ต้ม
boil (a liquid)
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 boil (a liquid)、boil or simmer (food in liquid)、decoct (herbs, medicinal ingredients)
- 2 cheat (someone)、rip off (someone)
This word mainly describes heating a liquid to boiling or cooking something in liquid. In informal speech, it can also mean cheating someone or tricking them into a bad deal.
boil (a liquid)、boil or simmer (food in liquid)、decoct (herbs, medicinal ingredients)
To heat a liquid until it boils, or to cook food in water, broth, or another liquid.
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ต้มไข่ tôm khày boil eggs ต้มไข่ details
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ต้มเนื้อให้เปื่อย tôm nʉ́a hây pʉ̀ay Simmer the meat until tender. ต้มเนื้อให้เปื่อย details
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ช่วยต้มน้ำให้หน่อย chûay tôm náam hây nɔ̀ɔy Please boil some water. ช่วยต้มน้ำให้หน่อย details
cheat (someone)、rip off (someone)
An informal use meaning to fool someone, especially in a way that costs them money or leaves them with a bad deal.
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ฉันโดนต้ม chǎn doon tôm I got conned. ฉันโดนต้ม details
Learning notes
Explanation
The core image is heating liquid in a pot or similar container. In ต้มน้ำ, the liquid itself is brought to a boil. In ต้มไข่, eggs are cooked in boiling water, while ต้มไก่ describes cooking chicken in water or broth. Word order matters. ต้มไข่ is an action, “to boil eggs,” whereas ไข่ต้ม names the finished food, “boiled egg.” In the pattern “food + ต้ม,” ต้ม describes how the food has been cooked. The informal sense “to cheat” is a separate figurative use. It commonly suggests gaining someone's trust and then causing them financial loss or trapping them in an unfair deal. The expression ต้มตุ๋น makes the idea of fraud especially clear.
Usage
It is extremely common in kitchens, restaurants, and recipes. Typical patterns include ต้มน้ำ “boil water,” ต้มให้เดือด “bring to a boil,” and ต้มจนสุก “cook in liquid until done.” It is also used when boiling herbs or other ingredients to extract their flavor or medicinal components. The cheating sense appears in informal conversations about scams, suspicious deals, or someone being ripped off.
Caution
ต้ม and เดือด have different roles. ต้ม describes the action of boiling or cooking, while เดือด describes a liquid coming to or being at a boil. Thus, ต้มน้ำ means “boil water,” while น้ำเดือด means “the water is boiling.” ต้ม is not used for steaming; นึ่ง is the appropriate verb. The cheating sense is informal, so หลอกลวง is usually clearer in formal or legal contexts.
Differences from similar words
1 boil (a liquid) synonyms
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ลวก means to blanch or briefly scald food in hot water. ต้ม is the broader verb for boiling liquid or cooking food in liquid.
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เคี่ยว means to simmer something for a long time, often to reduce or concentrate it. ต้ม is the general verb for boiling or cooking in liquid and does not necessarily imply reduction.
2 cheat (someone) synonyms
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หลอก is a common, broad verb for fooling or deceiving someone. ต้ม is more colloquial and often suggests cheating someone out of money or trapping them in a bad deal.