be aware of oneself
Native recording
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- 1 be aware of oneself、realize what one is doing
- 2 be conscious、be alert
- 3 identify (a culprit or suspect)
It primarily means being aware of your own actions or condition. In other contexts, it can describe being conscious or identifying a person sought by investigators.
be aware of oneself、realize what one is doing
It means becoming or being aware of your own actions, condition, feelings, or circumstances.
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ฉันรู้ตัวว่าทำผิด chǎn rúutua wâa tham phìt I realize that I did something wrong. ฉันรู้ตัวว่าทำผิด details
be conscious、be alert
It describes being conscious and able to perceive one's surroundings, especially in medical, accident, or similar contexts.
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ตอนนี้คนไข้รู้ตัวแล้ว tɔɔn níi khon khây rúutua lɛ́ɛw The patient is conscious now. ตอนนี้คนไข้รู้ตัวแล้ว details
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เขายังรู้ตัวดี khǎw yaŋ rúutua dii He is still fully conscious. เขายังรู้ตัวดี details
identify (a culprit or suspect)
In investigative contexts, it means determining who a culprit, suspect, or other sought person is.
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ตำรวจรู้ตัวคนร้ายแล้ว tamrùat rúutua khon ráay lɛ́ɛw The police have identified the culprit. ตำรวจรู้ตัวคนร้ายแล้ว details
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เจ้าหน้าที่รู้ตัวผู้ต้องสงสัยแล้ว câw nâathîi rúutua phûu tɔ̂ŋ sǒŋsǎy lɛ́ɛw The authorities have identified the suspect. เจ้าหน้าที่รู้ตัวผู้ต้องสงสัยแล้ว details
Learning notes
Explanation
รู้ means “know,” while ตัว can refer to oneself, the body, or an individual. The central idea is awareness of oneself or one's own condition. The common pattern รู้ตัวว่า + clause means “realize that...” or “be aware that....” Its negative form, ไม่รู้ตัวว่า + clause, means that someone is unaware of what they are doing or experiencing. รู้ตัวอีกที（ก็）... is a frequent expression meaning “before I knew it...” or “when I next noticed....” กว่าจะรู้ตัวก็... means “by the time someone realized it...” and often introduces an unfortunate result. In medical or accident-related contexts, the word can concern consciousness. When followed by a person, especially a culprit or suspect, it can instead mean that the person's identity has been established.
Usage
In everyday conversation, it is used to discuss whether someone notices their own habits, mistakes, emotions, physical condition, or behavior. รู้ตัวอีกทีก็... is especially common when time has passed unnoticed. It also appears in hospitals and accident reports when describing consciousness, and in news or police statements when investigators have identified a culprit or suspect.
Caution
Use รู้ for simply knowing a fact. รู้ตัว normally involves awareness of one's own behavior or condition. รู้ตัวไหมว่า... (“Do you realize that...?”) can sound accusatory or irritated depending on tone. To state clearly that someone is unconscious, ไม่รู้สึกตัว is more usual. ไม่รู้ตัว by itself may instead be understood as “unaware of it.”
Differences from similar words
1 be aware of oneself synonyms
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ตระหนัก is a somewhat formal word for recognizing the importance or seriousness of something. รู้ตัว is the everyday choice for being aware of one's own actions or state.
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รู้สึกตัว often refers to regaining consciousness or becoming alert to one's surroundings. รู้ตัว more broadly emphasizes awareness of one's own actions or condition.