หาด
beach
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 beach、sandbar
- 2 [classifier for beaches]
This word refers to a gently sloping stretch of sand, pebbles, or similar material beside water. In everyday use, it most often means a beach by the sea.
beach、sandbar
A sandy or pebbly area along the water's edge, usually a seaside beach but sometimes a riverside or lakeside beach or a sandbar.
[classifier for beaches]
The noun itself can be repeated as a classifier when counting individual beaches.
Learning notes
Explanation
The central image of หาด is land at the water's edge formed from accumulated sand, pebbles, or similar material. In modern everyday Thai, it most often refers to a beach where people swim, relax, or take walks. หาด can be used by itself, while ชายหาด “beach, seashore” and หาดทราย “sandy beach” are also common. Typical location phrases include ที่หาด “at the beach,” บนหาด “on the beach,” and ใกล้หาด “near the beach.” When beaches are counted, หาด itself can serve as the classifier. The general classifier for places, แห่ง, is also possible, as in หาดสองแห่ง “two beaches.”
Usage
It is common in conversations about seaside trips, swimming, resorts, tourism, and coastal scenery. In geographic or environmental contexts, it may also refer to a beach along a river or lake or to a sandbar in the water.
Caution
หาด denotes a place, not the sand itself. ทราย means “sand,” and หาดทราย means “sandy beach.” It also differs from ทะเล “sea” and ชายฝั่ง “coast/coastline,” which refer to broader geographic features.