แอบ
secretly
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 secretly、stealthily、without being seen
- 2 hide、stay hidden、take cover
- 3 kind of、low-key、actually a bit、rather [casual]
แอบ centers on doing something out of sight or without others knowing. It commonly means “secretly” before a verb, can mean “hide,” and in casual speech can soften an opinion as “kind of,” “low-key,” or “rather.”
secretly、stealthily、without being seen
Used before a verb to show that an action is done secretly, quietly, or without being seen. It can imply that the action is unauthorized or a bit improper.
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แอบดู ɛ̀ɛp duu to watch secretly แอบดู details
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เขาแอบถ่ายรูปฉัน khǎw ɛ̀ɛp thàay rûup chǎn He secretly took a photo of me. เขาแอบถ่ายรูปฉัน details
hide、stay hidden、take cover
Means to hide oneself or stay out of sight, often by being behind or close to something that blocks view.
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เด็กแอบอยู่หลังประตู dèk ɛ̀ɛp yùu lǎŋ pràtuu The child is hiding behind the door. เด็กแอบอยู่หลังประตู details
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เขาแอบในห้อง khǎw ɛ̀ɛp nay hɔ̂ŋ He hid in the room. เขาแอบในห้อง details
kind of、low-key、actually a bit、rather [casual]
In casual speech, used before feelings or descriptive words to make the statement sound low-key, mildly surprising, or less direct, like “kind of,” “low-key,” or “actually a bit.”
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แอบดีใจ ɛ̀ɛp dii cay I’m low-key happy. แอบดีใจ details
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ร้านนี้แอบแพงนะ ráan níi ɛ̀ɛp phɛɛŋ ná This place is actually kind of expensive. ร้านนี้แอบแพงนะ details
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ฉันแอบชอบเขา chǎn ɛ̀ɛp chɔ̂ɔp khǎw I secretly have a crush on him. ฉันแอบชอบเขา details
Learning notes
Explanation
The core idea of แอบ is keeping something out of sight or not openly revealing it. The most basic pattern is แอบ + verb, meaning to do something secretly, as in แอบดู “watch secretly,” แอบฟัง “listen in,” or แอบถ่าย “take a photo secretly.” Depending on the action, it can sound unauthorized or inappropriate. As a verb, it can mean “hide,” especially when someone stays behind or near something that blocks view. In modern casual speech and social media, it also appears before feelings or descriptions, as in แอบแพง “kind of expensive” or แอบดีใจ “low-key happy.”
Usage
It is common in everyday conversation, social media, romance-related talk, small mischief, secret actions, and situations where someone does something without permission. Common combinations worth learning early include แอบดู, แอบฟัง, แอบถ่าย, and แอบชอบ.
Caution
แอบถ่าย and แอบฟัง can sound rude, invasive, or illegal because they imply doing something without permission. For simply hiding an object, ซ่อน is often more natural; for avoiding or dodging, หลบ is usually the better choice.
Differences from similar words
1 secretly synonyms
2 hide synonyms
3 kind of synonyms
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ค่อนข้าง is a neutral degree word meaning “rather” or “fairly” and works in both speech and writing. แอบ is more casual and suggests a low-key or slightly hidden opinion.
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นิดหน่อย clearly means “a little” in amount or degree. แอบ does not always mean the degree is small; it often makes the statement sound more understated or indirect.