ไฟ
fire
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 fire、flame
- 2 light、lamp、light source
- 3 electricity、electric power、power
- 4 traffic light、signal light、indicator light
- 5 drive、passion、energy、motivation
ไฟ starts from the idea of fire, but in everyday Thai it also commonly means electricity, lights, and traffic or indicator lights. The exact meaning depends heavily on context.
fire、flame
This sense refers to actual fire or flames that burn and give off heat and light.
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จุดไฟ cùt fay light a fire จุดไฟ details
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ดับไฟ dàp fay put out a fire ดับไฟ details
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ไฟไหม้ fay mây there is a fire ไฟไหม้ details
light、lamp、light source
This sense means a light or light source, especially electric lighting in a room, vehicle, or device.
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เปิดไฟ pə̀ət fay turn on the light เปิดไฟ details
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ปิดไฟ pìt fay turn off the light ปิดไฟ details
electricity、electric power、power
This sense means electricity or electric power, especially in everyday talk about bills, outages, charging, and household power.
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ไฟดับ fay dàp the power goes out ไฟดับ details
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ค่าไฟ khâa fay electricity bill ค่าไฟ details
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ชาร์จไฟ cháat fay charge electricity; charge a device ชาร์จไฟ details
traffic light、signal light、indicator light
This sense refers to signal lights and indicator lights, especially traffic lights and vehicle lights.
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ไฟแดง fay dɛɛŋ red light ไฟแดง details
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ไฟเขียว fay khǐaw green light ไฟเขียว details
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ไฟเลี้ยว fay líaw turn signal ไฟเลี้ยว details
drive、passion、energy、motivation
In a figurative, casual sense, ไฟ means drive, passion, energy, or motivation.
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มีไฟ mii fay be motivated มีไฟ details
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ไฟแรง fay rɛɛŋ energetic; highly motivated ไฟแรง details
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หมดไฟ mòt fay burn out หมดไฟ details
Learning notes
Explanation
ไฟ is a very common word whose meanings extend from fire to lights, electricity, signal lights, and even motivation. Key everyday phrases include เปิดไฟ “turn on the light,” ปิดไฟ “turn off the light,” ไฟดับ “the power goes out,” and ค่าไฟ “electricity bill.” ไฟฟ้า is the clearer, more explicit word for electricity, especially in technical or explanatory contexts.
Usage
You will hear ไฟ at home when talking about lights, power outages, charging, and electricity bills. It is also used for actual fire in cooking, camping, and fire emergencies, and for traffic or vehicle lights when driving. In work or study contexts, it can also describe motivation in phrases like มีไฟ and หมดไฟ.
Caution
Do not translate ไฟ as “fire” every time. เปิดไฟ and ปิดไฟ usually mean turning lights on and off, while จุดไฟ is used for lighting a fire and ดับไฟ for putting one out.
Differences from similar words
1 fire synonyms
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เปลวไฟ specifically means the visible flames. ไฟ is broader and can refer to fire in general, a fire incident, or fire as a source of heat and burning.
2 light synonyms
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แสง means light as brightness or rays. ไฟ often refers to the lamp or light fixture itself, so it can be turned on or off.
3 electricity synonyms
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ไฟฟ้า clearly means electricity and fits technical or more explicit contexts. ไฟ is the everyday word and can mean electricity, power, or lights depending on the situation.
4 traffic light synonyms
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สัญญาณไฟ explicitly means a signal light. ไฟ is shorter and commonly used in context, especially in phrases like ไฟแดง and ไฟเขียว.