ฝ่า

Explanation

As a verb, ฝ่า centers on moving forward against something that blocks or restrains you. It can describe physically braving rain, waves, fire, or an encirclement, as well as figuratively overcoming hardship. The same idea of pushing past restraint also appears in expressions involving violations, such as ฝ่าไฟแดง “run a red light.” For general violations of rules or orders, ฝ่าฝืน followed by the relevant rule or command is especially common. As a noun, ฝ่า denotes the flat surface of a hand or foot. It normally appears as ฝ่ามือ “palm” or ฝ่าเท้า “sole” so that the body part is clear.

Usage

It is common when describing movement through bad weather, danger, crowds, or an encirclement, and when talking figuratively about overcoming hardship. In traffic contexts, ฝ่าไฟแดง is frequent; rules and orders commonly occur with ฝ่าฝืน. For body parts, the usual forms are ฝ่ามือ and ฝ่าเท้า.

Caution

Use ผ่าน for neutral passing or going through. ฝ่า implies danger, resistance, hardship, or restraint, so it is usually unsuitable for ordinary unobstructed movement. For the sense “violate,” learners should rely on established patterns such as ฝ่าไฟแดง and ฝ่าฝืนกฎ rather than attaching any object directly to ฝ่า.

1 brave (danger or harsh conditions) synonyms

• ผ่าน

  phàan experience

  ผ่าน neutrally means to pass or go through. ฝ่า emphasizes pressing onward despite danger, resistance, or hardship.

• เอาชนะ

  เอาชนะ focuses on defeating someone or successfully overcoming a problem. ฝ่า highlights the act of struggling through the difficulty.

2 violate (a rule or order) synonyms

• ละเมิด

  ละเมิด often means to violate rights, laws, or rules and is common in formal or legal contexts. ฝ่า suggests pushing past a restraint and commonly appears in fixed forms such as ฝ่าไฟแดง and ฝ่าฝืน.