เม้ม
méemMeanings
1VerbB1
[to] tuck in; fold in; press in
to tuck something in or fold/press it inward to make it neat, as with clothing or paper
Examples
คุณครูkun-kruuคุณครูkun-kruu1teacher (polite/honorific)2Teacher (respectful title or address)บอกให้bɔ̀ɔk-hâiบอกให้bɔ̀ɔk-hâi[to] tell [sb] to [do sth]นักเรียนnák-riianนักเรียนnák-riianschool student; pupilเม้มméemเม้มméem1[to] tuck in; fold in; press in2[to] purse/press the lips3[to] withhold; skim; pocket (money/items)ชายเสื้อchaai-sʉ̂ʉaชายเสื้อchaai-sʉ̂ʉahem of a shirtเข้าkâoเข้าkâo1[to] enter; go in2[to] put in; insert3in; inward4[to] understand5[to] join; enter (an organization, school, etc.)6[to] fit; suit; match7rice (archaic; dialectal)8[to] enter; reach (a period or stage)ในnaiในnai1in; inside; within2during; in (time)3of; belonging to (formal)กางเกงgaang-geengกางเกงgaang-geeng1pants; trousers2classifier: ตัว (for pants)ให้เรียบร้อยhâi-rîiap-rɔ́ɔiให้เรียบร้อยhâi-rîiap-rɔ́ɔiproperly; neatly; to completion
The teacher told the students to tuck their shirts into their pants neatly.
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ก่อนgɔ̀ɔnออกจากบ้านɔ̀ɔk-jàak-bâanอย่าลืมyàa-lʉʉmเม้มméemชายเสื้อchaai-sʉ̂ʉaหน่อยnɔ̀iนะnáมันmanหลุดออกมาlùt-ɔ̀ɔk-maaข้างนอกkâang-nɔ̂ɔk
Before leaving the house, don't forget to tuck your shirt in; it's hanging out.
เธอtəəพับpápจดหมายjòt-mǎaiแล้วlɛ́ɛoเม้มméemมุมmumกระดาษgrà-dàatเข้าไปkâo-bpaiเพื่อไม่ให้pʉ̂ʉa-mâi-hâiมันmanเปิดbpə̀ətออกɔ̀ɔk
She folded the letter and then tucked in the corner of the paper to keep it from opening.
เวลาwee-laaเย็บผ้าyép-pâaตะเข็บdtà-kèpแบบนี้bɛ̀ɛp-níiเราraoต้องdtɔ̂ngเม้มméemริมผ้าrim-pâaเข้าไปkâo-bpaiก่อนgɔ̀ɔnแล้วlɛ́ɛoค่อยkɔ̂iเย็บyépทับtápเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaซ่อนsɔ̂ɔnขอบผ้าkɔ̀ɔp-pâaไม่ให้mâi-hâiรุ่ยrûi
When sewing this type of seam, we have to tuck the edge of the fabric inward first and then stitch over it to hide the raw edge and prevent fraying.
2VerbB2
[to] purse/press the lips
to press the lips together tightly, often to hide emotion, avoid speaking, or show disapproval
Examples
พอpɔɔพอpɔɔ1enough; sufficient2enough; sufficiently3[to] suffice; be enough4quite; rather; fairly5as soon as; whenได้ยินdâi-yinได้ยินdâi-yin1[to] hear2[to] hear of; be told; learn (by hearing)ข่าวร้ายkàao-ráaiข่าวร้ายkàao-ráaibad newsเธอtəəเธอtəə1you (informal; familiar)2she; herก็gɔ̂ก็gɔ̂1also; too2then; so (sequence/result)3conditional marker (if… then…)4well; after all (emphasis/justification)5topic/resumption markerเม้มméemเม้มméem1[to] tuck in; fold in; press in2[to] purse/press the lips3[to] withhold; skim; pocket (money/items)ปากbpàakปากbpàak1mouth2opening; mouth (of things)3rim; lip (of a container/wound)4speech; manner of speaking (figurative)แน่นnɛ̂nแน่นnɛ̂n1tight; secure; firm2crowded; packed3uncomfortably full; bloated; tight4solid; reliable; certain (figurative)แล้วlɛ́ɛoแล้วlɛ́ɛo1already; now (as of this point)2then; and then; after that3already; completed-action marker4and; and then (linking clauses)ไม่mâiไม่mâi1not (negator)2no (reply)พูดpûutพูดpûut1[to] speak; talk2[to] say; speak3[to] tell; talk aboutอะไรà-raiอะไรà-rai1what2what; what kind of (modifier)3something; anything (unspecified)4what? (interjection of surprise/confusion)เลยləəiเลยləəi1at all; whatsoever (often in negatives)2so; thus; then (immediate result)3completely; absolutely (emphasis)4[to] pass; go beyond; exceed
When she heard the bad news, she pressed her lips together tightly and didn't say anything.
