กา

Explanation

กา has three common, unrelated meanings, so the surrounding words are essential for identifying the intended sense. When it means “crow,” the usual classifier for animals, ตัว, is used. The fuller form อีกา also clearly refers to the bird. For a spouted container, กา can stand alone but commonly appears in compounds such as กาน้ำ “water pot or kettle,” กาต้มน้ำ “kettle or water boiler,” and กาน้ำชา “teapot.” ใบ is a common classifier for these containers. As a verb, it describes physically writing a check, cross, or similar mark on paper, often to select an answer or option.

Usage

The bird sense appears in conversations about animals, nature, and comparisons involving deep black color. The container sense is used in kitchens and dining settings when boiling or serving water or tea. The verb is common in instructions for tests, surveys, application forms, and ballots.

Caution

As a verb, กา does not mean to inspect or verify something. Use ตรวจ, ตรวจสอบ, or เช็ก for that kind of “check.” The repeated form กา ๆ can imitate a crow’s call, but learners do not need to treat it as a separate major sense.

1 crow synonyms

• อีกา

  iikaa crow

  อีกา also means “crow” and identifies the bird more explicitly. กา is shorter and has several unrelated meanings, so its interpretation depends more on context.

3 put a cross on synonyms

• ขีด

  khìit draw (a line)

  ขีด can mean drawing a line or crossing out writing. กา focuses on placing a selection or correctness mark in a designated spot.

• ทำเครื่องหมาย

  ทำเครื่องหมาย is the general expression for making or placing any kind of mark. กา is especially common for putting a check or cross beside an option on paper.