ใต้
under
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 under、below、lower、underground
- 2 south、the southern region、southern
This basic word places something below or underneath a reference point. It also refers to the south or the southern part of a place.
under、below、lower、underground
It marks a position lower than or underneath something, including a place below a surface such as the ground or water.
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แมวอยู่ใต้โต๊ะ mɛɛw yùu tâay tó The cat is under the table. แมวอยู่ใต้โต๊ะ details
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ชั้นใต้ดิน chántâaydin basement level ชั้นใต้ดิน details
south、the southern region、southern
It denotes the direction south or the southern part of a country or region. After another noun, it can also mean “southern.”
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ภาคใต้ phâaktâay the southern region ภาคใต้ details
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เขาเดินทางลงใต้ khǎw dəən thaaŋ loŋ tâay He is traveling south. เขาเดินทางลงใต้ details
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ประเทศไทยตอนใต้ prathêetthay tɔɔntâay southern Thailand ประเทศไทยตอนใต้ details
Learning notes
Explanation
The core image of ใต้ is being on the lower side of a reference point. For physical position, it normally comes before the reference object: ใต้โต๊ะ means “under the table,” and อยู่ใต้โต๊ะ means “to be under the table.” The verb supplies ideas such as being, moving, or performing an action at that location. ใต้ดิน literally means “under the ground” and is commonly used for underground places and facilities. As a direction word, ใต้ means “south.” It also identifies the southern part of an area in expressions such as ภาคใต้ “the southern region” and ตอนใต้ “the southern part.” In a Thai domestic context, ภาคใต้ usually refers to Southern Thailand.
Usage
It is common in everyday descriptions of where objects, people, or places are located. It also appears in words for underground floors, parking areas, and transportation. Its directional sense is frequent in navigation and in conversations about travel, weather, geography, hometowns, and regional culture. ลงใต้ is a natural way to say “go south” or “travel to the South,” especially within Thailand.
Caution
Word order matters. In ใต้โต๊ะ, the table is the reference point, so the phrase means “under the table.” To describe the table itself as “the one below,” use a construction such as โต๊ะข้างใต้. ไปทางใต้ means “go south,” while ลงใต้ is also common when traveling southward, particularly toward Southern Thailand.
Differences from similar words
1 under synonyms
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ล่าง means “lower” or “the lower part” and commonly follows a noun to identify a level or section. ใต้ typically introduces the reference object and means “under that object.”