เลศ
lêetMeanings
1NounC2
hint; insinuation (formal)
A sign in someone's words or actions that suggests a meaning or intention without stating it directly.
Examples
แม้máeแม้máe1even if; although; even though2evenเขาkăoเขาkăo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillจะjàจะjà1will; shall (future/intention marker)2about to; going to (near future, often w/ กำลังจะ)3will; would (in conditional results)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)ปฏิเสธbpà-dtì-sètปฏิเสธbpà-dtì-sèt1[to] refuse; decline2[to] deny3[to] rejectตรงdtrongตรงdtrong1straight (not bent)2directly; straight (direction/path)3direct; straightforward; frank4[to] be straight; align5exact; matching; corresponding6[to] head straight toward [sb/sth/somewhere]ๆ-แต่dtàeแต่dtàe1but; however (contrast)2only; just (restriction)3from; since (starting point)คำตอบkam dtòpคำตอบkam dtòp1answer; reply2solution; correct answerที่têeที่têe1place; spot; seat; space2at; in; to (a place)3classifier: places; seats; individual servings4that/which/who (relative marker)5when; the time that (time marker)6ordinal markerมีmeeมีmee1[to] have; possess2there is/are; exist3[to] experience; undergoเลศนัยlêt naiเลศนัยlêt nai1hidden motive; hidden agenda2implied meaning; hidden meaningก็gâwก็gâw1also; too2then; so (sequence/result)3conditional marker (if… then…)4well; after all (emphasis/justification)5topic/resumption markerทำtamทำtam1[to] do; make2[to] act; behave3[to] cook; prepare food4[to] do; carry out (work)5[to] cause; makeให้hâiให้hâi1[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)เราraoเราrao1we; us2I; me (informal/regional)รู้rúuรู้rúu1[to] know; be aware of2[to] realize; find out; learn3[to] know how; know the proper way to act4[to] feel; sense; perceiveว่าwâaว่าwâa1[to] say; tell2that (clause marker)3[to] think; consider; deem4[to] scold; reproach; criticizeเขาkăoเขาkăo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillไม่เห็นด้วยmâi hĕn dûuaiไม่เห็นด้วยmâi hĕn dûuai1[to] disagree; [to] object2opposed; dissenting
Although he did not say no outright, we could tell from what his answer implied that he disagreed.
3 more examplesShow less
เธอterเอ่ยชื่อèoi chêuเขาkăoด้วยdûuayน้ำเสียงnám sĭiangที่têeมีmeeเลศนัยlêt naiจนjonเพื่อนpêuuanๆ-เริ่มrêrmสงสัยsŏng săiว่าwâaทั้งคู่táng kôoคงไม่kong mâiได้dâiเป็นbpenแค่kâeเพื่อนpêuuanกันgan
She mentioned his name in a suggestive tone, making her friends suspect that the two were more than just friends.
เขาkǎoพูดpûutว่าwâaห้องนี้hɔ̂ng-níiคงkongเงียบngîiapขึ้นkʉ̂nเยอะyə́ถ้าtâaไม่มีmâi-miiผมpǒmด้วยdûuaiน้ำเสียงnáam-sǐiangที่tîiมีmiiเลศนัยlêet-naiจนjonเพื่อนร่วมงานpʉ̂ʉan-rûuam-ngaanสงสัยsǒng-sǎiว่าwâaเขาkǎoอาจàatกำลังgam-langคิดkítจะjàลาออกlaa-ɔ̀ɔk
He said, “This room would be much quieter without me,” in a suggestive tone, making his colleagues wonder whether he was considering resigning.
ถ้อยคำtɔ̂ɔi-kamที่tîiฟังfangดูเป็นduu-bpenการให้กำลังใจgaan-hâi-gam-lang-jaiว่าwâaคุณkunคงkongรักษาrák-sǎaมาตรฐานmâat-dtrà-tǎanนี้níiไว้wáiได้dâaiเสมอsà-mə̌əกลับglàpแฝงfɛ̌ɛngเลศนัยlêet-naiเชิงchəəngตักเตือนdtàk-dtʉʉanราวกับraao-gàpผู้พูดpûu-pûutกำลังgam-langบอกว่าbɔ̀ɔk-wâaความผิดพลาดkwaam-pìt-plâatครั้งต่อไปkráng-dtɔ̀ɔ-bpaiจะjàไม่mâiถูกtùukมองข้ามmɔɔng-kâam
The seemingly encouraging words, “I'm sure you can always maintain this standard,” carry an implicit warning, as though the speaker were saying that the next mistake would not be overlooked.
