ไม้ตาย
máai-dtaaiMeanings
1NounB2
last resort; trump card; secret weapon
a final or decisive tactic kept for crucial moments when other methods have failed
Examples
ถ้าtâaถ้าtâaif; in caseเขาkăoเขาkăo1he; him2she; her3they; them (context-dependent)4horn5mountain; hillไม่mâiไม่mâi1not (negator)2no (reply)ยอมyomยอมyom1[to] agree; consent2[to] allow; permit3[to] yield; give in; submit4[to] admit (acknowledge)ง่ายๆngâai ngâaiง่ายๆngâai ngâai1easy; simple; uncomplicated2plain; low-key; informal3simply; casually; without much effort4easygoing; not fussy (of a person)ฉันchănฉันchăn1I; me2[to] eat (of Buddhist monks and novices)ยังyangยังyang1still; continuing2not yet (with ไม่)3yet? (question use)4still/even (emphatic degree)5to; towardมีmeeมีmee1[to] have; possess2there is/are; exist3[to] experience; undergoไม้ตายmáai dtaaiไม้ตายmáai dtaai1last resort; trump card; secret weapon2finishing move; decisive blowอีกèekอีกèek1more; additional2again3else; other4yet; still (in comparisons/time)อย่างหนึ่งyàang nèungอย่างหนึ่งyàang nèung1one thing/kind2for one thing; on one hand
If he doesn't give in easily, I still have one final tactic.
3 more examplesShow less
การgaanลดราคาlót-raa-kaaครั้งใหญ่kráng-yàiเป็นbpenไม้ตายmáai-dtaaiของkɔ̌ɔngบริษัทbɔɔ-rí-sàtเพื่อpʉ̂ʉaดึงdʉngลูกค้าlûuk-káaกลับมาglàp-maa
The huge sale was the company's decisive tactic to win back customers.
ทนายความtá-naai-kwaamเก็บgèpหลักฐานlàk-tǎanชิ้นสำคัญchín-sǎm-kanไว้wáiเป็นbpenไม้ตายmáai-dtaaiสำหรับsǎm-ràpใช้cháiในnaiศาลsǎanตอนท้ายdtɔɔn-táai
The lawyer kept the crucial piece of evidence as a final tactic to use at the end of the trial.
เมื่อmʉ̂ʉaแผนการpɛ̌ɛn-gaanทุกอย่างtúk-yàangล้มเหลวlóm-lěeoเขาkǎoจึงjʉngต้องdtɔ̂ngใช้cháiงัดngátไม้ตายmáai-dtaaiออกมาɔ̀ɔk-maaซึ่งsʉ̂ngก็คือgɔ̂-kʉʉการgaanขอkɔ̌ɔความช่วยเหลือkwaam-chûuai-lʉ̌ʉaจากjàakคู่แข่งkûu-kɛ̀ngทางธุรกิจtaang-tú-rá-gìt
When all other plans failed, he had to use his last resort, which was asking for help from a business rival.
2NounB2
finishing move; decisive blow
a move or action intended to end a contest or dispute decisively (e.g., in martial arts, games, or arguments)
Examples
นักมวยnák-muuaiนักมวยnák-muuaiboxer; prizefighterคนkonคนkon1person; human2classifier: people3[to] stir; mix by stirringนั้นnánนั้นnán1that (distal demonstrative)2that one; that thing3(topic-marking or emphatic particle)มีmiiมีmii1[to] have; possess2there is/are; exist3[to] experience; undergoหมัดmàtหมัดmàt1flea2fist; punchขวาkwǎaขวาkwǎa1right (direction/side)2the right; right side3right; to the right4right-wing; rightistเป็นbpenเป็นbpen1to be (identity/category/state)2to become3[to] know how; be able to (skill)4alive; living5[to] have; suffer from; be in (a condition)ไม้ตายmáai-dtaaiไม้ตายmáai-dtaai1last resort; trump card; secret weapon2finishing move; decisive blowที่tîiที่tîi1place; spot; seat; space2at; in; to (a place)3classifier: places; seats; individual servings4that/which/who (relative marker)5when; the time that (time marker)6ordinal markerน็อคnɔ́kน็อคnɔ́k1[to] knock out [sb]2knockout; KO3[to] pass out; be wiped out (inf.)4[to] seize up; fail (of an engine)คู่ต่อสู้kûu-dtɔ̀ɔ-sûuคู่ต่อสู้kûu-dtɔ̀ɔ-sûuopponent; adversary; rivalมาmaaมาmaa1[to] come; arrive2[to] come to (a state or situation)3past/as of now aspect markerหลายคนlǎai-konหลายคนlǎai-konmany/several peopleแล้วlɛ́ɛoแล้วlɛ́ɛo1already; now (as of this point)2then; and then; after that3already; completed-action marker4and; and then (linking clauses)
That boxer has a right hook as a finishing move that has knocked out many opponents.
3 more examplesShow less
เขาkǎoใช้cháiคำถามkam-tǎamนั้นnánเป็นbpenไม้ตายmáai-dtaaiในnaiการโต้วาทีgaan-dtôo-waa-tiiทำให้tam-hâiฝ่ายตรงข้ามfàai-dtrong-kâamเถียงtǐiangไม่mâiออกɔ̀ɔkเลยləəi
He used that question as a decisive move in the debate, leaving his opponent speechless.
ตัวละครdtuua-lá-kɔɔnนี้níiในnaiเกมgeemมีmiiท่าไม้ตายtâa-máai-dtaaiที่tîiรุนแรงrun-rɛɛngมากmâakสามารถsǎa-mâatจบjòpการต่อสู้gaan-dtɔ̀ɔ-sûuได้dâaiในnaiครั้งเดียวkráng-diiao
This character in the game has a very powerful finishing move that can end a fight in one go.
ไม้ตายmáai-dtaaiของkɔ̌ɔngเธอtəəในnaiการเจรจาgaan-jee-rá-jaaคือkʉʉการนำเสนอgaan-nam-sà-nə̌əข้อมูลเชิงลึกkɔ̂ɔ-muun-chəəng-lʉ́kที่tîiไม่มีmâi-miiใครkraiคาดคิดkâat-kítมาก่อนmaa-gɔ̀ɔnซึ่งsʉ̂ngทำให้tam-hâiเธอtəəได้เปรียบdâai-bprìiapเสมอsà-mə̌ə
Her decisive move in negotiations is to present unexpected in-depth data, which always gives her the upper hand.
Tones
See how the spelling sets each syllable's tone, step by step.
2 syllables · pick one to see its rule
How the tone is decided
- Consonant classLow class
- Tone markMai tho
- Syllable endingLive syllableNot needed here: the tone mark decides.
Low class consonants
คฅฆงชซฌญฑฒณทธนพฟภมยรลวฬฮ
Result
High tone
máai
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 | — | — |
Word Breakdown
ไม้máaiไม้máai1wood; timber2stick; rod; club; bat3classifier: skewers of food4tone/diacritic mark (Thai orthography)5tool; implementwood; timberPart 1
+
ตายdtaaiตายdtaai1[to] die; pass away2dead3[of devices] dead; not working4be doomed; be in big trouble (informal)5extremely; utterly (intensifier, informal)[to] die; pass awayPart 2
ไม้ตายmáai-dtaaiไม้ตายmáai-dtaailast resort; trump card; secret weaponlast resort; trump card; secret weaponWord