หัน

Explanation

หัน is best understood as changing the direction something faces. หันมา often means turning toward the speaker, the current place, or the main focus, while หันไป often means turning away or moving toward another option. หันหน้า refers to facing with the front or face, and หันหลัง means turning one’s back. The phrase หันหลังให้... can also be figurative, meaning to abandon someone or turn away from a problem.

Usage

It is common in everyday situations such as asking someone to face the camera, turn left, or look this way. It also appears often in news, business, and social topics when describing people, companies, or society shifting toward a new interest, behavior, or direction.

Caution

Do not confuse หัน with หั่น. หัน means to turn or face a direction, while หั่น means to chop or slice. For a vehicle turning at an intersection, เลี้ยว is normally used; หัน is mainly about changing the direction something faces.

1 turn synonyms

• หมุน

  mǔn spin

  หมุน means to spin or rotate, often around an axis. หัน focuses more on changing the direction something or someone is facing.

• เลี้ยว

  líaw turn

  เลี้ยว is used for turning while moving along a road or path, such as a car turning at an intersection. หัน is about changing the direction someone or something faces.

2 turn to synonyms

• สนใจ

  sǒncay be interested in

  สนใจ means to be interested. หันมาสนใจ emphasizes a shift: someone or a group has started to become interested in something.

• เปลี่ยน

  เปลี่ยน broadly means to change. หัน keeps the image of turning toward a new direction, especially for attention, behavior, or policy.