] enter; reach (a period or stage)ไม่ได้mâi 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)ทั้งวันtáng wanทั้งวันtáng wanall day; the whole day
The kids complained that the online enrollment system was so bad that they couldn’t log in all day.
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บริการลูกค้าbò-rí-gaan lûuk-káaของkŏngบริษัทbò-rí-sàtนี้néeเน่าnâoจริงๆjing jingโทรไปtoh bpaiกี่gèeครั้งkrángก็gâwไม่มีmâi meeใครkraiรับráp
This company’s customer service is really awful; no matter how many times you call, no one answers.
คนในพื้นที่kon-nai-pʉ́ʉn-tîiวิจารณ์wí-jaanว่าwâaการบริหารgaan-bɔɔ-rí-hǎanเทศบาลtêet-sà-baanเน่าnâoจนjonโครงการพัฒนาkroong-gaan-pát-tá-naaหยุดชะงักyùt-chá-ngák
People in the area criticized that the municipal administration is so corrupt that development projects have stalled.
ถ้าtâaกระบวนการgrà-buuan-gaanจัดซื้อjàt-sʉ́ʉยังyangเน่าnâoแบบนี้bɛ̀ɛp-níiต่อให้dtɔ̀ɔ-hâiเพิ่มpə̂əmงบประมาณngóp-bprà-maanก็gɔ̂ไม่mâiเกิดผลgə̀ət-pǒnดีdii
If the procurement process remains this rotten, increasing the budget won’t yield any good results.
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
nâo
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 | — | — |