ปาก
mouth
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 mouth、beak (of a bird)
- 2 opening、entrance、mouth (of a river)
- 3 speech、way of speaking
This word primarily means the mouth of a person or animal. It also extends naturally to openings, entrances, river mouths, and the way someone speaks.
mouth、beak (of a bird)
The mouth used for eating and producing sounds; depending on the animal and context, it can also refer to the beak or the area around the lips.
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อ้าปาก âa pàak open one's mouth อ้าปาก details
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เจ็บปาก cèp pàak have pain in the mouth เจ็บปาก details
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เช็ดปากก่อน chét pàak kɔ̀ɔn Wipe your mouth first. เช็ดปากก่อน details
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ปากนก pàak nók a bird's beak ปากนก details
opening、entrance、mouth (of a river)
An opening or edge through which something enters or leaves, including the entrance to a road or alley and the mouth of a river.
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ปากขวด pàak khùat the mouth of a bottle ปากขวด details
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มัดปากถุงให้แน่น mát pàak thǔŋ hây nɛ̂n Tie the mouth of the bag tightly. มัดปากถุงให้แน่น details
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ปากแม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา pàak mɛ̂ɛnáam câwphráyaa the mouth of the Chao Phraya River ปากแม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา details
speech、way of speaking
By association with words coming from the mouth, it refers to someone's speech, manner of speaking, or tendency to reveal information, especially in compounds and fixed expressions.
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เขาปากหวาน khǎw pàak wǎan He has a sweet way with words. เขาปากหวาน details
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อย่าปากเสีย yàa pàak sǐa Don't say nasty things. อย่าปากเสีย details
Learning notes
Explanation
The core meaning is the physical mouth. From the shared image of an open place where things pass in or out, the word extends to ปากขวด “bottle opening,” ปากถุง “mouth of a bag,” ปากซอย “entrance to an alley,” and ปากแม่น้ำ “mouth of a river.” Because speech comes from the mouth, ปาก also appears in many compounds describing how someone speaks: ปากหวาน means sweet-talking, ปากเสีย describes offensive or tactless speech, and ปากหนัก describes someone who is reluctant to speak or keeps information to themselves. The fixed compound ปากท้อง, literally “mouth and stomach,” refers to one's livelihood or basic living needs. For example, ทำงานเพื่อปากท้อง means “work to make a living.” Dictionaries also record ปาก as a classifier for certain fishing nets, but that use is specialized and is not treated here as a core sense for beginning learners.
Usage
It is used for the physical mouth when discussing eating, dental care, or health. In household contexts it describes the opening of a bottle or bag; in directions and meeting arrangements, ปากซอย and ปากทาง identify an entrance; and in geography, ปากแม่น้ำ denotes a river mouth. In conversations about people, compounds such as ปากหวาน, ปากเสีย, and ปากหนัก evaluate someone's manner of speaking or ability to keep information private.
Caution
ปาก refers broadly to the mouth; use ริมฝีปาก when you specifically mean the lips. Compounds describing speech are not always literal. In particular, ปากดี does not simply mean “a good mouth”; it can describe someone as smart-mouthed or insolent. Calling someone ปากเสีย or ปากเบา directly can also sound critical or insulting.
Differences from similar words
2 opening synonyms
3 speech synonyms
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คำพูด refers to the actual words or statement someone says. ปาก, especially in compounds, characterizes a person's manner of speaking or willingness to share information.