ซ่อม
repair
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 repair、fix、mend、restore
- 2 take a make-up exam、take a retake exam、make up missed study
This basic verb means to bring something broken or incomplete back to a usable or acceptable state. It is mainly used for repairing things, and in school contexts it can also refer to making up failed or missed work.
repair、fix、mend、restore
Used when fixing something broken, damaged, or not working so that it can be used again, such as a car, appliance, house, or road.
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ซ่อมรถ sɔ̂m rót repair a car ซ่อมรถ details
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เอาคอมไปซ่อม aw khɔɔm pay sɔ̂m take the computer in for repair เอาคอมไปซ่อม details
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ช่างกำลังซ่อมแอร์ châŋ kamlaŋ sɔ̂m ɛɛ The technician is fixing the air conditioner. ช่างกำลังซ่อมแอร์ details
take a make-up exam、take a retake exam、make up missed study
In school contexts, this refers to making up for failed or insufficient work, especially in the phrase สอบซ่อม for taking a make-up or retake exam.
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สอบซ่อม sɔ̀ɔp sɔ̂m take a make-up exam สอบซ่อม details
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ต้องไปเรียนซ่อม tɔ̂ŋ pay rian sɔ̂m I have to go to a make-up class. ต้องไปเรียนซ่อม details
Learning notes
Explanation
The core idea of ซ่อม is restoring something broken, damaged, or insufficient to a usable or acceptable state. In everyday Thai, it is used as ซ่อม + object, as in ซ่อมรถ “repair a car” or ซ่อมแอร์ “fix an air conditioner.” To say you take something in for repair, เอา...ไปซ่อม is a natural pattern. The nominal form การซ่อม means “repair.”
Usage
It is common when talking about broken cars, motorcycles, phones, computers, air conditioners, household equipment, or roads. It can be used whether you fix something yourself or have a technician repair it. In school settings, it appears in talk about retake exams or make-up classes.
Caution
For “solve a problem,” Thai normally uses แก้ปัญหา or แก้ไขปัญหา, not ซ่อมปัญหา. Also, ซ่อม “repair” and ซ้อม “practice” are different words, so be careful not to confuse them.
Differences from similar words
1 repair synonyms
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ซ่อมแซม is a somewhat fuller word for repairing or restoring, often used with buildings, roads, or facilities. ซ่อม is the everyday basic verb for fixing a wide range of things, including cars and appliances.