อยู่
be (in a place)
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 be (in a place)
- 2 live、stay
- 3 be doing、remain in a state、still be doing
- 4 depend on、be up to
A basic word built around the idea of remaining in a place or state. It can mean “be located,” “live,” or “stay,” and after another verb it can show that an action or state is continuing.
be (in a place)
Indicates that a person or thing is present or located in a particular place.
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คุณอยู่ไหน? khun yùu nǎy Where are you? คุณอยู่ไหน? details
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แม่อยู่ไหม? mɛ̂ɛ yùu mǎy Is Mom there? แม่อยู่ไหม? details
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หนังสืออยู่บนโต๊ะ nǎŋsʉ̌ʉ yùu bon tó The book is on the table. หนังสืออยู่บนโต๊ะ details
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ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหน? hɔ̂ŋ náam yùu thîi nǎy Where is the restroom? ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหน? details
live、stay
Describes living in a place or remaining there for a period of time.
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ฉันอยู่กรุงเทพฯ chǎn yùu kruŋthêep I live in Bangkok. ฉันอยู่กรุงเทพฯ details
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อยู่ที่นี่ก่อนนะ yùu thîi nîi kɔ̀ɔn ná Stay here for now, okay? อยู่ที่นี่ก่อนนะ details
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เราอยู่ด้วยกัน raw yùu dûay kan We live together. เราอยู่ด้วยกัน details
be doing、remain in a state、still be doing
Placed after a verb or state expression to show that the action or state is ongoing at the relevant time.
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ฉันกำลังกินข้าวอยู่ chǎn kamlaŋ kin khâaw yùu I'm eating right now. ฉันกำลังกินข้าวอยู่ details
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เขารออยู่ khǎw rɔɔ yùu He's waiting. เขารออยู่ details
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ประตูเปิดอยู่ pratuu pə̀ət yùu The door is open. ประตูเปิดอยู่ details
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ไฟยังเปิดอยู่ fay yaŋ pə̀ət yùu The light is still on. ไฟยังเปิดอยู่ details
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อยู่นิ่งๆ yùu nîŋ nîŋ Stay still. อยู่นิ่งๆ details
depend on、be up to
In the construction อยู่ที่, indicates the person, condition, or factor on which a decision or outcome depends.
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อยู่ที่คุณ yùu thîi khun It's up to you. อยู่ที่คุณ details
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ความสำเร็จอยู่ที่ความพยายาม khwaam sǎmrèt yùu thîi khwaam pháyaayaam Success depends on effort. ความสำเร็จอยู่ที่ความพยายาม details
Learning notes
Explanation
The central idea of อยู่ is remaining in a place or state. As a main verb, it commonly follows the pattern “person or thing + อยู่ + place.” ที่ may be placed before the location, though it is often omitted with place names, as in ฉันอยู่กรุงเทพฯ. อยู่ itself does not always distinguish permanent residence from temporary presence. Depending on the context, ฉันอยู่กรุงเทพฯ can mean either “I live in Bangkok” or “I’m in Bangkok now.” After another verb, อยู่ has a grammatical function marking continuation. กำลังกินอยู่ describes an action in progress, while เปิดอยู่ describes a state that continues to hold.
Usage
อยู่ is extremely common when asking where someone is, describing the location of an object or facility, and talking about where someone lives or is staying. It is also essential for describing ongoing actions and continuing states. The pattern อยู่ที่ is used when saying who or what determines a choice or outcome.
Caution
Thai uses อยู่ for the location of both people and things, but possession is normally expressed with มี. หนังสืออยู่บนโต๊ะ means “The book is on the table,” while ฉันมีหนังสือ means “I have a book.” When marking continuation, อยู่ normally follows the verb or state expression. When อยู่ itself is the main verb meaning “be present,” it can follow กำลัง, as in กำลังอยู่ที่บ้าน, “currently at home.”
Differences from similar words
1 be (in a place) synonyms
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มี expresses existence or possession. อยู่ is used when saying where a person or thing is located.
2 live synonyms
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พัก focuses on lodging somewhere temporarily or taking a rest. อยู่ is broader and can refer to either a temporary stay or long-term residence.
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อาศัยอยู่ explicitly means “reside” and can sound more formal. อยู่ alone may mean either living somewhere or simply being there at the moment, depending on context.
3 be doing synonyms
4 depend on synonyms
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ขึ้นอยู่กับ is an explicit, standard expression meaning “depend on.” อยู่ที่ is more compact and often presents something as the deciding factor or the person whose choice matters.