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bâiMeanings
1AdjectiveB1
mute; unable to speak
Unable to speak (literally), or figuratively very quiet or unresponsive.
Examples
น้องชายnɔ́ɔng-chaaiน้องชายnɔ́ɔng-chaai1younger brother2penis (euphemistic)พิการpí-gaanพิการpí-gaan1disabled; having an impairment2[to] be disabled; have an impairmentทางการtaang-gaanทางการtaang-gaan1official; formal2officially; formally3the authorities; the governmentพูดpûutพูดpûut1[to] speak; talk2[to] say; speak3[to] tell; talk aboutเป็นใบ้bpen-bâiเป็นใบ้bpen-bâi1[to] be mute; unable to speak2[to] be speechlessตั้งแต่เกิดdtâng-dtɛ̀ɛ-gə̀ətตั้งแต่เกิดdtâng-dtɛ̀ɛ-gə̀ətsince birth
My younger brother is speech-impaired; he has been mute since birth.
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พอpɔɔได้ยินdâi-yinข่าวร้ายkàao-ráaiเขาkǎoนิ่งเงียบnîng-ngîiapเหมือนmʉ̌ʉanคนkonใบ้bâiไปbpaiชั่วคราวchûua-kraao
Upon hearing the bad news, he fell silent like a mute person for a while.
She was so angry that she wouldn’t talk to me at all, remaining completely silent all day.
หลังlǎngการผ่าตัดgaan-pàa-dtàtเขาkǎoยังyangสื่อสารsʉ̀ʉ-sǎanไม่ได้mâi-dâaiช่วงแรกchûuang-rɛ̂ɛkจึงjʉngดูเหมือนduu-mʉ̌ʉanใบ้bâiและlɛ́ตอบสนองdtɔ̀ɔp-sà-nɔ̌ɔngช้าcháaมากmâak
After the surgery, he still couldn’t communicate, so at first he seemed mute and very unresponsive.
2VerbB1
[to] give clues; hint; communicate by gestures
To indicate something indirectly through clues, hints, or gestures, including acting out a word without saying it.
Examples
เราraoเราrao1we; us2I; me (informal/regional)เล่นเกมlên-geemเล่นเกมlên-geem[to] play gamesใบ้bâiใบ้bâi1mute; unable to speak2[to] give clues; hint; communicate by gestures3foolish; stupid; ignorant4mute personคำkamคำkam1word; term2classifier for words/utterances3speech; saying; utteranceในnaiในnai1in; inside; within2during; in (time)3of; belonging to (formal)ห้องเรียนhɔ̂ng-riianห้องเรียนhɔ̂ng-riianclassroomนักเรียนnák-riianนักเรียนnák-riianschool student; pupilต้องdtɔ̂ngต้องdtɔ̂ng1must; have to2must; bound toใช้cháiใช้chái1[to] use; employ2[to] spend (money); pay; expend3[to] require; take (time/effort/amount)4[to] tell [sb] to do [sth]; assign; orderท่าทางtâa-taangท่าทางtâa-taang1gesture; posture2manner; air; look (suggesting outcome)3it looks like; seemsอย่างเดียวyàang-diiaoอย่างเดียวyàang-diiaoonly; just; solely; exclusively
We played a charades game in class; students had to use only gestures.
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ตอนdtɔɔnงานเลี้ยงngaan-líiangเขาkǎoจัดกิจกรรมjàt-gìt-jà-gamใบ้bâiคำkamเกี่ยวกับgìiao-gàpชื่อchʉ̂ʉหนังnǎngดังdang
At the party, they organized a charades activity about famous movie titles.
She is great at charades; just with gestures, we can guess the word right away.
ในnaiรอบชิงrɔ̂ɔp-chingทีมเราtiim-raoต้องdtɔ̂ngใบ้bâiคำkamโดยdooiห้ามhâamใช้cháiเสียงsǐiangหรือrʉ̌ʉเขียนkǐianทำtamได้แต่dâai-dtɛ̀ɛสื่อสารsʉ̀ʉ-sǎanด้วยdûuaiภาษากายpaa-sǎa-gaaiเท่านั้นtâo-nán
In the final round, our team had to play charades without speaking or writing, communicating only through body language.
3AdjectiveB2
foolish; stupid; ignorant
Lacking understanding or intelligence; used disparagingly.
Examples
พอpɔɔพอpɔɔ1enough; sufficient2enough; sufficiently3[to] suffice; be enough4quite; rather; fairly5as soon as; whenหัวหน้าhǔua-nâaหัวหน้าhǔua-nâa1boss; supervisor2leader; chiefถามtǎamถามtǎam1[to] ask; inquire2[to] ask about; consult3[to] question; interrogateเรื่องrʉ̂ʉangเรื่องrʉ̂ʉang1matter; issue; subject2story; tale3classifier for stories/films/cases4about; regarding (as a topic marker)งบประมาณngóp-bprà-maanงบประมาณngóp-bprà-maan1budget (financial plan)2budget (allocated funds)ฉันchǎnฉันchǎn1I; me2[to] eat (of Buddhist monks and novices)ก็gɔ̂ก็gɔ̂1also; too2then; so (sequence/result)3conditional marker (if… then…)4well; after all (emphasis/justification)5topic/resumption markerใบ้bâiใบ้bâi1mute; unable to speak2[to] give clues; hint; communicate by gestures3foolish; stupid; ignorant4mute personไปเลยbpai-ləəiไปเลยbpai-ləəi1Go ahead; go right now2[to] go past; go beyond3completely; altogether; really (emphatic)ไม่รู้mâi-rúuไม่รู้mâi-rúu1[to] not know; be unaware (of); be uncertain2I don't know.ว่าwâaว่าwâa1[to] say; tell2that (clause marker)3[to] think; consider; deem4[to] scold; reproach; criticizeเกิดgə̀ətเกิดgə̀ət1to be born2to happen; occur; arise3born (indicating birthplace/time)4(colloq.) if it happens that; unexpectedlyอะไรà-raiอะไรà-rai1what2what; what kind of (modifier)3something; anything (unspecified)4what? (interjection of surprise/confusion)ขึ้นกับkʉ̂n-gàpขึ้นกับkʉ̂n-gàp1[to] depend on [sth]/[sb]; be up to [sb]/[sth]2[to] be under; report to; be under the authority of [sb]/[sth]ตัวเลขdtuua-lêekตัวเลขdtuua-lêek1digit; numeral character2numeral; written number3figures; numerical data
When the boss asked about the budget, I was completely clueless, not knowing what happened with the numbers.
