ลุก

Explanation

The basic use of ลุก describes a person physically rising from a seated or lying position. ลุกจาก… means “get up from…,” while ลุกไป followed by another verb shows someone getting up and proceeding to do something. ลุกขึ้น makes the upward movement more explicit. It can also be figurative, as in ลุกขึ้นสู้, meaning to rise up and begin fighting or resisting. With fire as the subject, ลุก describes flames catching or rising. Common patterns include ไฟลุก, ลุกเป็นไฟ, and ลุกไหม้. It is a common, neutral word used in everyday Thai.

Usage

It is commonly used when someone gets out of bed, rises from a chair or the floor, or gets up to do something. It can also describe people rising to take action, protest, or fight. The fire-related use appears when flames flare up during cooking, an object or building catches fire, or a fire is reported.

Caution

Do not use ลุก simply for waking up; that is ตื่น. Do not use it for the continuing state of standing, which is ยืน. ลุก describes the change from lying or sitting to being up. Also, do not confuse it with the similarly spelled ลูก, which can mean “child” or refer to a round object.

1 get up synonyms

• ตื่น

  tʉ̀ʉn wake up

  ตื่น means to wake up from sleep. ลุก refers to the physical act of getting up from a bed, chair, or similar position.

• ยืน

  yʉʉn stand

  ยืน describes being in a standing position. ลุก focuses on the movement of rising from a seated or lying position.

2 catch fire synonyms

• ปะทุ

  pathú erupt

  ปะทุ describes something such as fire, a volcano, or emotion suddenly erupting from within. ลุก focuses more specifically on flames starting or rising.

• ไหม้

  mây burn

  ไหม้ broadly describes something burning or being damaged by heat. ลุก emphasizes fire catching or flames rising and commonly appears in phrases such as ไฟลุก and ลุกเป็นไฟ.