ฟู

Explanation

The core image of ฟู is something filling with air and becoming light, soft, and expanded. It is commonly used for bread or cake batter, whipped egg whites, pillows, hair, and animal fur. ผมฟู describes hair spreading outward or becoming frizzy, while ขนฟู describes fluffy, puffed-out fur. Thai state verbs can serve directly as predicates, so หมอนฟู means “the pillow is fluffy,” while แป้งฟูขึ้น means “the dough rises.” In the common figurative expression ใจฟู, it describes feeling emotionally uplifted, warm, and happy.

Usage

It is often used in cooking when dough has risen or egg whites have been whipped until fluffy. In everyday contexts, it describes fluffy pillows, frizzy or voluminous hair, and puffed-out animal fur. ใจฟู is common in conversation and social media when reacting to heartwarming videos, kind words, or happy experiences.

Caution

ฟู suggests light, airy, soft expansion. Use บวม for bodily swelling caused by injury or illness, and พอง when something swells or bulges with a taut surface. The meaning “to prosper” is normally expressed by เฟื่องฟู, not ฟู alone.

1 rise and become fluffy synonyms

• บวม

  buam swell (from moisture)

  บวม refers to bodily swelling caused by injury, illness, or fluid retention. ฟู is used for light, fluffy expansion and normally does not describe a swollen body part.

• พอง

  phɔɔŋ swell

  พอง describes something swelling or bulging outward, often with a taut surface. ฟู emphasizes a light, airy, fluffy kind of expansion.