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เขาkǎoดูduuใบ้bâiตอนdtɔɔnคุยkuiเรื่องrʉ̂ʉangแผนใหม่pɛ̌ɛn-màiเหมือนmʉ̌ʉanไม่mâiตามdtaamข่าวkàaoทีมtiimมาmaaสักพักsàk-pák
He looked clueless when we discussed the new plan, like he hadn’t followed the team updates for a while.
ฉันchănยอมรับyom rápว่าwâaใบ้bâiจริงjingๆ-กับgàpดราม่าdraa-mâaในnaiออฟฟิศóf-fítเพราะpráwเพิ่งpêrngย้ายทีมyáai teemและláeยังyangไม่mâiรู้rúuบริบทbò-rí-bòt
I admit I’m totally clueless about the office drama because I just transferred teams and don’t know the context yet.
พอpɔɔเพื่อนpʉ̂ʉanพูดถึงpûut-tʉ̌ngมีมmiimล่าสุดlâa-sùtฉันchǎnนี่nîiใบ้bâiสนิทsà-nìtตามเทรนด์dtaam-treenออนไลน์ɔɔn-laaiไม่ทันmâi-tanเลยləəi
When my friends talked about the latest meme, I was completely clueless, totally behind on online trends.
4NounB2
mute person
A person who cannot speak; this label can sound insensitive.
Examples
ในnaiในnai1in; inside; within2during; in (time)3of; belonging to (formal)เรื่องrʉ̂ʉangเรื่องrʉ̂ʉang1matter; issue; subject2story; tale3classifier for stories/films/cases4about; regarding (as a topic marker)นี้níiนี้níi1this (near speaker)2this one3this; the present (time/topic)คนkonคนkon1person; human2classifier: people3[to] stir; mix by stirringใบ้bâiใบ้bâi1mute; unable to speak2[to] give clues; hint; communicate by gestures3foolish; stupid; ignorant4mute personสื่อสารsʉ̀ʉ-sǎanสื่อสารsʉ̀ʉ-sǎan[to] communicateกับgàpกับgàp1with; together with2and (informal)3side dish; accompaniment4against; versus5to; toward (recipient/target)6classifier: sets/pairs (spoon and fork)เพื่อนpʉ̂ʉanเพื่อนpʉ̂ʉan1friend2classmate; colleague (peer)3companion; fellowด้วยdûuaiด้วยdûuai1with; together with2also; too; as well3by; by means of; using4because of; due to5because; since (formal/literary)6request particle; please; tooการเขียนgaan-kǐianการเขียนgaan-kǐian1writing (the act or skill)2spelling; how [sth] is writtenข้อความkɔ̂ɔ-kwaamข้อความkɔ̂ɔ-kwaam1message; text2statement; contentลงในlong-naiลงในlong-nai1to put into; to enter (data into)2into; onto; inสมุดsà-mùtสมุดsà-mùt1notebook; exercise book2booklet; record book; ledger
In this story, the mute person communicates with friends by writing messages in a notebook.
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ครูkruuบอกbɔ̀ɔkเด็กdèkว่าwâaไม่ควรmâi-kuuanเรียกrîiakเพื่อนpʉ̂ʉanว่าwâaคนkonใบ้bâiเพราะprɔ́เพื่อนpʉ̂ʉanอาจàatรู้สึกrúu-sʉ̀kเสียใจsǐia-jai
The teacher told the children not to call their classmate a mute because it might hurt their feelings.
แม้mɛ́ɛชาวบ้านchaao-bâanจะjàเรียกrîiakชายchaaiคนkonนั้นnánว่าwâaคนkonใบ้bâiแต่dtɛ̀ɛลูกสาวlûuk-sǎaoอยากyàakให้hâiทุกคนtúk-konเรียกชื่อrîiak-chʉ̂ʉพ่อpɔ̂ɔมากกว่าmâak-gwàa
Although the villagers call that man a mute, his daughter would rather everyone call him by his name.
ผู้เขียนpûu-kǐianแก้gɛ̂ɛคำว่าkam-wâaคนkonใบ้bâiเป็นbpenผู้ที่pûu-tîiไม่สามารถmâi-sǎa-mâatพูดpûutได้dâaiเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaหลีกเลี่ยงlìik-lîiangการใช้คำgaan-chái-kamเรียกrîiakที่tîiอาจàatกระทบgrà-tópความรู้สึกkwaam-rúu-sʉ̀kของkɔ̌ɔngบุคคลbùk-konในnaiข่าวkàao
The writer replaced 'a mute' with 'a person who cannot speak' to avoid using a label that might hurt the feelings of the person in the news story.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classMid class
- Tone markMai tho
- Syllable endingLive syllableNot needed here: the tone mark decides.
Mid class consonants
กจฎฏดตบปอ
Result
Falling tone
bâi
Starts high, rises a little, then drops clearly.
Mid class + Mai tho → 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 | — | — |