แก่น
gɛ̀nMeanings
1NounB2
core; essence
the central, most important part of something; the essence or crux
Examples
แก่นgɛ̀nแก่นgɛ̀n1core; essence2heartwood3kernel; pit (inner part of a fruit/seed)4cheeky; bold (colloq.)ของkɔ̌ɔngของkɔ̌ɔng1of; belonging to2thing; item; stuff3property; goodsโครงการkroong-gaanโครงการkroong-gaan1project; scheme2plan; proposalนี้níiนี้níi1this (near speaker)2this one3this; the present (time/topic)คือkʉʉคือkʉʉ1to be (definition/identification)2namely; that is; i.e.การลดgaan-lótการลดgaan-lótreduction; decreaseความเหลื่อมล้ำkwaam-lʉ̀ʉam-lámความเหลื่อมล้ำkwaam-lʉ̀ʉam-láminequality; disparity (esp. social/economic)ไม่ใช่mâi-châiไม่ใช่mâi-châi1is/are/am not; not (to be)2no (disagreement/denial)3not (emphatic correction)แค่kɛ̂ɛแค่kɛ̂ɛ1only; just2up to; as far as; only as much asการสร้างภาพgaan-sâang-pâapการสร้างภาพgaan-sâang-pâap1posturing; putting on a show2image creation
The crux of this project is reducing inequality, not just image-building.
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เราraoควรkuuanถามtǎamให้hâiชัดchátว่าwâaแก่นgɛ̀nของkɔ̌ɔngปัญหาคือbpan-hǎa-kʉʉอะไรà-raiก่อนจะgɔ̀ɔn-jàเสนอsà-nə̌əวิธีแก้wí-tii-gɛ̂ɛ
We should ask clearly what the essence of the problem is before proposing solutions.
บทbòtความยาวkwaam-yaaoมากmâakแต่dtɛ̀ɛถ้าtâaตัดคำdtàt-kamฟุ่มเฟือยfûm-fʉʉaiออกɔ̀ɔkแก่นgɛ̀nของkɔ̌ɔngข้อโต้แย้งkɔ̂ɔ-dtôo-yɛ́ɛngมีmiiเพียงpiiangสองsɔ̌ɔngประเด็นbprà-den
The article is very long, but if you cut the fluff, the crux of the argument is only two points.
เพื่อpêuuaเข้าใจkâo jaiนโยบายná-yoh-baaiนี้néeจริงjingๆ-เราraoต้องdtôngแยกแยะyâek yáeข้อมูลkôr moonรอบข้างrôp kâangออกจากòk jàakแก่นgàenของkŏngแนวคิดnaeo kít
To truly understand this policy, we must separate peripheral details from the core essence of the idea.
2NounB2
heartwood
the dense, inner, older non-living wood at the center of a tree trunk
Examples
ช่างไม้châng-máaiช่างไม้châng-máaicarpenter; woodworkerเลือกใช้lʉ̂ʉak-cháiเลือกใช้lʉ̂ʉak-chái[to] choose to use; opt to employ; adoptแก่นgɛ̀nแก่นgɛ̀n1core; essence2heartwood3kernel; pit (inner part of a fruit/seed)4cheeky; bold (colloq.)ของkɔ̌ɔngของkɔ̌ɔng1of; belonging to2thing; item; stuff3property; goodsต้นสักdtôn-sàkต้นสักdtôn-sàkteak treeเพราะprɔ́เพราะprɔ́1because2because of; due to3melodious; pleasant-soundingทนtonทนton1[to] endure; tolerate; bear2[to] withstand; resist3durable; resistant (of things)ปลวกbplùuakปลวกbplùuaktermiteและlɛ́และlɛ́and (coordinating)ไม่mâiไม่mâi1not (negator)2no (reply)ผุpùผุpù1rotten; decayed; corroded; crumbly2[to] rot; decay; corrodeง่ายngâaiง่ายngâai1easy; simple2easily; readily
The carpenter chooses the heartwood of teak because it is termite-resistant and doesn't rot easily.
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ถ้าtâaตัดลำdtàt-lamต้นdtônดูduuจะjàเห็นว่าhěn-wâaแก่นgɛ̀nอยู่yùuตรงกลางdtrong-glaangเป็นbpenสีเข้มsǐi-kêmกว่าgwàaเนื้อไม้nʉ́ʉa-máaiส่วนsùuanอื่นʉ̀ʉn
If you cut the trunk, you'll see the heartwood in the center is darker than the other wood.
บ้านเก่าbâan-gàoหลังlǎngนี้níiใช้cháiเสาแก่นsǎo-gɛ̀nไม้máaiตะเคียนdtà-kiianจึงjʉngแข็งแรงkɛ̌ng-rɛɛngแม้mɛ́ɛผ่านมาpàan-maaหลายสิบlǎai-sìpปีbpii
This old house uses heartwood pillars of takhian, so it's sturdy even after decades.
นักพฤกษศาสตร์nák-prʉ́k-sà-sàatอธิบายà-tí-baaiว่าwâaแก่นgɛ̀nคือkʉʉเนื้อไม้nʉ́ʉa-máaiชั้นในchán-naiที่tîiหยุดyùtลำเลียงlam-liiangน้ำnáamแล้วlɛ́ɛoแต่ยังdtɛ̀ɛ-yangช่วยchûuaiค้ำkámโครงสร้างkroong-sâangต้นไม้dtôn-máai
The botanist explains that heartwood is the inner wood that no longer transports water but still supports the tree's structure.
