เต้น

Explanation

The core image of เต้น is repeated movement, often up and down or in a rhythm. Its most common meaning is “to dance.” For example, ชอบเต้น means “to like dancing,” and เต้นตามเพลง means “to dance along to the music.” The same rhythmic image applies to a beating heart or throbbing pulse. หัวใจเต้น means “the heart beats,” while ใจเต้นแรง describes a pounding or racing heart caused by exercise, nervousness, fear, surprise, or excitement. เต้น can also describe repeated bouncing or springing movement, though this use depends more heavily on context.

Usage

It is commonly used when talking about dancing at parties, clubs, school events, in exercise, or in videos. It also appears in everyday descriptions of a racing heart and in health or medical contexts involving the heartbeat.

Caution

For a single jump or leap, กระโดด is usually the appropriate verb. To say that your heart is pounding, use ใจเต้น or หัวใจเต้น; อกเต้น is not the usual expression.

1 dance synonyms

• ดิ้น

  dîn dance energetically

  ดิ้น usually means to writhe, struggle, or thrash about, often from discomfort or resistance. เต้น normally describes rhythmic movement to music.

• เต้นรำ

  เต้นรำ explicitly refers to dancing and can sound somewhat more formal or organized. เต้น is the usual shorter word in everyday conversation.

2 beat (of the heart) synonyms

• สั่น

  sàn tremble

  สั่น means to shake, tremble, or vibrate. เต้น describes a repeated beat or pulse, especially that of the heart.