จน
until
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 until、till
- 2 so...that、to the point that、resulting in
- 3 up to、as far as、until
- 4 poor、impoverished
- 5 be stuck、be cornered
This word mainly marks the endpoint or limit reached by an action or condition, giving meanings such as “until,” “so...that,” or “to the point that.” It can also describe someone as poor or, less often by itself, mean being stuck or defeated.
until、till
Connects an action or condition to the event or state at which it ends.
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รอจนเขากลับมา rɔɔ con khǎw klàp maa Wait until he comes back. รอจนเขากลับมา details
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ทำงานจนเสร็จ tham ŋaan con sèt Work until it is finished. ทำงานจนเสร็จ details
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อ่านหนังสือจนดึก àan nǎŋsʉ̌ʉ con dʉ̀k Read until late at night. อ่านหนังสือจนดึก details
so...that、to the point that、resulting in
Links a strong action or condition to the degree or result it produces.
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เหนื่อยจนเดินไม่ไหว nʉ̀ay con dəən mây wǎy I was so tired that I could not walk. เหนื่อยจนเดินไม่ไหว details
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เขาหัวเราะจนร้องไห้ khǎw hǔarɔ́ con rɔ́ɔŋ hây He laughed until he cried. เขาหัวเราะจนร้องไห้ details
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ฝนตกหนักจนน้ำท่วม fǒn tòk nàk con náam thûam It rained so heavily that it flooded. ฝนตกหนักจนน้ำท่วม details
up to、as far as、until
Usually in the form จนถึง, marks the endpoint of a time span, route, or range.
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เดินจนถึงสถานี dəən con thʉ̌ŋ sàthǎanii Walk as far as the station. เดินจนถึงสถานี details
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รอจนถึงห้าโมง rɔɔ con thʉ̌ŋ hâa mooŋ Wait until five o'clock. รอจนถึงห้าโมง details
poor、impoverished
Describes a person or household that has very little money or material resources.
be stuck、be cornered
Means to be left with no escape or workable move, sometimes including defeat. It is more commonly encountered in set expressions than on its own.
Learning notes
Explanation
As a conjunction, จน is easiest to understand as showing an action or condition progressing until it reaches an endpoint or limit. In รอจนเขามา, the waiting continues up to the time when the person arrives. In เหนื่อยจนเดินไม่ไหว, the tiredness reaches the point where walking is no longer possible, producing the meaning “so tired that one cannot walk.” จนถึง commonly introduces a stated endpoint such as a time or place. The pattern ตั้งแต่ A จนถึง B means “from A to B.” The sense “poor” is separate. จน can serve as a predicate, as in เขาจน, or follow a noun as a modifier, as in คนจน. For the sense involving being stuck or defeated, learners will most often encounter จน in fixed expressions such as จนมุม “be cornered” and จนแต้ม “run out of moves.”
Usage
จน is extremely common in everyday speech when describing how long someone waits, when a task ends, or the limit reached by a condition. It also frequently connects a cause with its resulting outcome. จนถึง is used for endpoints in schedules, business hours, routes, and numerical ranges. จน or ยากจน describes the economic condition of a person or family. จนมุม and จนแต้ม occur when someone has no escape or usable strategy in situations such as a police pursuit, contest, argument, or difficult problem.
Caution
จน does not replace every use of “until” or “up to.” It usually suggests that an action or condition continues and reaches the stated point. When simply referring to arrival at a destination or point, ถึง may be more natural. คนจน is a standard expression, but directly labeling a particular person as จน can sound insensitive. In contexts requiring neutral or respectful wording, ผู้มีรายได้น้อย, meaning “a low-income person,” may be preferable. Learn ยากจน as a unit meaning “poor” or “impoverished”; it should not be interpreted word by word from the usual meanings of ยาก and จน.
Differences from similar words
1 until synonyms
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ตราบจน emphasizes uninterrupted continuation up to a point and has a somewhat literary tone. จน is natural in ordinary conversation.
2 so...that synonyms
3 up to synonyms
4 poor synonyms
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ขัดสน focuses on hardship caused by lacking necessary money or resources. จน directly describes a person or household as economically poor.