แว้บ
wɛ́ɛpMeanings
1VerbB2
[to] flash; [to] appear/disappear briefly
[to] appear or disappear very quickly; [to] flash or flicker for a brief moment
Examples
ผมpǒmผมpǒm1I; me (male speaker, polite)2hair (on the head)หันไปhǎn-bpaiหันไปhǎn-bpai1[to] turn (physically) toward another direction2[to] turn to; switch to; shift toward (fig.)มองหน้าmɔɔng-nâaมองหน้าmɔɔng-nâa1[to] look at someone's face; meet someone's eyes2[to] face someone; be able to meet someone's eyesต่างdtàangต่างdtàang1different; distinct2various; diverse3each; respectively4foreign; from another place5to differ; be different6in place of; as a substitute forเห็นhěnเห็นhěn1[to] see2[to] notice; [to] realize; [to] find (that)3[to] think; [to] be of the opinion4[to] consider; [to] regard asเงาngaoเงาngao1shadow2reflection; image3shade; dimness; darkness4glossy; shiny5silhouette; outline6trace; hint7follower; doubleคนkonคนkon1person; human2classifier: people3[to] stir; mix by stirringแว้บเดียวwɛ́ɛp-diiaoแว้บเดียวwɛ́ɛp-diiaofor a moment; in a flashแล้วก็lɛ́ɛo-gɔ̂แล้วก็lɛ́ɛo-gɔ̂1and then; after that (sequence)2and also; plus (addition)3and; so; then (continuation/filler)หายไปhǎai-bpaiหายไปhǎai-bpai1[to] disappear; vanish2[to] be missing; be gone3[to] subside; wear off4[to] go silent; drop out of contact (informal)
I looked toward the window and saw a figure flash for a moment and then vanish.
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ไฟfaiในnaiทางเดินtaang-dəənแว้บwɛ́ɛpติดแว้บdtìt-wɛ́ɛpดับdàpทำให้tam-hâiฉันchǎnใจคอไม่ดีjai-kɔɔ-mâi-dii
The lights in the hallway flickered on and off briefly, making me uneasy.
ความคิดkwaam-kítหนึ่งnʉ̀ngแว้บwɛ́ɛpขึ้นมาkʉ̂n-maaในnaiหัวhǔuaแล้วก็lɛ́ɛo-gɔ̂หายไปhǎai-bpaiก่อนที่gɔ̀ɔn-tîiฉันchǎnจะjàคว้าkwáaมันmanไว้wáiได้dâai
A thought flashed into my mind and disappeared before I could catch it.
เงาสะท้อนngao-sà-tɔ́ɔnบนbonกระจกgrà-jòkแว้บwɛ́ɛpผ่านpàanสายตาsǎai-dtaaจนjonฉันchǎnสงสัยsǒng-sǎiว่าwâaมีใครmii-kraiยืนอยู่yʉʉn-yùuข้างหลังkâang-lǎngหรือไม่rʉ̌ʉ-mâi
A reflection flickered across the glass, making me wonder if someone was standing behind me.
2AdverbB2
briefly; in a flash
in a very short time; for a brief moment
Examples
ขอkɔ̌ɔขอkɔ̌ɔ1[to] request; ask for [sth]2polite request marker3[to] beg; plead4[to] wish for; pray forแว้บwɛ́ɛpแว้บwɛ́ɛp1[to] flash; [to] appear/disappear briefly2briefly; in a flash3whoosh!; zip! (onomatopoeia)ไปbpaiไปbpai1[to] go2away; off (directional complement/particle)3on; onward; continuously (aspect marker)4(aspect) completed; already past5too; excessivelyเข้าห้องน้ำkâo-hɔ̂ng-náamเข้าห้องน้ำkâo-hɔ̂ng-náam[to] go to the bathroom; use the toiletแป๊บเดียวbpɛ́p-diiaoแป๊บเดียวbpɛ́p-diiao1for a moment; very briefly2just a moment!เดี๋ยวdǐiaoเดี๋ยวdǐiao1soon; in a moment2for a moment; briefly; one moment3wait! just a moment4otherwise; or else (colloq.)5alternating; now … now …กลับมาglàp-maaกลับมาglàp-maa1[to] come back; return2[to] resume; make a comeback; be back
Let me slip to the restroom for just a moment; I’ll be right back.
