เล่นคำ
lên-kamMeanings
1VerbB2
[to] play on words; make puns
To use words with double meanings or similar sounds for humor, wit, emphasis, or stylistic effect.
Examples
เขาkăoเขาkăo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillเป็นbpenเป็นbpen1to be (identity/category/state)2to become3[to] know how; be able to (skill)4alive; living5[to] have; suffer from; be in (a condition)คนkonคนkon1person; human2classifier: people3[to] stir; mix by stirringอารมณ์ขันaa-rom kănอารมณ์ขันaa-rom kănsense of humorชอบchôpชอบchôp1[to] like; be fond of2tend to; usually3be proper; be fitting (formal)เล่นคำlên kamเล่นคำlên kam1[to] play on words; make puns2wordplay; punning3[to] be evasive with wording; equivocateตลกๆdtà-lòk dtà-lòkตลกๆdtà-lòk dtà-lòk1funny; amusing; playful2jokingly; in a funny/silly way3a bit odd; ridiculous-looking (colloq.)ทำให้tam hâiทำให้tam hâi1[to] make; cause [sb/sth] to [do/be sth]; render2[to] do/make [sth] for [sb]เพื่อนpêuuanเพื่อนpêuuan1friend2classmate; colleague (peer)3companion; fellowหัวเราะhŭua róหัวเราะhŭua ró1[to] laugh2[to] laugh at; ridiculeเสมอsà-mĕrเสมอsà-mĕr1always; invariably2constantly; habitually3equal; level; even4[to] draw; [to] tie
He's a humorous person who likes to play with funny words, always making his friends laugh.
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เวลาwee-laaตั้งชื่อdtâng-chʉ̂ʉลูกlûukบางคนbaang-konก็gɔ̂ชอบchɔ̂ɔpเล่นคำlên-kamให้hâiคล้องจองklɔ́ɔng-jɔɔngกับgàpนามสกุลnaam-sà-gun
When naming a child, some people like to play with words to make it rhyme with the family name.
กวีgà-wiiท่านtânนี้níiมักจะmák-jàเล่นคำlên-kamที่tîiมีmiiเสียงsǐiangพ้องกันpɔ́ɔng-ganแต่dtɛ̀ɛความหมายkwaam-mǎaiต่างกันdtàang-ganเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaสร้างsâangสุนทรียะsǔn-tá-rii-yáในnaiบทกวีbòt-gà-wii
This poet often plays with words that have similar sounds but different meanings to create aesthetic beauty in his poetry.
โฆษณาkoo-sà-naaชิ้นนี้chín-níiเล่นคำlên-kamได้dâaiฉลาดchà-làatมากmâakโดยdooiใช้cháiคำว่าkam-wâaร้อนrɔ́ɔnกับgàpร้อนrɔ́ɔnเงินngənเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaสื่อถึงsʉ̀ʉ-tʉ̌ngความต้องการkwaam-dtɔ̂ng-gaanเครื่องปรับอากาศkrʉ̂ʉang-bpràp-aa-gàat
This advertisement plays with words very cleverly, using the word 'hot' in the sense of temperature and 'hot for money' (in need of money) to promote air conditioners.
2NounB2
wordplay; punning
Clever or artful use of language such as puns, double meanings, or sound-based play.
Examples
คำขวัญkam-kwǎnคำขวัญkam-kwǎnslogan; mottoของkɔ̌ɔngของkɔ̌ɔng1of; belonging to2thing; item; stuff3property; goodsร้านนี้ráan-níiร้านนี้ráan-níithis shop; this storeเป็นbpenเป็นbpen1to be (identity/category/state)2to become3[to] know how; be able to (skill)4alive; living5[to] have; suffer from; be in (a condition)การเล่นgaan-lênการเล่นgaan-lên1play; playing (for fun)2performance; style of play3playing with; manipulation for effectคำkamคำkam1word; term2classifier for words/utterances3speech; saying; utteranceที่tîiที่tîi1place; spot; seat; space2at; in; to (a place)3classifier: places; seats; individual servings4that/which/who (relative marker)5when; the time that (time marker)6ordinal markerน่ารักnâa-rákน่ารักnâa-rák1cute; adorable; lovely2endearing; likable (personality)3sweet; considerate (behavior)ดีนะdii-náดีนะdii-ná1good; thank goodness2luckily; it's a good thing (that...)
The slogan for this shop is a nice, cute play on words.
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ฉันchǎnชอบchɔ̂ɔpการเล่นgaan-lênคำkamในnaiเพลงpleengของkɔ̌ɔngวงwongนี้níiมันmanทำให้tam-hâiเนื้อเพลงnʉ́ʉa-pleengน่าสนใจnâa-sǒn-jaiขึ้นkʉ̂nเยอะyə́
I like the wordplay in this band's songs; it makes the lyrics much more interesting.