3NounB2
kernel; pit (inner part of a fruit/seed)
the hard inner stone or edible core inside some fruits or seeds; the kernel or pit
Examples
เวลาway-laaเวลาway-laa1time2time; period; occasion3when; at the time (that)4classifier: scheduled occasions; meals; dosesแกะgàeแกะgàe1sheep2[to] unwrap; open by prying; peel [sth] off3[to] carve; engraveลำไยlam yaiลำไยlam yai1longan (fruit)2longan tree3annoyed; irritating (slang)ต้องdtôngต้องdtông1must; have to2must; bound toระวังrá-wangระวังrá-wang1[to] be careful; take care2watch out!; caution!3[to] watch out for; guard againstแก่นแข็งgàen kăengแก่นแข็งgàen kăenghard core; solid coreๆ-ข้างในkâang naiข้างในkâang nai1inside; within2inside (of); within3the inside; the interior
When peeling longans, you must be careful of the hard pit inside.
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เม็ดมะม่วงหิมพานต์mét má-mûuang hĭm-má-paanจริงjingๆ-คือkeuแก่นgàenที่têeอยู่ในyòo naiเปลือกbplèuakแข็งkăeng
Cashew nuts are actually the kernels inside a hard shell.
แม่mɛ̂ɛเตือนdtʉʉanว่าwâaอย่าyàaกัดgàtเมล็ดmá-létลิ้นจี่lín-jìiแรงrɛɛngเพราะprɔ́แก่นgɛ̀nด้านในdâan-naiแข็งมากkɛ̌ng-mâak
Mom warned not to bite lychee seeds hard because the inner pit is very hard.
เราraoคว้านkwáanเนื้อnʉ́ʉaออกɔ̀ɔkจนถึงแก่นjon-tʉ̌ng-gɛ̀nของkɔ̌ɔngมะละกอmá-lá-gɔɔแล้วlɛ́ɛoเอาaoเมล็ดmá-létออกɔ̀ɔkเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaทำtamสลัดsà-làt
We scooped the flesh down to the papaya’s core and removed the seeds to make a salad.
4AdjectiveC1
cheeky; bold (colloq.)
describing someone, often a child, as cheeky, lively, or a bit naughty (informal)
Examples
หลานสาวlǎan-sǎaoหลานสาวlǎan-sǎao1niece2granddaughterคนเล็กkon-lékคนเล็กkon-lékyoungest child; youngest siblingค่อนข้างkɔ̂n-kâangค่อนข้างkɔ̂n-kâangrather; quite; fairlyแก่นgɛ̀nแก่นgɛ̀n1core; essence2heartwood3kernel; pit (inner part of a fruit/seed)4cheeky; bold (colloq.)ชอบchɔ̂ɔpชอบchɔ̂ɔp1[to] like; be fond of2tend to; usually3be proper; be fitting (formal)แกล้งglɛ̂ɛngแกล้งglɛ̂ɛng1[to] tease; pick on; bully; prank2[to] pretend; feign; act as if; fake3[to] do on purpose; deliberatelyพี่pîiพี่pîi1older sibling2older person (informal address)แต่dtɛ̀ɛแต่dtɛ̀ɛ1but; however (contrast)2only; just (restriction)3from; since (starting point)ก็gɔ̂ก็gɔ̂1also; too2then; so (sequence/result)3conditional marker (if… then…)4well; after all (emphasis/justification)5topic/resumption markerไม่ได้mâi-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)ร้ายแรงráai-rɛɛngร้ายแรงráai-rɛɛngserious; severe; grave
My youngest niece is quite cheeky; she likes to tease her older sibling but not in a serious way.
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เด็กชายdèk-chaaiคนนี้kon-níiดูduuแก่นgɛ̀nและlɛ́มีmiiลูกเล่นlûuk-lênมากmâakพูดจาpûut-jaaคล่องklɔ̂ɔngจนjonผู้ใหญ่pûu-yàiตามไม่ทันdtaam-mâi-tan
This boy seems cheeky and playful, speaking so fluently that adults can hardly keep up.
เธอtəəเป็นbpenเด็กdèkแก่นgɛ̀nที่tîiมีเสน่ห์mii-sà-hèenกล้าglâaซักถามsák-tǎamและlɛ́โต้แย้งdtôo-yɛ́ɛngอย่างyàangมีมารยาทmii-maa-rá-yâatจนjonคุณครูkun-kruuยังyangยิ้มyím
She is a charmingly cheeky child, bold enough to ask and argue politely, making even the teacher smile.
ความkwaamแก่นgàenของเขาkŏng kăoไม่ได้mâi dâaiหยาบคายyàap kaaiแต่dtàeเป็นbpenความขี้เล่นkwaam kêe lênที่têeรู้rúuกาลเทศะgaa-lá-tay-sàจนjonใครๆkrai kraiก็gâwเอ็นดูen doo
His cheekiness isn’t rude; it’s a playful sense with good timing, making everyone fond of him.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classMid class
- Tone markMai ek
- Syllable endingLive syllableNot needed here: the tone mark decides.
Mid class consonants
กจฎฏดตบปอ
Result
Low tone
gɛ̀n
Starts low and stays low, easing slightly down.
Mid 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 | — | — |