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ฉันchǎnมีmiiประชุมbprà-chumต่อdtɔ̀ɔขอkɔ̌ɔแว้บwɛ́ɛpออกไปɔ̀ɔk-bpaiซื้อsʉ́ʉกาแฟgaa-fɛɛแป๊บเดียวbpɛ́p-diiao
I have another meeting, so I’ll step out to grab coffee for a brief moment.
ระหว่างrá-wàangพักเที่ยงpák tîiangเขาแว้บkăo wáepไปbpaiทำtamธุระส่วนตัวtú-rá sùuan dtuuaแค่kâeครู่เดียวkrôo diiaoแล้วก็láeo gâwกลับมาglàp maaทำงานtam ngaanต่อdtò
During lunch break, he went to run a personal errand for just a brief moment and then returned to work.
ขอkŏrแว้บwáepไปbpaiเช็กอีเมลchék ee-maynด่วนๆdùuan dùuanไม่ถึงmâi tĕungนาทีnaa-teeเดี๋ยวdĭiaoรีบrêepมาmaaรายงานraai-ngaanต่อdtò
Let me quickly check my email for under a minute; I’ll hurry back to continue the report.
3InterjectionB2
whoosh!; zip! (onomatopoeia)
an exclamation imitating a quick, sudden movement or appearance; onomatopoeic
Examples
อยู่ดีๆyòo dee deeอยู่ดีๆyòo dee deesuddenly; out of the blue; for no apparent reasonก็gâwก็gâw1also; too2then; so (sequence/result)3conditional marker (if… then…)4well; after all (emphasis/justification)5topic/resumption markerมีmeeมีmee1[to] have; possess2there is/are; exist3[to] experience; undergoแมวmaeoแมวmaeocatโผล่plòhโผล่plòh[to] emerge; appear; stick out; pop upจากjàakจากjàak1from; away from2[to] leave; depart; part from3nipa palmหลังlăngหลังlăng1back (of body)2rear; back (part)3behind; at the back of4after; later than5CL: bed; bed-like platform6CL: building; house; structureตู้dtôoตู้dtôo1cabinet; cupboard2wardrobe; closet3CL: ตู้4box; enclosure (equipment)5booth; kiosk6lockerแว้บwáepแว้บwáep1[to] flash; [to] appear/disappear briefly2briefly; in a flash3whoosh!; zip! (onomatopoeia)ทุกคนtúk konทุกคนtúk koneveryone; everybodyตกใจdtòk jaiตกใจdtòk jaibe startled; be frightened
All of a sudden a cat popped out from behind the cabinet—zoom! Everyone was startled.
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พอpɔɔเปิดไฟbpə̀ət-faiปลาbplaaตัวเล็กdtuua-lékก็gɔ̂ว่ายwâaiผ่านpàanหน้าnâaไปbpaiแว้บwɛ́ɛpเหมือนmʉ̌ʉanลำแสงlam-sɛ̌ɛng
When I turned on the light, a small fish darted past—zoom!—like a beam of light.
เสียงsǐiangประตูเลื่อนbprà-dtuu-lʉ̂ʉanดังdangแล้วlɛ́ɛoเงาดำngao-damก็gɔ̂พุ่งpûngมาmaaแว้บwɛ́ɛpก่อนจะgɔ̀ɔn-jàหลบหายlòp-hǎaiหลังlǎngม่านmâan
The sliding door sounded, and a dark shadow shot in—whoosh!—before slipping behind the curtain.
จู่ๆjòo jòoผีเสื้อpĕe sêuuaก็gâwบินbinเฉียดchìiatแก้มgâemแว้บwáepทิ้งไว้tíng wáiเพียงpiiangกลิ่นglìnหวานwăanของkŏngดอกไม้dòk máai
Suddenly a butterfly skimmed past my cheek—flutter!—leaving only the sweet scent of flowers.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classLow class
- Tone markMai tho
- Syllable endingDead syllableNot needed here: the tone mark decides.
Low class consonants
คฅฆงชซฌญฑฒณทธนพฟภมยรลวฬฮ
Result
High tone
wɛ́ɛp
Starts high and keeps climbing.
Low class + Mai tho → High
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 | — | — |