สาว
young woman
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 young woman
- 2 young (of a female)、youthful (of a female)
- 3 pull in hand over hand、draw in
This word most commonly refers to a young woman or describes a woman as young. As a separate verb, it means to pull a rope, thread, or similar long object toward oneself with repeated hand movements.
young woman
Refers to a young woman beyond childhood. It may suggest youthfulness, but does not necessarily mean that she is unmarried.
young (of a female)、youthful (of a female)
Follows a noun referring to a woman or female person and describes her as young or youthful.
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นักแสดงสาว nák sadɛɛŋ sǎaw a young actress นักแสดงสาว details
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ตอนเป็นสาว tɔɔn pen sǎaw when she was a young woman ตอนเป็นสาว details
pull in hand over hand、draw in
Means to draw a rope, thread, or another long object toward oneself continuously, usually by pulling it hand over hand.
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สาวเชือกเพื่อให้เรือเข้าฝั่ง sǎaw chʉ̂ak phʉ̂a hây rʉa khâw fàŋ Pull in the rope to bring the boat to shore. สาวเชือกเพื่อให้เรือเข้าฝั่ง details
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สาวไหม sǎaw mǎy Reel silk thread. สาวไหม details
Learning notes
Explanation
The most common use is the noun meaning “young woman.” Its classifier for counting people is คน, as in สาวสามคน, “three young women.” After another noun, สาว can indicate that the female person is young. For example, นักแสดงสาว means “young actress.” It also combines with words for nationality or region, as in สาวไทย, “a young Thai woman.” In ลูกสาว “daughter,” พี่สาว “older sister,” and น้องสาว “younger sister,” สาว primarily marks the person as female; it does not mean that she must actually be young. The verb สาว is a separate word. It suggests repeatedly drawing a rope, thread, or another long object toward oneself, often hand over hand, rather than giving it a single pull.
Usage
It is widely used in conversation, news, and stories when referring to young women. Family terms such as ลูกสาว, พี่สาว, and น้องสาว are also extremely common. The verb is used for activities such as pulling a boat in with a rope or drawing out and reeling thread.
Caution
Although สาว is sometimes translated as “unmarried woman” or “maiden,” in modern everyday usage it does not necessarily indicate marital status. Using it to address a woman directly can sound friendly, but it may also feel overly familiar or draw attention to her age or appearance. ผู้หญิง is more neutral when you simply mean “woman.”
Differences from similar words
1 young woman synonyms
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ผู้หญิง means “woman” or “female” without specifying age. สาว normally refers specifically to a young woman.
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หญิงสาว also means “young woman” and is a more explicit expression that fits well in writing. สาว is shorter and common in everyday language, especially with words indicating nationality, occupation, or another attribute.
2 young (of a female) synonyms
3 pull in hand over hand synonyms
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ดึง is the general verb “to pull.” สาว more specifically describes drawing in a long object such as a rope or thread with repeated movements.