ตาไว

Explanation

ตาไว combines ตา (“eye”) with ไว (“quick” or “sensitive”), giving the literal image of “quick eyes.” It does not simply mean having good eyesight. It describes the ability or tendency to spot people, objects, or small visual details quickly. It can describe people, as in เขาตาไว (“He is sharp-eyed”), as well as animals with keen vision, such as hawks. It is often complimentary, but it can also sound playfully teasing when someone is unusually quick to spot something desirable.

Usage

It is commonly used when someone quickly spots a dropped object or a familiar face in a crowd, notices a small defect or error, or detects something unusual. It also naturally describes an animal that rapidly spots prey from a distance.

Caution

Use สายตาดี when you mean that someone has good eyesight. ตาไว is also narrower than a general word such as “careful”: it mainly concerns quickly noticing something visually.

1 sharp-eyed synonyms

• ช่างสังเกต

  ช่างสังเกต describes someone who is generally observant, not only visually. ตาไว specifically emphasizes quickly spotting things with the eyes.

• สายตาดี

  สายตาดี means having good eyesight. ตาไว focuses instead on how quickly someone notices or spots something.