ด่า
scold harshly
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 scold harshly、verbally abuse、insult
Describes verbally attacking someone with angry, harsh, or insulting language. Depending on context, it can range from severely scolding someone to openly abusing or insulting them.
scold harshly、verbally abuse、insult
To speak to or about someone in an aggressively critical or insulting way, whether as a harsh scolding or as outright verbal abuse.
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โดนแม่ด่า doon mɛ̂ɛ dàa I got severely scolded by my mother. โดนแม่ด่า details
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อย่าด่าฉันนะ yàa dàa chǎn ná Don't yell insults at me. อย่าด่าฉันนะ details
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เขาด่าฉันว่าโง่ khǎw dàa chǎn wâa ŋôo He called me stupid. เขาด่าฉันว่าโง่ details
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สองคนนั้นด่ากัน sɔ̌ɔŋ khon nán dàa kan Those two are insulting each other. สองคนนั้นด่ากัน details
Learning notes
Explanation
The core idea of ด่า is a verbal attack. It normally involves anger, severe criticism, insults, or some combination of these rather than a calm correction. The basic pattern is ด่า followed by the person targeted. To state the specific insult, Thai commonly uses ด่า + person + ว่า + content. For example, ด่าเขาว่าโง่ means to call him stupid in an insulting way. โดนด่า means to get severely scolded or verbally abused, while ด่ากัน means to insult or berate each other. The intensity depends on context, ranging from an angry reprimand by a parent or boss to abusive language during a fight.
Usage
Common in descriptions of angry confrontations: a parent severely scolding a child, a boss berating an employee, people trading insults in an argument, or users attacking someone online. โดนด่า is also an everyday way to say that someone got harshly told off.
Caution
The word itself is not necessarily vulgar, but the behavior it describes is aggressive and may involve offensive language. For a neutral warning, เตือน is usually more suitable; for an ordinary reprimand, ว่า or ดุ may be better. Using ด่า for every kind of “scold” can make the situation sound much harsher than intended.
Differences from similar words
1 scold harshly synonyms
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ดุ means to reprimand someone sternly, often for disciplinary reasons, and does not necessarily involve insults. ด่า is more verbally aggressive and can mean outright abuse.
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ตำหนิ is a more formal or restrained word for criticizing or finding fault with someone. ด่า focuses on an angry and aggressive verbal attack.
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บ่น means to complain, grumble, or nag, often repeatedly. ด่า is a more direct and forceful attack on someone.
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ว่า can mean to tell someone off or scold them and is often milder in everyday contexts. ด่า suggests harsher, angrier, or more insulting language.