ค้น
search through
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 search through、search (a person or place)
It means to search through a place, object, person, or source of information in order to find something, often by examining its contents closely.
search through、search (a person or place)
To look closely through something in order to find what is wanted or hidden; it is also used for official searches of people, homes, and vehicles.
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เขาค้นลิ้นชักหาเอกสาร khǎw khón línchák hǎa èekkàsǎan He searched the drawer for the document. เขาค้นลิ้นชักหาเอกสาร details
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ตำรวจค้นตัวผู้ต้องสงสัย tamrùat khón tua phûu tɔ̂ŋ sǒŋsǎy The police searched the suspect. ตำรวจค้นตัวผู้ต้องสงสัย details
Learning notes
Explanation
The core image of ค้น is not merely looking around, but going through or examining the contents of something closely. A place or object can follow it directly: ค้นห้อง means “search the room,” ค้นรถ means “search the vehicle,” and ค้นกระเป๋า means “search the bag.” When the desired item is stated, หา may introduce it, as in ค้นลิ้นชักหาเอกสาร, “search the drawer for the document.” It also appears in common compounds relating to searches, research, and discoveries, including ค้นหา, ค้นคว้า, and ค้นพบ.
Usage
It is used when searching through a room, drawer, or bag for a missing item. It also appears in police searches of people, homes, and vehicles, as well as in online searches.
Caution
ค้น does not cover every use of “look for.” Use หา for the general act of looking for a person or thing. Expressions such as ค้นตัว and ค้นบ้าน can imply an official or compulsory search. Also, do not confuse ค้น with คน, a differently toned word meaning “to stir.”
Differences from similar words
1 search through synonyms
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ค้นหา broadly means to look or search for a target and is common with objects, people, and information. ค้น by itself more strongly suggests examining or going through something.
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ตรวจค้น is a more official term for an inspection or search by police or security personnel, often for prohibited or dangerous items. ค้น can also describe an ordinary everyday search.
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หา is the general word for looking for a person or thing. ค้น emphasizes going through or closely examining something.