การเล่นgaan-lênคำkamเป็นbpenลักษณะเด่นlák-sà-nà-dèenอย่างหนึ่งyàang-nʉ̀ngในnaiวรรณคดีไทยwan-ná-ká-dii-taiที่tîiแสดงถึงsà-dɛɛng-tʉ̌ngความสามารถkwaam-sǎa-mâatทางtaangภาษาpaa-sǎaของkɔ̌ɔngผู้ประพันธ์pûu-bprà-pan
Wordplay is a prominent feature in Thai literature that demonstrates the author's linguistic skill.
อารมณ์ขันaa-rom-kǎnที่tîiเกิดจากgə̀ət-jàakการเล่นgaan-lênคำkamบางครั้งbaang-krángก็gɔ̂เข้าใจยากkâo-jai-yâakสำหรับsǎm-ràpคนkonต่างวัฒนธรรมdtàang-wát-tá-ná-tam
The humor derived from wordplay can sometimes be difficult for people from different cultures to understand.
3VerbC1
[to] be evasive with wording; equivocate
To use slippery or evasive language to avoid a clear answer or to obscure meaning.
Examples
พอporพอpor1enough; sufficient2enough; sufficiently3[to] suffice; be enough4quite; rather; fairly5as soon as; whenฉันchănฉันchăn1I; me2[to] eat (of Buddhist monks and novices)ถามtăamถามtăam1[to] ask; inquire2[to] ask about; consult3[to] question; interrogateว่าwâaว่าwâa1[to] say; tell2that (clause marker)3[to] think; consider; deem4[to] scold; reproach; criticizeไปไหนมาbpai năi maaไปไหนมาbpai năi maaWhere have you been? (greeting)เขาkăoเขาkăo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillก็gâwก็gâw1also; too2then; so (sequence/result)3conditional marker (if… then…)4well; after all (emphasis/justification)5topic/resumption markerเอาแต่ao dtàeเอาแต่ao dtàeonly; nothing butเล่นคำlên kamเล่นคำlên kam1[to] play on words; make puns2wordplay; punning3[to] be evasive with wording; equivocateไม่mâiไม่mâi1not (negator)2no (reply)ยอมyomยอมyom1[to] agree; consent2[to] allow; permit3[to] yield; give in; submit4[to] admit (acknowledge)ตอบdtòpตอบdtòp1[to] answer; reply2[to] respond; react3sunken; hollow (of cheeks/abdomen)ตรงๆdtrong dtrongตรงๆdtrong dtrong1straight; directly2frankly; bluntly3straightforward; frank
When I asked where he had been, he just kept playing with words and wouldn't answer directly.
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นักการเมืองnák gaan-meuuangคนkonนั้นnánเก่งgèngเรื่องrêuuangเล่นคำlên kamเพื่อpêuuaหลีกเลี่ยงlèek lîangการตอบคำถามgaan dtòp kam tăamที่têeอาจàatส่งผลเสียsòng pŏn sĭiaต่อdtòภาพลักษณ์pâap-pá-lákของkŏngตนdton
That politician is skilled at using evasive language to avoid answering questions that could negatively affect his image.
ในระหว่างnai-rá-wàangการให้gaan-hâiการต่อgaan-dtɔ̀ɔศาลsǎanพยานpá-yaanพยายามpá-yaa-yaamเล่นคำlên-kamเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaบิดเบือนbìt-bʉʉanข้อเท็จจริงkɔ̂ɔ-tét-jingแต่dtɛ̀ɛก็gɔ̂ไม่เป็นผลmâi-bpen-pǒn
During the court testimony, the witness tried to use evasive language to distort the facts, but it was not successful.
ผู้บริหารpûu-bɔɔ-rí-hǎanเล่นคำlên-kamเกี่ยวกับgìiao-gàpสถานะทางการเงินsà-tǎa-ná-taang-gaan-ngənของkɔ̌ɔngบริษัทbɔɔ-rí-sàtทำให้tam-hâiผู้ถือหุ้นpûu-tʉ̌ʉ-hûnเกิดgə̀ətความสับสนkwaam-sàp-sǒnและlɛ́เข้าใจผิดkâo-jai-pìt
The executive used evasive language regarding the company's financial status, causing confusion and misunderstanding among the shareholders.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
Why is เล่นคำ said เล่น-คัม?
lên-kam
The tone rules below use the spoken syllables.
2 syllables · pick one to see its rule
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
lên
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 | — | — |
Word Breakdown
เล่นlênเล่นlên1[to] play; have fun2[to] play (game/sport/instrument)3[to] act; perform (role)4casually; for fun (manner marker)5[to] tease; kid; mess with6[to] play (audio or video)7[to] use; engage in; take up (colloq.)[to] play; have funPart 1
+
เล่นคำlên-kamเล่นคำlên-kam[to] play on words; make puns[to] play on words; make punsWord