มือ
hand
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 hand
- 2 person who does or handles something、performer; operator
This word primarily means “hand.” It also appears in compounds referring to someone who performs a particular activity or has a particular role or level of skill.
hand
The body part at the end of the arm, used for holding, touching, and doing things.
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ยกมือขึ้น yók mʉʉ khʉ̂n raise one’s hand ยกมือขึ้น details
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เขียนด้วยมือ khǐan dûay mʉʉ write by hand เขียนด้วยมือ details
person who does or handles something、performer; operator
In compounds, it refers to a person who performs an activity or has a particular role or level of experience.
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เขาเป็นมือกลองของวงนี้ khǎw pen mʉʉklɔɔŋ khɔ̌ɔŋ woŋ níi He is the drummer in this band. เขาเป็นมือกลองของวงนี้ details
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ฉันยังเป็นมือใหม่ chǎn yaŋ pen mʉʉ mày I’m still a beginner. ฉันยังเป็นมือใหม่ details
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ทำงานแบบมืออาชีพ tham ŋaan bɛ̀ɛp mʉʉ aachîip work like a professional ทำงานแบบมืออาชีพ details
Learning notes
Explanation
The basic meaning of มือ is the body part “hand.” มือขวา means “right hand,” มือซ้าย means “left hand,” ฝ่ามือ means “palm,” หลังมือ means “back of the hand,” and นิ้วมือ means “finger.” The classifier ข้าง is commonly used when counting the two sides of the body, as in มือสองข้าง, “both hands.” มือ also combines with other words to identify someone who performs a particular activity. For example, มือกลอง means “drummer,” and มือใหม่ means “beginner.” This person-denoting use is most often found in compounds rather than as a standalone word. For “skill” or “workmanship,” Thai normally uses ฝีมือ rather than มือ alone. มีฝีมือ means “to be skilled,” while อาหารฝีมือแม่ refers to food made by one’s mother. มือ can also be used figuratively in expressions such as อยู่ในมือ, meaning that something is in someone’s hands, care, or control.
Usage
It is extremely common in everyday situations involving the hands, such as washing, holding, shaking hands, raising a hand, or doing something manually. It also appears frequently in compounds describing a person’s role or experience, such as มือใหม่ “beginner” and มืออาชีพ “professional.” In shopping contexts, มือสอง is commonly used for secondhand goods, as in รถมือสอง “used car.”
Caution
มือ means “hand,” not the entire arm; แขน is used for “arm.” เจ็บมือ means that the hand hurts, while เจ็บแขน refers to pain in the arm. Also, “skill” or “workmanship” is normally ฝีมือ, so มือ cannot generally replace it when used alone.
Differences from similar words
2 person who does or handles something synonyms
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ผู้เชี่ยวชาญ specifically means an expert with specialized knowledge or advanced skill. มือ combines with another word to identify someone who performs an activity, and that person is not necessarily an expert.