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Thai

หน่อ

Pronunciation

nɔ̀ɔ

หน่อ

nɔ̀ɔ

shoot

Native recording

Analyzing pitch…

  1. 1 shoot、offshoot
  2. 2 [classifier for shoots and bamboo shoots]

This word refers to a young shoot growing from the base, rootstock, or underground stem of a parent plant. It is also used as a classifier for shoots, especially bamboo shoots.

1

shoot、offshoot

Noun⭐️3 Common

A new shoot or offshoot that grows from the base or underground stem of a parent plant.

2

[classifier for shoots and bamboo shoots]

Classifier⭐️2 Not often used

A classifier used to count individual plant shoots or offshoots, particularly bamboo shoots.

Learning notes

Explanation

The central image of หน่อ is a new growth emerging from a parent plant and developing into a stem or separate offshoot. It is especially associated with plants such as bamboo and bananas, whose shoots grow from the base or underground stem. The usual expression for “to put out shoots” is แตกหน่อ. The most common related word is หน่อไม้, “bamboo shoot,” which frequently appears in food names and product labels. หน่อ also serves as a classifier, as in หน่อไม้สองหน่อ, “two bamboo shoots.” It can figuratively refer to a child or descendant, but this use is elevated or formulaic rather than an ordinary everyday term for a child.

Usage

It is used in gardening and agriculture when discussing plant propagation, division, and offshoots such as those produced by banana plants. In everyday life, it is most often encountered in food-related words containing หน่อไม้, “bamboo shoot.”

Caution

หน่อ is not the general word for every kind of bud or sprout. ตา is often used for a bud on a stem or branch, ต้นอ่อน for a seedling, and ยอดอ่อน for a tender young tip. For an ordinary child, use ลูก or เด็ก; calling a person หน่อ generally sounds literary or formulaic.

Differences from similar words

1 shoot synonyms

  • ต้นอ่อน refers to a young plant or seedling as a whole. หน่อ focuses on a new shoot or offshoot emerging from a parent plant.

  • ยอดอ่อน is a tender young tip at the end of a stem or branch. หน่อ usually refers to a shoot emerging from the base or underground stem of a plant.

Component words

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