2NounC2
pretext; ruse (formal)
A false reason or trick used to hide someone's real purpose or make an action seem acceptable.
Examples
เขาkǎoเขาkǎo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillอ้างâangอ้างâang1[to] claim; assert2[to] cite; quote; refer to3[to] use as a pretext; justifyเลศlêetเลศlêet1hint; insinuation (formal)2pretext; ruse (formal)ว่าwâaว่าwâa1[to] say; tell2that (clause marker)3[to] think; consider; deem4[to] scold; reproach; criticizeมีmiiมีmii1[to] have; possess2there is/are; exist3[to] experience; undergoงานด่วนngaan-dùuanงานด่วนngaan-dùuanurgent work; rush jobเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaเพื่อpʉ̂ʉa1for; in order to2for the sake of; on behalf ofเลี่ยงlîiangเลี่ยงlîiang1[to] avoid; dodge2[to] avoid; go around (detour)3[to] evade (rules/responsibility)การประชุมgaan-bprà-chumการประชุมgaan-bprà-chum1meeting; conference; assembly2session/sitting (of a formal body)ทั้งtángทั้งtáng1whole; entire2all3both4altogether; entirelyที่จริงtîi-jingที่จริงtîi-jingin fact; actuallyไม่mâiไม่mâi1not (negator)2no (reply)อยากyàakอยากyàak1[to] want; desire2to crave; to long forตอบคำถามdtɔ̀ɔp-kam-tǎamตอบคำถามdtɔ̀ɔp-kam-tǎam[to] answer [a question]เรื่องrʉ̂ʉangเรื่องrʉ̂ʉang1matter; issue; subject2story; tale3classifier for stories/films/cases4about; regarding (as a topic marker)เงินngənเงินngən1money2funds; finances3silver (metal)ที่tîiที่tîi1place; spot; seat; space2at; in; to (a place)3classifier: places; seats; individual servings4that/which/who (relative marker)5when; the time that (time marker)6ordinal markerหายไปhǎai-bpaiหายไปhǎai-bpai1[to] disappear; vanish2[to] be missing; be gone3[to] subside; wear off4[to] go silent; drop out of contact (informal)
He used urgent work as a pretext to avoid the meeting, when he actually did not want to answer questions about the missing money.
3 more examplesShow less
นายหน้าnaai-nâaอ้างâangเลศlêetว่าwâaต้องdtɔ̂ngเสียsǐiaค่าkâaดำเนินdam-nəənการเพิ่มเติมgaan-pə̂əm-dtəəmเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaเรียกrîiakเงินngənจากjàakผู้ซื้อpûu-sʉ́ʉทั้งที่táng-tîiไม่มีmâi-miiค่าใช้จ่ายkâa-chái-jàaiดังกล่าวdang-glàaoจริงjing
The broker used supposed additional processing fees as a pretext to demand money from the buyer, even though no such expenses actually existed.
เขาkǎoอ้างâangเลศlêetเรื่องrʉ̂ʉangความปลอดภัยkwaam-bplɔ̀ɔt-paiเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaห้ามhâamลูกสาวlûuk-sǎaoออกจากบ้านɔ̀ɔk-jàak-bâanทั้งtángที่แท้จริงtîi-tɛ́ɛ-jingเพียงpiiangต้องdtɔ̂ngการควบคุมgaan-kûuap-kumชีวิตchii-wítของkɔ̌ɔngเธอtəə
He used safety as a pretext to forbid his daughter from leaving the house, when in reality he simply wanted to control her life.
ผู้มีอำนาจpûu-mii-am-nâatมักmákอ้างâangเลศlêetเรื่องrʉ̂ʉangความสงบเรียบร้อยkwaam-sà-ngòp-rîiap-rɔ́ɔiเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaทำtamให้การhâi-gaanปิดปากbpìt-bpàakผู้pûuเห็นต่างhěn-dtàangดูduuเสมือนsà-mʉ̌ʉanเป็นbpenการปกป้องgaan-bpòk-bpɔ̂ngประโยชน์ส่วนรวมbprà-yòot-sùuan-ruuam
Those in power often invoke public order as a pretext to make silencing dissenters appear to be a defense of the common good.
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 endingDead syllableLong vowelEnds in -ศ, a stop, so it is dead.
Low class consonants
คฅฆงชซฌญฑฒณทธนพฟภมยรลวฬฮ
Result
Falling tone
lêet
Starts high, rises a little, then drops clearly.
Low class + No tone mark + Dead syllable · Long vowel → 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 | — | — |