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เขาkǎoพยายามpá-yaa-yaamเม้มméemปากbpàakเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaกลั้นglânขำkǎmตอนที่dtɔɔn-tîiเพื่อนpʉ̂ʉanเล่าเรื่องlâo-rʉ̂ʉangตลกdtà-lòkในnaiห้องประชุมhɔ̂ng-bprà-chum
He tried to press his lips together to hold back his laughter when his friend told a joke in the meeting.
ผู้จัดการpûu-jàt-gaanเม้มméemปากbpàakเป็นbpenเส้นตรงsên-dtrongเมื่อmʉ̂ʉaเห็นhěnรายงานraai-ngaanยอดขายyɔ̂ɔt-kǎaiซึ่งsʉ̂ngเป็นbpenสัญญาณsǎn-yaanบ่งบอกbòng-bɔ̀ɔkความไม่พอใจkwaam-mâi-pɔɔ-jaiอย่างชัดเจนyàang-chát-jeen
The manager pressed his lips into a thin line upon seeing the sales report, a clear sign of his displeasure.
เธอtəəนั่งnângเม้มméemปากbpàakนิ่งnîngขบคิดkòp-kítหาทางhǎa-taangออกจากɔ̀ɔk-jàakสถานการณ์sà-tǎa-ná-gaanที่tîiยากลำบากyâak-lam-bàakนี้níi
She sat still, pressing her lips together, pondering a way out of this difficult situation.
3VerbB2
[to] withhold; skim; pocket (money/items)
to secretly keep back part of something, especially money or goods, for oneself
Examples
แม่mɛ̂ɛแม่mɛ̂ɛ1mother; mom2form of address for a woman (traditional/familiar)3prefix: female; main; baseให้hâiให้hâi1[to] give; provide2[to] allow; let; permit3to; for [sb] (recipient)4[to] have [sb] do; cause to5for (benefit of)6so that; in order to7until; to the point that (result)เงินngənเงินngən1money2funds; finances3silver (metal)ไปbpaiไปbpai1[to] go2away; off (directional complement/particle)3on; onward; continuously (aspect marker)4(aspect) completed; already past5too; excessivelyตลาดdtà-làatตลาดdtà-làat1market; marketplace2market (economic demand/sector)3popular; mainstream (colloq.)ร้อยrɔ́ɔiร้อยrɔ́ɔi1one hundred (100)2[to] string; thread; link together3[to] compose verse; write in poetic formนึงnʉngนึงnʉngone (colloquial)แต่dtɛ̀ɛแต่dtɛ̀ɛ1but; however (contrast)2only; just (restriction)3from; since (starting point)เขาkǎoเขาkǎo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillเม้มméemเม้มméem1[to] tuck in; fold in; press in2[to] purse/press the lips3[to] withhold; skim; pocket (money/items)ไว้wáiไว้wái1[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.)เองeengเองeeng1oneself; personally; by oneself2only; just; merely3exactly that/itselfยี่สิบyîi-sìpยี่สิบyîi-sìptwentyบาทbàatบาทbàat1baht (Thai currency unit)2baht (classifier for Thai currency amounts)3foot (literary)
His mom gave him 100 baht for the market, but he secretly kept 20 baht for himself.
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พนักงานpá-nák-ngaanคนkonนั้นnánโดนdoonไล่ออกlâi-ɔ̀ɔkเพราะprɔ́แอบɛ̀ɛpเม้มméemเงินทอนngən-tɔɔnของkɔ̌ɔngลูกค้าlûuk-káaเป็นประจำbpen-bprà-jam
That employee was fired for regularly keeping back customers' change for himself.
เขาkǎoถูกtùukกล่าวหาglàao-hǎaว่าwâaเม้มméemงบประมาณngóp-bprà-maanของkɔ̌ɔngโครงการkroong-gaanไปbpaiใช้cháiส่วนตัวsùuan-dtuuaทำให้tam-hâiโครงการkroong-gaanต้องdtɔ̂ngหยุดชะงักyùt-chá-ngák
He was accused of siphoning off the project's budget for personal use, causing the project to stall.
ผู้จัดการฝ่ายpûu-jàt-gaan-fàaiจัดซื้อjàt-sʉ́ʉคนเก่าkon-gàoฉลาดchà-làatมากmâakเขาkǎoสามารถsǎa-mâatเม้มméemเงินngənจากjàakใบสั่งซื้อbai-sàng-sʉ́ʉทีละเล็กทีละน้อยtii-lá-lék-tii-lá-nɔ́ɔiจนjonไม่มีmâi-miiใครkraiสังเกตเห็นsǎng-gèet-hěn
The former purchasing manager was very clever; he was able to skim a little money from each purchase order so that no one noticed.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classLow class
- Tone markMai tho
- Syllable endingLive syllableNot needed here: the tone mark decides.
Low class consonants
คฅฆงชซฌญฑฒณทธนพฟภมยรลวฬฮ
Result
High tone
méem
Starts high and keeps climbing.
Low class + Mai tho → High
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 | — | — |