บาป
sin
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 sin、wrongdoing、demerit
- 2 sinful、wicked
This word refers to sin or morally wrong conduct, often with the idea that it brings harmful consequences. It can also describe a person as sinful or wicked.
sin、wrongdoing、demerit
An act that violates religious or moral principles, or the demerit and harmful consequences believed to result from it.
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การฆ่าสัตว์เป็นบาป kaan khâa sàt pen bàap Killing animals is a sin. การฆ่าสัตว์เป็นบาป details
sinful、wicked
Describes a person as sinful or morally wicked.
Learning notes
Explanation
บาป centers on religious or moral sin. In Thailand it is often associated with Buddhist ideas of cause and effect, so it may refer both to a wrongful act and to the demerit or harmful consequences produced by that act. Its usual opposite is บุญ, merit gained through good deeds. Common combinations include ทำบาป “commit a sin,” เป็นบาป “be a sin,” ได้บาป “incur demerit,” and เกรงบาป “fear sin.” In conversation, บาปนะ may be used to stop someone from mistreating an animal, a child, or another vulnerable person. Depending on the situation, it can sound like “That’s cruel” or “Poor thing,” but it still carries the judgment that the treatment is morally wrong. Its adjectival use appears mainly with people, as in คนบาป, “a sinful person” or “a sinner.”
Usage
It is common in discussions of religion, morality, merit, and karmic consequences. In everyday speech, it is also used to condemn cruelty, discourage killing animals, or stop someone from mistreating a vulnerable person.
Caution
บาป does not normally mean a crime in the legal sense. Use อาชญากรรม for “crime” and การกระทำผิดกฎหมาย for an illegal act. Also, ได้บาป means to incur sin or demerit, not to be forgiven for a sin.