ร้าง
abandoned
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 abandoned、deserted、unoccupied
- 2 leave behind、desert、stay away from
This word describes something left behind after people or activity have been absent for a significant time. It is used especially for abandoned or unoccupied places.
abandoned、deserted、unoccupied
Describes a place or building that has been left unused and unoccupied, often for a long time.
-
บ้านร้าง bâan ráaŋ an abandoned house บ้านร้าง details
-
โรงงานร้าง rooŋ ŋaan ráaŋ an abandoned factory โรงงานร้าง details
Show more (2)
-
เมืองร้าง mʉaŋ ráaŋ a ghost town เมืองร้าง details
leave behind、desert、stay away from
Expresses leaving a place, relationship, or activity behind, usually with a lasting absence. In modern usage, it often appears in established combinations.
Learning notes
Explanation
The central idea of ร้าง is that people, activity, or a relationship once present have disappeared, leaving an enduring absence. It very commonly follows a place noun. บ้านร้าง is not merely a house whose occupants are temporarily away; it is an abandoned or long-unoccupied house. Although ร้าง can function as a verb, modern learners will often encounter it in established combinations such as หย่าร้าง “to divorce” and ร้างมือ “to become rusty through lack of practice.” In ร้างมือ, the expression refers to being away from a skill or activity, not to the hand itself. ร้างลา, meaning to part or leave, has a literary flavor and is uncommon in ordinary conversation.
Usage
It is commonly used for abandoned houses, disused factories, deserted towns, and neglected land. It frequently appears in real-estate descriptions, news reports, historical writing, and ghost stories. หย่าร้าง is used when discussing divorce in conversation, news, and official contexts. ร้างมือ is useful when returning to a sport, instrument, craft, or other skill after a long break and finding that one has become rusty.
Caution
Do not normally use ร้าง for a place that is only temporarily empty. Use ไม่มีคนอยู่ when nobody is there, or เจ้าของไม่อยู่ when the owner is simply away. Also distinguish ร้าง, meaning abandoned or deserted, from ล้าง, meaning to wash, clean, or erase.
Differences from similar words
1 abandoned synonyms
-
ว่างเปล่า broadly means “empty,” without necessarily implying neglect. ร้าง suggests that a formerly occupied or used place has been left unused or deserted.
2 leave behind synonyms
-
ทิ้ง is the general verb for throwing something away, leaving it behind, or abandoning someone. ร้าง emphasizes a lasting absence and the emptiness left behind, and it commonly occurs in fixed expressions.
-
เลิก generally means to stop an activity or end a relationship. ร้าง places more emphasis on a prolonged absence and what has been left unused or unattended.