do only
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- 1 do only、do nothing but
This expression means to do only one thing or one kind of thing, often to the exclusion of everything else. Depending on context, it may simply indicate restriction or imply an unbalanced habit.
do only、do nothing but
Followed by a noun or an action, it indicates that someone does only that thing, sometimes with criticism of the person's excessive focus on it.
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ลูกคนนี้ทำแต่เรื่อง lûuk khon níi tham tɛ̀ɛ rʉ̂aŋ This child is always causing trouble. ลูกคนนี้ทำแต่เรื่อง details
Learning notes
Explanation
The expression consists of ทำ “to do” and the restrictive use of แต่, meaning “only.” Its basic pattern is ทำแต่ followed by a noun or an action. Its core idea is that someone does one thing to the exclusion of others. For example, ทำแต่งาน can mean either “do only work” or, more naturally in many contexts, “do nothing but work.” It often conveys annoyance or criticism about an unbalanced pattern of behavior, but it is not inherently negative. With a positive object, such as ความดี “good deeds,” it can express neutral or positive restriction. ทำแต่เรื่อง is a common combination meaning “keep causing trouble”; เรื่อง refers to trouble or an incident in this context, not simply a story or topic.
Usage
It is commonly used when describing or criticizing someone who focuses excessively on work, play, or another activity. It can also be used neutrally in advice that restricts a person's actions to something desirable, such as doing only good deeds.
Caution
Here, แต่ means “only,” not the conjunction “but.” The expression normally requires a following noun or action. When criticizing someone for being absorbed in one activity or neglecting other responsibilities, เอาแต่ followed by a verb is also very common.
Differences from similar words
1 do only synonyms
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เอาแต่ commonly precedes a verb and emphasizes being preoccupied with one activity while neglecting everything else. ทำแต่ focuses more broadly on doing only a particular thing or kind of thing and readily combines with nouns.