หู
ear
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 ear
- 2 handle、loop
This basic word refers to a person’s or animal’s ear. It can also mean a projecting, ear-shaped part used as a handle or loop on an object.
ear
The organ used by people and animals for hearing. It also appears in expressions about hearing ability and sensitivity to sound.
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เจ็บหู cèp hǔu My ear hurts. เจ็บหู details
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เขาหูดีมาก khǎw hǔu dii mâak He has very good hearing. เขาหูดีมาก details
handle、loop
An ear-shaped projecting part of an object, especially one used for holding, hanging, or threading it.
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หูถ้วย hǔu thûay the handle of a cup หูถ้วย details
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จับที่หูหม้อ càp thîi hǔu mɔ̂ɔ Hold the pot by its handle. จับที่หูหม้อ details
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หูกระเป๋าขาด hǔu krapǎw khàat The bag handle broke. หูกระเป๋าขาด details
Learning notes
Explanation
The central meaning of หู is “ear.” It is an ordinary, neutral word used for both people and animals. It also occurs in many common expressions involving hearing or the impression made by a sound, such as หูดี “to have good hearing,” หูไว “to have sensitive ears,” คุ้นหู “to sound familiar,” and ติดหู “to be catchy.” These are best learned as expressions built around the basic idea of the ear. The usual classifier for one ear is ข้าง: หูสองข้าง means “both ears,” and หูข้างซ้าย means “the left ear.” By extension, หู also names a part of an object that resembles an ear in shape or position, particularly a handle or loop on a cup, pot, or bag.
Usage
It is frequently used when discussing ear symptoms, actions such as covering one’s ears, hearing ability, and how music or words sound. It is also used in everyday descriptions of handles on cups, cookware, bags, and similar objects.
Caution
หู is a noun, not the verb “to listen.” Use ฟัง for the action of listening, as in ฟังเพลง “listen to music.” Also, words such as หูฟัง “earphones/headphones” and ต่างหู “earring” have meanings established by the complete compound; หู alone does not carry those meanings.
Differences from similar words
2 handle synonyms
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ด้าม refers to a shaft-like grip on an implement, pan, or weapon. หู is used for an ear-shaped or looped handle projecting from an object such as a cup, pot, or bag.