แค่
kɛ̂ɛMeanings
1AdverbA2
only; just
No more than the stated amount or thing; merely.
Examples
เขาkăoเขาkăo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillอยากyàakอยากyàak1[to] want; desire2to crave; to long forคุยkuiคุยkui1[to] chat; talk2[to] discuss; talk over3[to] brag; boast4[to] talk to [sb] romantically; get to know a potential partner (colloq.)แค่kâeแค่kâe1only; just2up to; as far as; only as much asสั้นsânสั้นsân1short (length)2short (time; brief)3conciseๆ-สิบsìpสิบsìp1ten2ten; unit of tenนาทีnaa-teeนาทีnaa-tee1minute (time unit)2moment; minute (informal)
He wants to talk just briefly, only ten minutes.
7 more examplesShow less
I brought just enough money for the fare to get home, nothing more.
Today I ate just one plate of rice.
เขาkǎoบอกว่าbɔ̀ɔk-wâaอยากyàakให้hâiฉันchǎnช่วยchûuaiแค่kɛ̂ɛตรวจทานdtrùuat-taanเอกสารèek-gà-sǎanไม่ต้องmâi-dtɔ̂ngแก้ไขgɛ̂ɛ-kǎiอะไรà-raiทั้งหมดtáng-mòt
He said he wants me to merely proofread the documents, not edit everything.
ไม่ต้องmâi-dtɔ̂ngกังวลgang-wonหรอกrɔ̀kเรื่องrʉ̂ʉangนี้níiแค่kɛ̂ɛเรื่องเล็กน้อยrʉ̂ʉang-lék-nɔ́ɔiเองeeng
Don’t worry. This is just a minor matter.
He said it was just a misunderstanding; don’t take it too seriously.
บาดแผลbàat-plɛ̌ɛแค่kɛ̂ɛถลอกtà-lɔ̀ɔkนิดเดียวnít-diiaoไม่ต้องmâi-dtɔ̂ngไปbpaiโรงพยาบาลroong-pá-yaa-baanหรอกrɔ̀k
The wound is just a small scrape, no need to go to the hospital.
ฉันchǎnแค่kɛ̂ɛแซวsɛɛoเล่นlênไม่ได้mâi-dâaiมีmiiเจตนาjèet-dtà-naaจะjàทำให้tam-hâiเธอtəəไม่สบายใจmâi-sà-baai-jai
I was only teasing and didn’t intend to upset you.
2PrepositionB1
up to; as far as; only as much as
Marks the limit of a distance, extent, or amount.
Examples
วันนี้wan-níiวันนี้wan-níi1today (time of speech)2today; this day3nowadays; at presentฉันchǎnฉันchǎn1I; me2[to] eat (of Buddhist monks and novices)มีmiiมีmii1[to] have; possess2there is/are; exist3[to] experience; undergoเงินngənเงินngən1money2funds; finances3silver (metal)แค่kɛ̂ɛแค่kɛ̂ɛ1only; just2up to; as far as; only as much asร้อยrɔ́ɔiร้อยrɔ́ɔi1one hundred (100)2[to] string; thread; link together3[to] compose verse; write in poetic formบาทbàatบาทbàat1baht (Thai currency unit)2baht (classifier for Thai currency amounts)3foot (literary)
I have no more than one hundred baht today.
3 more examplesShow less
ก่อนนอนgɔ̀ɔn-nɔɔnเขาkǎoอ่านหนังสือàan-nǎng-sʉ̌ʉได้dâaiแค่kɛ̂ɛสิบsìpหน้าnâaเพราะprɔ́ง่วงngûuangมากmâak
Before bed, he could read no more than ten pages because he was very sleepy.
ในnaiงานngaanมีmiiคนkonมาmaaแค่kɛ̂ɛยี่สิบyîi-sìpคนkonทั้งที่táng-tîiเชิญchəənไปbpaiตั้งdtângหลายสิบlǎai-sìpคนkon
Only twenty people came to the event, even though several dozen were invited.
งบประมาณngóp-bprà-maanโปรเจกต์bproo-jèekนี้níiมีmiiแค่kɛ̂ɛหนึ่งnʉ̀ngล้านláanบาทbàatจึงjʉngต้องdtɔ̂ngตัดdtàtกิจกรรมgìt-jà-gamที่tîiไม่จำเป็นmâi-jam-bpenออกไปɔ̀ɔk-bpai
The budget for this project is no more than one million baht, so we must cut unnecessary activities.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
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
kɛ̂ɛ
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 | — | — |