เศษ
fragment
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 fragment、scrap、leftovers
- 2 remainder (in division)
- 3 numerator
- 4 a little over、more than (a stated number)
This word refers to a small part separated from or left over from a whole. It is used for scraps and fragments, mathematical remainders and numerators, and amounts slightly above a stated round number.
fragment、scrap、leftovers
It refers to a small piece broken or cut from something, or material left over after something has been used, prepared, or eaten.
remainder (in division)
It is the number left over when one integer cannot be divided evenly by another.
numerator
It refers to the number above the line in a fraction and also appears in a standard pattern for reading fractions.
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เศษหนึ่งส่วนสอง sèet nʉ̀ŋ sùan sɔ̌ɔŋ one half เศษหนึ่งส่วนสอง details
a little over、more than (a stated number)
Placed after a number or time expression, it indicates an unspecified amount slightly above that figure.
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ตอนนี้สองทุ่มเศษ tɔɔn níi sɔ̌ɔŋ thûm sèet It is a little after 8 p.m. ตอนนี้สองทุ่มเศษ details
Learning notes
Explanation
The central idea of เศษ is a small part that has separated from—or remains after—the original whole. With physical things, it commonly precedes the source material or object: เศษแก้ว means “glass shards,” เศษผ้า means “fabric scraps,” and เศษอาหาร means “food scraps or leftovers.” The same idea of “what remains” extends to arithmetic, where เศษ can mean the remainder after division. In fractions, ตัวเศษ is the numerator, ตัวส่วน is the denominator, and เศษส่วน means a fraction. A fraction may be read with the pattern เศษ + numerator + ส่วน + denominator, though the initial เศษ is often omitted in everyday usage. After a number or time, เศษ indicates an unspecified extra amount: ร้อยคนเศษ means “a little over a hundred people,” and สองทุ่มเศษ means “a little after 8 p.m.”
Usage
It is common when discussing cleaning, waste sorting, cooking, sewing, or crafts—especially scraps, fragments, and leftovers. It also appears in school arithmetic for remainders and fractions. In everyday conversation, it can follow a number or time when the exact amount is unknown but slightly exceeds a round figure.
Caution
เศษ does not simply mean “a small object.” It normally refers to a part separated from a whole or something left after use. In mathematics, distinguish เศษ “remainder,” ตัวเศษ “numerator,” and เศษส่วน “fraction.”
Differences from similar words
1 fragment synonyms
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ชิ้น is a general word for a distinct piece or item. เศษ more strongly suggests a small fragment separated from a whole or a scrap left over and no longer wanted.
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ซาก refers to wreckage, ruins, or the remains of a dead organism—often a substantial remnant that has lost its original form or function. เศษ usually refers to smaller fragments or scraps.
4 a little over synonyms
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กว่า after a number broadly means “more than” and does not necessarily imply a small difference. เศษ suggests that the stated round figure is exceeded only by an unspecified extra amount.