เหี่ยว
hìiaoMeanings
1AdjectiveB1
withered; wilted; shriveled; wrinkled
dry, limp, wilted, or wrinkled from loss of freshness or moisture (e.g., flowers, vegetables, leaves, skin)
Examples
ดอกไม้dɔ̀ɔk-máaiดอกไม้dɔ̀ɔk-máaiflower; flowersไม่ได้mâi-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)รดน้ำrót-náamรดน้ำrót-náam1[to] water [plants/soil]2[to] pour water in a ritual/blessing (Thai custom)จึงjʉngจึงjʉng1therefore; so; thus2only then; then (as a result)เหี่ยวhìiaoเหี่ยวhìiao1withered; wilted; shriveled; wrinkled2[to] wither; wilt; shrivel; droop3worn-out; spiritless (fig.)
The flowers weren’t watered, so they wilted.
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ผักกาดpàk-gàatที่tîiทิ้งไว้tíng-wáiข้างนอกkâang-nɔ̂ɔkทั้งคืนtáng-kʉʉnเริ่มrə̂əmเหี่ยวhìiaoและlɛ́ไม่mâiกรอบgrɔ̀ɔpแล้วlɛ́ɛo
The lettuce left out overnight has started to wilt and is no longer crisp.
ใบไม้bai-máaiในnaiกระถางgrà-tǎangเหี่ยวhìiaoเพราะprɔ́แดดdɛ̀ɛtแรงrɛɛngและlɛ́ดินdinแห้งhɛ̂ɛngมากเกินไปmâak-gəən-bpai
The leaves in the pot are wilted because of the strong sun and excessively dry soil.
ผิวมือpǐu-mʉʉของเขาkɔ̌ɔng-kǎoดูduuเหี่ยวhìiaoและlɛ́แห้งกร้านhɛ̂ɛng-grâanหลังจากlǎng-jàakอยู่ในyùu-naiอากาศaa-gàatหนาวจัดnǎao-jàtหลายlǎaiวันwan
The skin on his hands looks wrinkled and parched after days in extreme cold.
2VerbB1
[to] wither; wilt; shrivel; droop
to lose freshness or vitality and become dry, limp, wilted, or wrinkled
Examples
ดอกไม้dɔ̀ɔk-máaiดอกไม้dɔ̀ɔk-máaiflower; flowersไม่ได้mâi-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)รดน้ำrót-náamรดน้ำrót-náam1[to] water [plants/soil]2[to] pour water in a ritual/blessing (Thai custom)สองsɔ̌ɔngสองsɔ̌ɔng1two; 22secondวันwanวันwan1day2daytime; daylight3classifier: daysเลยləəiเลยləəi1at all; whatsoever (often in negatives)2so; thus; then (immediate result)3completely; absolutely (emphasis)4[to] pass; go beyond; exceedเหี่ยวhìiaoเหี่ยวhìiao1withered; wilted; shriveled; wrinkled2[to] wither; wilt; shrivel; droop3worn-out; spiritless (fig.)ลงlongลงlong1[to] go down; descend2[to] get off (vehicle)3down; downstream4[to] put; apply; record5[to] decrease; go down6[to] land; alight7southward; down-country8[to] publish; post [sth] online
The flowers weren’t watered for two days and wilted.
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ผักกาดpàk-gàatที่tîiลืมlʉʉmไว้wáiในnaiตู้เย็นdtûu-yenเริ่มrə̂əmเหี่ยวhìiaoและlɛ́ไม่mâiกรอบgrɔ̀ɔpแล้วlɛ́ɛo
The lettuce forgotten in the fridge has started to wilt and is no longer crisp.
If exposed to the sun for a long time, the leaves will wilt and become brittle.
หลังlǎngผ่านpàanพายุpaa-yúความชื้นkwaam-chʉ́ʉnลดฮวบlót-hûuapทำให้tam-hâiสวนsǔuanดอกdɔ̀ɔkกุหลาบเหี่ยวgù-làap-hìiaoอย่างเห็นได้ชัดyàang-hěn-dâai-chát
After the storm, the drop in humidity made the rose garden visibly wilt.
3AdjectiveB2
worn-out; spiritless (fig.)
lacking energy, enthusiasm, or liveliness; listless (figurative)
Examples
หลังlǎngหลังlǎng1back (of body)2rear; back (part)3behind; at the back of4after; later than5CL: bed; bed-like platform6CL: building; house; structureสอบตกsɔ̀ɔp-dtòkสอบตกsɔ̀ɔp-dtòk1[to] fail (an exam/test); not pass2[to] fail to meet expectations/standards (figurative)เขาkǎoเขาkǎo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillก็gɔ̂ก็gɔ̂1also; too2then; so (sequence/result)3conditional marker (if… then…)4well; after all (emphasis/justification)5topic/resumption markerดูduuดูduu1[to] look; watch; see2[to] examine; check; inspect3[to] seem; appear4try; have a go5[to] divine; tell fortuneเหี่ยวhìiaoเหี่ยวhìiao1withered; wilted; shriveled; wrinkled2[to] wither; wilt; shrivel; droop3worn-out; spiritless (fig.)ไม่มีmâi-miiไม่มีmâi-mii1to not have; lack2there is/are not; does/do not exist3[reply] we don't have it; out of stockแรงrɛɛngแรงrɛɛng1strong; intense; severe2force; strength; power3hard; strongly (adverbial use)4very; extremely (Southern Thai)จะjàจะjà1will; shall (future/intention marker)2about to; going to (near future, often w/ กำลังจะ)3will; would (in conditional results)คุยkuiคุยkui1[to] chat; talk2[to] discuss; talk over3[to] brag; boast4[to] talk to [sb] romantically; get to know a potential partner (colloq.)กับgàpกับgàp1with; together with2and (informal)3side dish; accompaniment4against; versus5to; toward (recipient/target)6classifier: sets/pairs (spoon and fork)ใครkraiใครkrai1who2anyone; whoeverเลยləəiเลยləəi1at all; whatsoever (often in negatives)2so; thus; then (immediate result)3completely; absolutely (emphasis)4[to] pass; go beyond; exceed
After failing the exam, he seemed listless and didn’t have the energy to talk to anyone.
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ทีมtiimแพ้pɛ́ɛติดกันdtìt-ganสามsǎamนัดnátบรรยากาศban-yaa-gàatในnaiห้องแต่งตัวhɔ̂ng-dtɛ̀ng-dtuuaเลยləəiเหี่ยวhìiaoกันganหมดmòt
The team lost three matches in a row, so the atmosphere in the locker room was totally deflated.
พอpɔɔโปรเจกต์bproo-jèekโดนdoonปัดตกbpàt-dtòkเธอtəəก็gɔ̂เหี่ยวhìiaoจนjonไม่mâiอยากyàakเริ่มrə̂əmอะไรà-raiใหม่mài
After her project was rejected, she became so listless that she didn’t want to start anything new.
แม้máeคาเฟ่kaa-fêhจะjàเปิดbpèrtเพลงplayngสนุกsà-nùkๆ-แต่dtàeลูกค้าlûuk-káaก็gâwยังyangดูdooเหี่ยวhìaoราวกับraao gàpหมดไฟmòt faiจากjàakงานngaanทั้งสัปดาห์táng sàp-daa
Even though the café played upbeat music, the customers still looked listless, as if drained by the week’s work.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classHigh class
- Tone markMai ek
- Syllable endingLive syllableNot needed here: the tone mark decides.
High class consonants
ขฃฉฐถผฝศษสห
Result
Low tone
hìiao
Starts low and stays low, easing slightly down.
High class + Mai ek → Low
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 | — | — |