ข่วน
scratch (with a nail, claw, thorn, etc.)
Native recording
Analyzing pitch…
Pitch graph is unavailable
- 1 scratch (with a nail, claw, thorn, etc.)、claw
Describes scratching or clawing a surface with something sharp, such as a fingernail, an animal’s claw, or a thorn, often leaving a mark or wound.
scratch (with a nail, claw, thorn, etc.)、claw
To drag a nail, claw, thorn, or similar sharp point across a surface and leave a scratch.
-
แมวข่วนโซฟา mɛɛw khùan soofaa The cat scratches the sofa. แมวข่วนโซฟา details
-
กิ่งไม้ข่วนแขน kìŋ máay khùan khɛ̌ɛn A tree branch scratched my arm. กิ่งไม้ข่วนแขน details
Learning notes
Explanation
ข่วน centers on a sharp point—such as a fingernail, an animal’s claw, or a thorn—being dragged across a surface and leaving a mark or injury. It is especially common when talking about animals: แมวข่วน means “a cat scratches” or “a cat claws.” The usual pattern is “scratcher + ข่วน + target.” A passive construction is also common, as in เขาถูกแมวข่วน, “He was scratched by a cat.” To refer to the resulting mark, use รอยข่วน, meaning “a scratch mark,” or รอยแมวข่วน, “a cat scratch.”
Usage
This word is used when an animal scratches a person or furniture, when someone scratches another person with their nails, or when a branch or thorn catches the skin and leaves a scratch.
Caution
Do not normally use ข่วน for scratching an itch; use เกา instead. For skin scraped over a broader area, such as after a fall, ถลอก is usually more appropriate.
Differences from similar words
1 scratch (with a nail, claw, thorn, etc.) synonyms
-
ขีดข่วน commonly refers to making scratches or scuff marks on objects such as cars or furniture. ข่วน more directly describes scratching with claws, nails, thorns, or similar sharp points.
-
เกา means to scratch an itch. In contrast, ข่วน emphasizes clawing or scratching with a sharp point, often causing a visible mark or wound.